What Are “Sustainable” Wedding Gown Fabrics?

In effect, “sustainable” means minimal damage to the environment. Organically-grown fibers such as silk, cotton, hemp, ramie, and flax qualify as “green” or “sustainable” fabrics because they are made from plants or silk worms that can be grown and harvested again and again. Many of you know these fabrics and have worn things made them, but to be truly “sustainable” they should be organizally grown without the use of pesticides and fertilizers.

Some newer sustainable fabric names are coir, pina, and ingeo. These are fabrics made from, respectively, cocoanut, pineapple, and corn plants. Lyocell is yet another one that is made from wood pulp. The wood pulp comes from fast-growing trees in managed forests and is processed with recycled chemicals. Fabric can also be made from soy and bamboo plants.

All of these newer sustainable fabrics can be wetcleaned but will fare best if handcleaned to reduce the mechanical action involved in cleaning them. However, if a gown is silk, it is usually best to dry clean it.

Many designers now offer gowns made from sustainable fabrics. For example, Adele Wechsler offers an Eco Collection in addition to her other designs. Other designers such as Gwendolyn Gleason Couture do the same, and you can find a range of green gown offerings at SmartBrideBoutique.com. For help in planning an entirely green wedding go to GreenBrideGuide.com. You’ll find many, many vendors offering green services there.

And the members of our Association of Wedding Gown Specialists offer green gown presrevations. You can read about our partnership with Carbonfund.org at http://www.WeddingGownSpecialists.com/zero-carbon-weddings.htm

I Had My $9,000 Wedding Gown Cleaned, and It Looks All Wrinkled. What Should I Do?

True story.  A recent bride called this morning because she found a care label inside her gown with our number in it.  She took her $9,000 Ines di Santo wedding gown to her local dry cleaner, and now ”it looks all wrinkled.”  Unfortunately I hear the same story all too often, and it is usually because some cleaner who is not familiar with designer gowns has decided to wash the gown in water.  Once the gown’s finish has been damaged in that way, the look of the gown can sometimes be improved by a Specialist, but it will never look as beautiful as it once did.  Heartbreaking!

Even if  the cost of your wedding gown is only a few hundred dollars, why risk its beauty by taking it just anywhere to be cleaned?  You wouldn’t take a car you really cared about to the local gas station for repairs, and choosing the right person to care for your gown is  important.  Begin by looking at the label in your wedding gown.  You will find that many designers use our Association’s care labels and recommend brides bring their gowns to one of our Specialists.   My post “True or False: Five Myths about Wedding Cleaning and Preservation”  will also help you understand the instructions on the care label.

Then you should ask lots of questions  before trusting your gown to anyone.  You can find a list of the kinds of questions you should ask http://www.weddinggownspecialists.com/bridalgowncaretips.htm.   And if you are not happy with the answers to your questions, keep looking until you are.   It is worth taking the extra time so that your gown, too, will have a happy ever-after!

True or False: Five Myths about Wedding Gown Cleaning and Preservation

The instructions on the care label inside your wedding gown tell you the best way to clean it.  Not true.  The label’s directions for wedding gown care may not be the only way—or even the best way—to clean the gown.  The care label simply means that if a cleaner follows the instructions, and your wedding gown is damaged by the cleaning process, then the manufacturer is liable for the damage.  That’s why you will sometimes see instructions such as “Do not dryclean.  Do not wetclean.  Spot clean only.”  This language absolutely protects the manufacturer from any liability because the manufacturer is essentially telling you that the wedding gown cannot be cleaned.  However, if you can find an experienced cleaner who specializes in wedding gowns, a Specialist will know how to clean your gown successfully.  Click here to find a Certified Wedding Gown Specialist near you www.WeddingGownSpecialists.com/locator.htm

 Blue tissue should be used to package your wedding gown.  Not true.  There is usually a little truth in an old wives’ tale, and we know, for example, that an apple a day really is good for us.  But blue tissue paper is NOT good for wedding gowns, and no one really knows why it was supposed to be good for wrapping wedding gowns.   It may have something to do with bluing.  There is a written reference to bluing as early as the seventeenth century, and bluing comes from indigo, a naturally alkaline substance that can neutralize any acidic content that might cause yellowing.  Bluing also adds a trace of blue dye to fabric, which, again, offsets any yellowish cast in white fabric.  In the 1920s and 1930s, wedding gowns were often wrapped in a deep blue paper, but the paper was waxed, and the wax prevented the acidic content of the paper from damaging the gown.

 Whatever the history behind this idea, blue tissue is absolutely the wrong thing to use for preserving your wedding gown.  Blue tissue is not acid-free and, worse yet, the paper will, if it gets wet, dye your gown blue.  Only white, completely acid-free, which means all acidic content was removed and not just neutralized, tissue and completely acid-free wedding chests should be used for your wedding gown preservation .

Your wedding gowns should always be sealed in plastic.  Not true.  Most textile conservators warn against storing fabrics in plastic or plastic-wrapped containers because plastic traps moisture that can allow mildew to grow.  Desiccants are sometimes added to plastic-wrapped containers to absorb the moisture, but they have a very limited capacity and must then be replaced—which, of course, destroys the seal on the package.  Then, too, unless the plastic is chemically inert, it can emit fumes that yellow your gown.  That’s why your gown should never be stored in a plastic garment bag.  Still another problem with plastic:  plastic sets up an electrostatic charge that, together with the trapped moisture, can permanently set wrinkles in your wedding gown that no amount of pressing can remove.     

Taking your wedding gown out of the wedding chest will damage your gown.  Not true.  Be very wary of preservation services that void their guarantees if the seal is broken.  There is no inherent reason why your gown cannot be taken out of the container for inspection, and the service may just be hiding problems such as leftover stains or damage from the cleaning process.  On the other hand, it really is not necessary to take your gown out of the container and refold it on a regular basis.  If your gown has been packed properly, the folds of your gown are buffered with tissue that prevents sharp creases, and it is a law that if something can happen it will.  In other words, every time you handle a precious object such as your wedding gown, there is the potential for danger, and the day your gown is removed from the container is the day the roof leaks or it rubs against a dirty wall.  If you do choose to take your wedding gown out of the chest, be very sure your gown is opened in an area that is safe from such hazards—and safe from pets or small children, too.  Also, wear white cotton gloves so the oils in your skin do not transfer to your gown.   

All guarantees are the same.  Not true.  All guarantees are definitely not the same.  If you read carefully, you will find most guarantees simply refund the cost of the cleaning and preservation—even if the service damages your gown during the process.  Look for a service that stands behind the work regardless of the cost of the gown and ask who is going to stand behind the guarantee–now or twenty-five years from now!

Eight Things To Do Before You Say “I Do”

Make getting dressed in your wedding gown, from head to toe, go smoothly on your wedding day. Most bridal shops press and stuff your wedding gown to prevent wrinkling, but here are some tips about what to do once you take your bridal gown home.

1. Take your bridal gown out of the garment bag if the bag is plastic and hang your bridal gown where it will be safe from children or pets. Wrap it in a clean sheet to protect it from light and dust.

2. Make a list of everything you will need the day of the wedding–including things for emergencies. Look here for ways to treat spills on your wedding gown the day of the wedding. If you are dressing in your wedding gown away from home, double-check your list before you leave the house.

3. Several days before the wedding, look over your wedding gown and wedding accessories and make sure everything is ready to wear. Hang your veil near the shower to smooth any wrinkles or let a Specialist help you. Visit here to read about free pressing for your wedding gown from a Specialist.

4. Wear your shoes around the house so you will be comfortable the day of the wedding. You might even rub the soles against a sidewalk or other rough surface to make them less slippery.

5. Arrange for someone (two “someones” are even better) without a fresh manicure or dark polish to help you dress in your wedding gown. Or hire a professional dresser who will take responsibility for your bridal gown all day and make sure you are dressed perfectly in a bridal gown that is not creased or wrinkled and is bustled properly.

6. Make sure you know how to bustle your wedding gown and show whoever is helping you dress how to do it, too. Pin five or six safety pins to the underside of your wedding gown. They will not show, and you will be glad they are handy if your bustle loops break.

7. Allow plenty of time to get dressed in your wedding gown. Allow even more time if it is raining.

8. Worth repeating–allow plenty of time to get dressed in your wedding gown. Allow even more time if it is raining.

9. Most important, remember to relax and enjoy every minute of your special day because your wedding day will go buy all too quickly!

Go here for more information about wedding gown care.  Look here for help with your destination wedding gown .