I love to see everyone’s preparation for the holidays. Lights glisten, trees sparkle…and sequins fall off your favorite dress. Your regular clothing becomes dusted with specks of glitter from your holiday sweater, and your daughter’s crushed velvet dress is, well, truly “crushed” from storage.
Did I mention I equally love to help people in their holiday preparations?
Occasion-wear with all of its embellishment is outside of what you likely experience with your everyday wardrobes unless you’re spending time on the set of Dancing with the Stars. Manufacturers of holiday wear seem to create flashy pieces with little regard to functionality, and that leaves the garment’s owners in a bind.
Here are a few tips from the Dry Cleaning Station of Atlanta to help you preserve and protect your holiday wear.
When you are shopping for the perfect outfit, ask the retailer to protect your garment when you purchase it. Either keep it on a hanger with a plastic garment bag over it, or have it folded gently in their store box. When you get home, hang your clothing immediately, using padded hangers and clips to preserve the shape of the fabric. Roll sweaters or delicate fabrics that may stretch between layers of tissue paper.
Inspect your clothing. Check for loose buttons or appliques and reinforce them with fabric glue or a needle and thread. Protect your garment’s appliques from snagging other clothing by placing it on the end of your clothes bar with the embellishments facing the wall or covered with a garment bag.
When your shirt or dress shimmers with glitter, it is a good idea to keep it covered until you are ready to wear it. Shake it out over a trash container to remove loose glitter and put it on just before you walk out the door. Wear a coat with a smooth lining over glittery outfits. The smooth lining helps prevent glitter from imbedding itself into the lining of your outerwear and transferring onto clothing you wear in the future.
Finally, let your dry cleaner know about any stains you experience and hang onto those extra buttons or threads that come with your garment. We want to see you get a lot of wear out of your holiday clothes, and you can trust The Dry Cleaning Station to keep them looking their best!
