Photo by Henry Clarke from Agent Lee
As you all know by now, I am a complete vintage clothes fiend. Something about how well the items were made, and how tailored and classy the pieces look, is so much more special to me than clothes you find in the shops nowadays.
Naturally these older pieces require special care, so they can keep living their long, and glorious lives. Care for these items is generally quite simple, once you know what should, and shouldn’t be done. So with a few pointers, I hope you will all take good care of these precious pieces of fashion history.
Buying:
♥ If the garment came from a thrift store where they staple the price tags, first of all shame on them, but it does happen. Carefully, using a butter knife, open up each side of the staple. Do not assume that it is open enough and try to weasel it out of the garment.
♥ If the item feels a bit snug, don’t buy it. These items are already more delicate than new items, and it would be a travesty to tear a hole when bending over to pick something up, or when getting in or out of a car.
Wearing:
♥ Always pull dresses over your head, never step into them, unless they have an elastic waist or you are 100% sure they will go over your hips with ease.
♥ Please, please, please don’t wear vintage if you are going out for spaghetti dinner, or any other event that can get messy.
♥ If at all unsure of the condition of the garment, do not wear it. Some items are so old and fragile, they belong in a museum rather than on a body.
Cleaning:
♥ If you have no clue on what the fabric is, get it dry cleaned! Find a good dry cleaner in your area, who knows how to handle and care for vintage and antique clothing.
♥ Fabrics that should be dry cleaned are acetate, crepes, knits, linens, rayon, satins, silks, suede, taffetas, velvets, and anything with wool.
♥ For fabrics that do not require dry cleaning, hand washing is the second best option, though some garments (depending on age and fabric of course) may be washed on gentle cycle in the machine.
♥ Wear your item several times before having it washed. Clothing doesn’t need to be washed after every use unless it is truly dirty, and I sure hope that you are not working out or doing house chores in vintage clothes.
♥ If you do happen to get a stain, treat immediately. Stains set in over time, so don’t put off taking it to the cleaner. It is best to do a small test area on the inside lining of a garment, before trying to remove the stain- just to make sure you don’t create more damage than is already done.
♥ If your vintage clothing smells musty, do not use Febreeze to get rid of the smell. Dry cleaning should get the smell out.
♥ Stains such as armpits sweat or rust are incredibly difficult to get out, and are better left to a professional.
Storing:
♥ Always keep vintage items out of sunlight. In the same respect, don’t store in an area that gets extremely hot.
♥ Don’t leave an item folded for an extended amount of time (say, several months). Over time creases can become permanent. It is good to take the pieces out once in a while, and refold them.
♥ Do not hand knit items on hangers. Over time these items tend to sag due to the weight. Instead fold them.
♥ Never, ever, ever store vintage items in plastic bags, or boxes. Plastic is unbreathable for the items, and the chemicals in the fabrics respond poorly to it.
♥ There is a bit of a debate whether to store with or without mothballs. On one hand, it keeps pests away, on the other hand, it can leave your clothing with a funky odor, that may or may not come out. You be the judge.
♥ Buy padded hangers for your vintage items. These are much more delicate items, you will want to spend the extra money so as not to leave creases in the shoulders, and over time destroy the garment. No matter what, DO NOT, I can’t stress this one enough, use wire hangers. You may as well just throw your vintage dress on the floor in a ball with the dirty laundry….
♥ Make sure that if you are storing your hats or clothing with paper or in cardboard boxes that it is acid free. The acidity can destroy vintage items in no time. If you can find acid free boxes, this is one of the best ways for storing antiques clothing.
So my dears, I hope you will all take wonderful care of your precious vintage pieces. Most of these items are one of a kind, and with your love and care can still have a very long life ahead of them.
xoxo,
Cedar
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Bec says:
I have a large chest and absolutely no hips so I have the opposite rule and always step into a dress because there is no way it will fit over my boobs.
March 16th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
MissCedar says:
March 16th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Katie says:
Rather than using mothballs, you can always use cedar blocks– no funky smell, no moths. I’ve occasionally used cedar blocks to help get rid of a really stubborn mothball smell, too!
March 16th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
MissCedar says:
March 16th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Veronica Cizmar says:
Great tips! I like to hang items outside on windy days to freshen up the garments. Works like a charm!
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:59 am