Part 8: Heritage Garment Preservation

Heritage Garment Preservation uses wedding dress preservation techniques recommended by professional museum conservators and are similar to heirloom garment storage used in fine museums worldwide.

We offer two methods of bridal gown preservation:
1.Museum Method (bagged) bridal gown preservation
2.Boxed bridal gown presevation

Museum Method Bridal Gown Preservation
Museum Method Preservation uses the bagged method of gown preservation and is similar to heirloom garment storage used in fine museums worldwide. Museum Method will keep your gown in better condition than boxing or sealing it.

With Museum Method bridal gown preservation, your cleaned gown is hung on our special shoulder size hanger made from 100% cotton. Acid free tissue fills in the bodice area, removing creases and giving added support to your gown. Our natural, un-dyed cotton bag covers your preserved gown. We include a custom label on the pocket of your bag with names of the bride and groom and the date of the wedding. There is also a large pocket on the back of the bag to keep a photo of your wedding.

Benefits to Museum Method Preservation

1. Your gown is easily accessible! You can inspect your gown to ensure that it has been cleaned to your satisfaction and admire it any time you like.

2. Your dress is protected from damage from wrinkles and creases. Fabric, like paper, is weakened from folding, often resulting in tears or permanent creases. With Museum Method creases and wrinkles are almost non-existent!

3. Your dress is protected from acid migration. The acid-free tissue absorbs acid which could damage your gown.

4. Your dress fabric can breathe! Museum conservators all agree that heirloom garments need to breathe. Our cotton cover does not seal in any moisture or chemicals, thus reducing the risk of damage from mildew or chemicals.

5. Your dress is protected. Our garment bag is made from natural, acid-free cotton, the first choice in preservation for centuries. Our bag has no zippers that could snag or rust. It also has a pocket in front to keep the cotton gloves that we include. (You should wear these gloves any time you would like to inspect your dress.) Another larger pocket is on the back of the garment bag. This pocket is for you to keep a photograph of your wedding and a written story of your special day.

6. Your preservation bag is personalized! We prepare a custom iron on label with the bride and groom's name, and wedding date on it. You iron this on the bag's front pocket to customize your garment bag.

Get a free Estimate on Museum Method gown cleaning and preservation OR Browse our catalog to buy our Do-it-yourself preservation kit.

Boxed Bridal Gown Preservation
With Heritage Gown boxed preservation, your gown is carefully packed in our archival quality acid free box using acid free tissue to pad all folds. We use buffered tissue for synthetic fabrics, and un-buffered tissue for silk fabrics.

Our superior quality preservation box is not a cheap box with an acid free coating (as many companies offer) but is sulfur free and lignin free throughout with a minimum pH of 8.5 and 3% calcium carbonate buffer. TAPPI accelerated aging tests show our box will prevent acid migration for up to five centuries! Specifications for our preservation box exceed those used by the United States National Archives and Records Administration.

Benefits of Heritage Boxed Bridal Gown Presevation

1. Dress can be inspected to ensure that it is cleaned to your satisfaction and periodically afterwards, as it is not permanently sealed.
2. Box is easily stored in closets or under beds.
3. Dress can be refolded periodically to reduce creasing risks.

Get a free Estimate on Boxed gown cleaning and preservation OR Browse our catalog to buy our Do-it-yourself preservation kit.

MUSEUM GARMENT PRESERVATION

Fine museums never seal up heirloom garments. They know that periodic inspection is essential to garment preservation. Also critical is keeping the article clean, cool, dry, and as wrinkle free as possible.

Museum Garment Preservation

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a wonderful collection of dresses that are hundreds of years old. To protect these priceless garments, the displayed dresses are shown at a very low level of light. The dresses in storage are hung on padded hangers and covered with cotton sheeting to protect them.

Garment preservation at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. is similiar. Heirloom garments that are not currently on display are cleaned and carefully stored in climate controlled conditions. Some dresses are hung on padded hangers and some garments are laid in drawers or acid free boxes with acid free tissue. Sharp creases are avoided, as creases damage fabrics. Every two years the boxed garments are refolded in a different position to keep the folds from becoming permanent creases.

Preserve your gown with the same care that museums use for their heirloom garments. Museum Method Bridal Gown Preservation will keep your treasured dress in better condition than boxing or sealing.