Can It Be Too Late To Preserve A Wedding Dress?
The question is simple but the answer is not.
It all depends on the condition of the wedding dress. A dress that has been stored correctly over the years but has yellowed is a great candidate for restoration.
But a wedding dress that has been stored in the damp basement or a hot attic will more likely have permanent damage.
The first challenge in this issue is restoring the wedding dress to more near its original color. If the wedding dress has yellowed, an experienced wedding gown specialist is likely your best choice. The same is true if there is fading from other garments where the wedding dress was stored.
But there are more problems to look for besides the obvious color change.
If you plan on wearing the dress, things like damaged zippers or lose hems are usually easy to repair. But there are other problems that are not always easy to handle.
Inspect the wedding dress and look for brown spots and insect damage. If the fabric is matted together or has holes from insects or other causes, this damage might be difficult to reverse. Moths can literally eat holes in the dress. Of course, you can always cover damage like this with bows or fabric flowers, depending on how isolated the damage is and where the dress is damaged.
Look carefully at the beads and sequins. Sometimes they will change color. There is nothing that can be done with this damage other than replace the beads or sequins. Replacing these is not difficult if you can match the style to those on the dress that have not changed color. Of course, the difference between 5 bead and 100 beads needing replacing is a lot of difference.
Look also at the how the beads or sequins are attached to the wedding dress. There are two ways they are usually attached...either sewn on or glued. It is not uncommon for the glue to change color over time, especially when exposed to heat. However, sometimes the glue will return to its original color during the restoration treatment and sometimes it will not. If it does not return to its original color, the glue may need to be removed. Sometimes this is easy and sometimes it's difficult or even impossible.
You can always have your seamstress sew new beads, sequins flowers and bows to hide the damaged parts if you want to wear the dress. But the best solution it to take care of the wedding dress, store it in a climate controlled area, avoid exposure to sun light and keep it away from kid, pets and pests.
If you have a second generation wedding dress and would like to have an expert examine the dress and give you an opinion on the likelihood or a successful restoration, look for a certified wedding gown specialist in your area. There are more than 500 world wide, including Champion Wedding Gown Specialist in Birmingham, Alabama.
Whether your dress is a vintage wedding dress worn by your great grandmother or a dress you wore 20 years ago, restoration and preservation are possible. If you have a 60 year old wedding dress, restoring this part of your heritage is worthwhile. Even if there is some damage, doing what you can to limit further damage is a great gift to future generations.
With a vintage wedding dress, be sure to write a history of the dress to keep with it so your future generations will know the meaning of this piece of history.
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