At RAVE FabriCARE, we clean and restore hundreds of vintage
pieces every year for private individuals, vintage dealers, museums
and historical societies. Everything from an aqua colored
1950's custom-made silk coat to the
1944 summer uniform belonging to Fleet Admiral Chester W.
Nimitz (for additional examples of our work, enter the
phrase "cleaning and restoring" in the search engine at the top
right corner of this page).
Today, vintage is hot. So much so that many fashionistas have
added selected, high-quality vintage garments to their contemporary
wardrobes. Some have even selectively retrieved long-forgotten
vintage garments from the far reaches of their own closets and
storage facilities.
The problem for anyone considering the purchase or retrieval of
a vintage garment, however, is generally not in the selection or
the purchase. It's getting the garment ready for use.
You see, very few vintage dealers clean their garments prior to
sale. Fact is, the garment that you just purchased has probably
been worn a number of times, may never have been cleaned before,
and may have been improperly stored over the years. As a result,
the garment might have a musty smell, might be stained in various
areas, and the strength of the fibers may have deteriorated over
time.
Under these circumstances, it's appropriate to consider all
issues relating to the cleaning and restoration of a vintage
garment prior to purchase.
Here are some issues to consider:
Fabric:
- What type of exterior (shell) and interior (lining) fabric(s)
have been used in the construction of the garment?
- What is the overall condition of the fabric(s) used in the
construction of the garment?
- Is the fabric "separating" in places if gently pulled with both
hands?
- Do the seams, particularly the underarm, side and seat seams,
show any evidence of separation or tearing?
- Do the areas of folding or creasing (hemlines, pleats, collars,
cuffs, etc.) show any evidence of separating or tearing?
- Are any areas of the fabric or fabric(s) scuffed, pilled, frayed or torn in any
manner?
- Do the fabric(s) show any evidence of yarn slippage (distortion
in the symmetry of the vertical and horizontal threads),
particularly in the underarm areas?
- Do you see any evidence of insect damage such as moth holes in
the fabric(s) or "near holes" created by insects feeding on the
surface of the fabric(s)?
- Are any areas of the fabric(s) faded due to exposure to
artificial or natural light?
Odors
- Does the garment have a musty, stored-in-a-humid-basement
smell?
- Does the garment have a body odor smell from perspiration
and/or body oils?
- Does the garment have a "fabreeze" smell (often used to
disguise the above mentioned smells)?
Stains
- Is there any evidence of water-based stains (perspiration,
soda, juice, beer, wine, etc.) on the garment?
- Is there any evidence of oil-based stains (food fats, food
oils, creams, lotions, cosmetics, etc.) on the garment?
- Are there any old yellowish or brownish stains which might be
difficult-to-remove oxidized oil stains or caramelized sugar
stains?
- Is there any evidence of dye bleed if the garment has 2 or more
colors? What about dye bleed in the underarm areas?
- Are there any rust stains from metal components such as
buttons, hooks, eyes, zippers, metal trims and embellishments,
etc.?
- Is there any evidence of mold (small dark gray or black
spots)?
Trims and Embellishments
Are there any trims or embellishments (beads, sequins, pearls,
rhinestones, lace, bows, buckles, embroidery, appliques, etc.) on
the garment?
- Are the trims or embellishments sewn on or glued on?
- If the trims and embellishments are sewn on, are they tightly
sewn on or are there loose or broken threads?
- If the trims and embellishments are sewn on, is each piece
individually sewn on or is it sewn on using a chain stitch (a
single thread, that if broken, will cause all the trim such as
beads or sequins to unravel)?
- Is the color of the trims and embellishments intense or have
those colors faded or delustered over time?
These are a few of the issues that should be considered
prior to purchase.
At RAVE FabriCARE, we understand the delicate nature of vintage,
heirloom, antique and museum pieces. Cleaning a vintage, heirloom,
antique or museum piece is a skillful process that involves great
thought and care at every stage of the cleaning and finishing
process.
At RAVE FabriCARE, our strength is our personalized advisory
service. When you
bring in or
send in a vintage, heirloom, antique or museum piece we
will:
- Examine the piece carefully
- Identify the challenges presented by the piece
- Discuss the areas of risk
- Explain our recommended restoration and/or cleaning
process
- Identify the results that we believe you can expect from our
work.
Specifically, we will discuss the problems and/or conditions of
manufacture, use or storage that may limit whether such items can
be safely cleaned and still yield satisfactory results.
RAVE FabriCARE is your source for expert cleaning, restoration,
repair and preservation of vintage, heirloom, antique, and museum
pieces in the Southwest. You can trust our experts to maintain and
preserve the integrity of your precious and valuable items.
How can I help you?