Our client's aunt got married in St. Louis in 1943, at the
height of the war. Given the scarcity of resources at the time, the
dress is a testament to both her aunt's fabric procurement skills
as well as her dress making skills.
Unfortunately, the dress had been stored for almost 69 years in
a brown kraft box and exhibited all the issues associated with
storing an heirloom garment in a highly acidic environment:
- the dress had a "left-in-the-attic-for-way-too-long" musty
smell
- the fabric was weak in places
- the fabric had turned a "dirty yellow"
- the creases were deep and pronounced.
On the positive side, there was minimal staining, evidence that
the dress had possibly been cleaned at some point or evidence that
the wedding ceremony and other festivities was relatively
uneventful.
For our client the issue was simple: could the dress be
restored, and, if so, what were the odds of success?
When she left our facility, our client commented: "I'm not
expecting miracles - but please do the best you can."
Well, Mary, we assessed the
challenges posed by this dress, we harnessed our skills,
we took our time, and we did "the best we could." I'm sure you'll
agree that the result was spectacular: The fabric had been
transformed from a dirty yellow to off white; the beadwork and the
fabric covered metal buttons were perfectly intact; the musty smell
had been completely removed; and the heavy creases had been
eliminated.
The following before and after photos reflect the transformation
...
BEFORE
AFTER
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