How do I keep my dress safe until my wedding one year away?

[budgetbride]

Ok, I happened to walk into a bridal boutique and saw this exquisite dress. I really liked it when I tried it on. When the sales lady chimed in that the dress was $200...I REALLY liked it. Problem is that I now own the dress ONE YEAR before my wedding. It''s currently in an bag that I bought at the bridal store(they say it''s ok). I''m freaking out...Will my dress be ok for the next year in this bag? I don''t want it to turn funny colors.

-really anxious

ps my fiance lives with me so...it''s gotta stay in something

 

[flopkins]

what''s it made out of? I think it would be fine in a breathable garment bag, or mine is wrapped in a clean white sheet in a box in the closet...

 

[budgetbride]

the dress is s satin-like material. the bag is a type of thick plastic...I got it from Alfred Angelo bridals

 

[Fancy605]

I have a friend who works for a museum, and one of her jobs is storing the garments that are not on display. She says the best thing to do to keep a garment pristine is to store it in an acid-neutral box, wrapped in acid neutral tissue paper (I believe that comes with the box.) We were in a wedding together, and she suggested this to the bride for storing the dress after the wedding. She says storing it in plastic short term (a month or so) is fine, but long term is bad because it can somehow weaken the dress (somethign about how plastic is slightly acidic). There was some reason that she insisted on Acid Nuetral as opposed to Acid Free, but I can't recall what it is. She says museums all over use these simple boxes to protect garments. If it's good enough for a museum, then I am assuming it is good enough for a wedding gown.

At anyrate, these boxes can be ordered online (and some of them look very pretty!), and the dress should stay completely protected inside of one. It may get a bit wrinkled, but it can be steamed before you wear it.

 

[ladykemma]

lay it flat, no plastic

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Here''s what I did (I had my dress 14 months in advance), put the veil in a white pillow case, hung the dress in the unzipped garment bag and wrapped a white sheet around the bottom portion. My dress looks as good as it did over a year ago. Good luck!

 

[MelissaSue]

Maybe I am NUTS but I think people REALLLLLLLY overreact about this..My dress lived at the bridal shop from the time it came in until my wedding.. Probably 9 or 10 months. Guess what they kept it in.. A plastic bag.. Not a "breathable garment bag" or a white sheet or ANY of that stuff.. Sure white discolors.. but its over the course of like 10, 20, 50 years.. not one.. Seriously.. how long do you think those gowns at David''s bridal sit around?!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

oh I disagree. I have had white t-shirts that discolor in less than a year. I think it is better to be safe than sorry. I don''t think anyone should lose sleep over it but if there are things you can do to protect your dress why wouldn''t you?

 

[WTNLVR]

My gown has been hanging up in the plastic bag it came in for 18 years and there is no discoloration at all. I never had it dry cleaned after the wedding either. Same with my cousins dress. If you are worried, get the acid free box and tissue paper- or ask a dry cleaner what they reccomend doing.Good luck!

 

[budgetbride]

thanks alot everyone. i know maybe i''m freaking out a bit but hey for the fact that the dress is perfect...i don''t want to shance anything happening to it. Thanks again

 

[plantationcatt]

So glad you asked this question, I was wondering the same thing~

 

[Cind11]

After I got married, my mom had my dress stored in a plastic bag in a spare bedroom closet. In only about a year, it had some weird yellowish (brownish) spots in different places on the gown. They were NOT there when I took it off after the reception. I''m sure it was a reaction between the plastic bag and the dress. I''d be very careful.

 

[Fancy605]

Oh dear, what a horrible thing to have happen to your dress!

I asked my museum friend to clarify about the plastic, and she says the speed with which a dress will react negatively with plastic depends on the color/material of the dress. So for some people plastic will keep a dress safe forever, but for others, it would be better to avoid plastic. Wrapping the dress in white sheets sounds like a pretty good idea.

I dunno, I think a little freaking out over it is okay. Afterall, it''s better to make a big deal of it and be safe, than to pull it out at a closer time to your wedding and find it yellowed or damaged.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Oh, I forgot to add, my dress is in a fabric garment bag (unzipped with the white sheet around the bottom)

 

[Gypsy]

Well. My old gown is stored in a cedar rubbermaid and it's faired very well. Rubbermaid makes this chest that's got real cedar in the plastic... and that's what I have mine in. Hasn't harmed it at all. And we have moths-- dress is natural fiber (silk) so I was worried. It's wrapped in a white cotton sheet inside the chest.

ETA: I have four cats so storing it flat ANYWHERE in the house or even hanging up was not an option.