Dear Vintage Goddess...Your Drycleaner Will Love You!

Here is a very practical letter.  I'm sure that many of you have wondered the same thing:


Dear Vintage Goddess,

I'm on my way to a creating a closet full of fabulous vintage clothing.  You'll think I'm silly, but I've actually been afraid to wear some of the items for fear of getting them dirty and I don't know the proper way to clean delicate fabrics and other vintage pieces.

Thanks for your help!
Jess.

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Dear Jess,

Love this question.  I hope that I can give you all the answers you need.

Generally, I would say to hand wash most of your vintage garments.  Use a mild detergent.  No need to be vigorous with the lukewarm wash.  Gently spin, then hang to dry.  Do not use a clothes dryer.  If the material is silk, HOLD THE PRESSES!  Get those items dry cleaned.  Taffeta is another tricky material best left to the professionals.  1940's crepe rayon also falls under the category of "if in doubt, take it out".  If your garment is without a tag and you are not sure what animal or fabric it is, it's best to go to the cleaners.  Colour dyed linens will need quick action.  Dip then hang.  You may be dashing to the line as colours may run.  OK, so my first statement may not be the rule of thumb as I thought!

Good luck with it.  Go ahead, wear all your favourite vintage pieces!  Enjoy them and worry later about how to keep them clean and neat.

Stay tuned for a sequel to Jess' answer.  After all, odour is a whole other animal!  We can't just turn up our noses!

Carol

Ewwwww...it's Vintage

I have a beef. Since the explosion of vintage clothing on the mainstream fashion scene, there are tons of sellers out there taking advantage of second hand clothing.

While I of course encourage the wearing of vintage and second hand clothing, I do not however encourage the selling of un-washed and un-pressed clothing at premium prices.

Have a look. This dress is offered on an online store (of which I won't name). Although very pretty and I love the color, it is incredibly wrinkled. Which makes me think, "is it washed?". And for a $112 price tag, it better be.

I take great care in handwashing, dry cleaning, pressing, hanging and folding of my precious vintage clothes. I just cannot imagine selling a dress in a wrinkled, un-pressed and unwashed state. Eeewwwwww.

Would you buy such a product? And then pay shipping on top of it? And then have to have it cleaned yourself? I should hope not.

Dear readers, while this photo is artistic, appealing to the senses and sharp - look closer. (And always read the fine print.) Nowhere in the listing does it say it is cleaned. It looks like it was just pulled out of the plastic shopping bag from the store it was bought from.

This pretty dress is $410, very wrinkled. Is this how the buyer will receive it?

$388. A beautiful gown.....but the buyer should definitely ask questions about how, when and if this is washed.

Don't be fooled by pretty pictures. That's just called marketing. As an old friend who is an ex-marketing guru once said, "it's just chicken - but it's how you arrange it on the plate that matters". Caveat emptor, and do your research.

Or buy one of these:

Wallflower Vintage Presents: Choosing a Vintage Coat

Typically when buying a vintage coat, you should follow a few tried and true guidelines. (Unless, of course, you are buying from a reputable store like WallflowerVintage.com – we inspect and clean all the vintage items for you.)

If you are shopping at an estate sale, thrift shop, garage sale, etc. here are a few things you should be on the look out for:

• Check for moth holes on wool coats. If you still buy it, air it outside for a while in case the moth still lives there.

• Two trouble spots on coats that tend to wear faster are under the arms and in the pockets – carefully inspect these two areas for stressed seams, holes and discoloration.

• Check the lining – sometimes the lining ‘rots’ and will shred if pulled.

• Check and see if all the buttons, fasteners, belts etc are intact. It can be disappointing to get home and find a rhinestone button or two missing.

• Try on the coat for fit – don’t go by the size label – sizes have changed over the years – what used to be a size 14 is now a size 6!

• Check the sleeve length, many coats from the fifties have ¾ sleeves – much shorter than today. Be prepared to invest in some long gloves!

• Be aware that in the 50s fur collars were sewn onto 1940 fashions, if you don’t like the look they can be easily removed.

• If you’re buying vintage fur, be sure to pull on the fur (really pull hard) and if fur comes off in your hand, the fur has dry rot and cannot be repaired. (note: it can be worn, but don’t spend a lot on it).

• Know your labels – there’s no bigger thrill than getting a vintage designer coat for $20.00!

• Lastly: buy what you love – a little wear here and there gives the coat character and if you’re handy with a needle and thread… even better.

Cleaning your vintage find:

Once you get your coat home, don’t fret if it has a musty, old smell – just follow these easy directions*:

Spray the coat completely in ten parts water to one part Eucalan wool wash. Roll the coat in a towel to wick away excess moisture, hang to dry, then steam. You can find Eucalan wool wash at fine knitting stores and online.

* not recommended for fur – just air out outdoors on a nice day.

Vintage Laundry

I enjoy doing laundry. There is a great sense of satisfaction I receive when a pile of dirty clothes put into a machine, miraculously come out clean! I say miraculously because there was a time when washing machines were not available and laundry was done by hand. A very tedious and difficult home chore leaving hands chaffed and dry.

How lucky we are to have our modern appliances! The fantastic 50s allowed women more conveniences in the home and the laundry room was as important as the kitchen. Today we seem to have delegated the laundry room to a dark, cold, dingy corner in the basement, devoid of any character. How nice it would be to have a bright and cheerful place to do one's laundry. Let's have a look at some vintage laundry rooms - any of which I would love to have!

 

 

 

I'll Stick to My Woolite

Here is a soap recipe from The White House Cookbook, c. 1887

To set the leach, bore several holes in the bottom of a barrel, or use one without a bottom; prepare a board larger than the barrel, then set the barrel on it, and cut a groove around just outside the barrel, making one groove from this to the edge of the board, to carry off the lye as it runs off, with a groove around it, running into one in the centre of the board. Place all two feet from the ground and tip it so that the lye may run easily from the board into the vessel below prepared to receive it.

Put half bricks or stones around the edge of the inside of the barrel; place on them one end of some sticks about two inches wide, inclining to the centre; on those place some straw to the depth of two inches, over it scatter two pounds of slaked lime.

Put in ashes, about half of a bushel at a time, pack it well, by pounding it down, and continue doing so until the barrel is full, leaving a funnel-shaped hollow in the centre large enough to hold several quarts of water.

Use rain-water boiling hot. Let the water disappear before adding more. If the ashes are packed very tightly it may require two or three days before the lye will begin to run, but it will be the stronger for it, and much better.

I don't even know what half of those things are. Leach? I think I'll stick to my Woolite and gentle handwashing of my vintage garments.

How to Clean Vintage Clothing

Have you ever noticed that vintage garments do not have care/cleaning labels in them? Those little symbols were not introduced until the 1970s, and all those little circles, squares and triangles are a mess to figure out.

So you just bought a vintage garment but you are not sure how to clean it. If you went thrifting chances are there was no-one available there to help you. Don't take chances on ruining your garment by cleaning it the wrong way. Here are some helpful tips.

Antique and vintage clothing, although they survive decades, they are more fragile than modern. They need a lot of care and attention. Formal dress materials such as old silks and chiffons are especially fragile and should be treated with great care.

1 - When shopping for vintage, check the condition inside and out. Even if the item you have found looks great at first sight, you should smell the fabric, check the seams, inspect any trims and look out for dreaded stains and moth holes.

2 - Do not trust dry cleaners blind-folded. Dry cleaners at times use harsh chemicals and very high temperatures that can cause fine fabrics to disintegrate and damage buttons and beading. Look for a reliable dry cleaning company, preferably with vintage cleaning experience.

3 - If you are sure you can wash something at home, use a gentle wash detergent and don’t scrub the fabric too much. Do not use a washing machine or a dryer for any delicate vintage items at all. It might raze your dress completely.

4 - Does your garment have that 'old' smell? Try hanging in fresh air for a few hours – it does work.

5 - Rust stains are especially difficult to remove and happen if a garment stayed on a metal hanger too long. Instead of hanging the garment, fold it and keep it in your cupboard.

Jacobsons Floral Cotton Dress, c. 1970s

Boho Maxi Dress, c. 1970s

My Dad's Better Than Your Dad....

Just kidding, but I think all dad's were cool in the 60s. The lounge jackets available at the time were colorful, unique and made of new fabrics or fabrics that would never have been thought for clothing. ie: upholstery like fabric or drapery like fabric

Remember the old 'car seat cover' joke? Well, you would have to be my age to remember it, but it goes something like this:

"There's a car out there somewhere without it's car seat covers, oh no, it's your jacket."

Sometimes the look was a little over-the-top, but you cannot beat the refreshing change from a grey, black or navy blue dinner jacket.

Mom & Dad, c. 1960s

Vintage Blue Paisley Lounge Jacket, c. 1960s