- Inspect thoroughly for stains, wear, age
and oxidation. Use a SpectraLight to help identify currently
invisible stains. Test the beads and trim for serviceability.
- Tighten or replace beading and repair as
needed.
- Hand clean using gentle proprietary soaking
prcedures.
- Rinse in a virgin solvent for a brief period
to remove all cleaning agents.
- Anti-sugar treatment prevents latent caramelized stains.
- Inspect thoroughly for stains and latent
sugars.
- Post cleaning stain removal if needed.
- Tighten beading and seams as required. Replace
any missing ornamentation.
- Hand finish the gown with extreme care to
respect the designer's lines and drape.
- Customer Inspection of the gown prior to boxing, if desired.
- Package in a clean room in an archival-quality
acid-free box with acid-free tissue and an unbleached cotton
muslin liner.
Legacy Note: Visit
the Photo Gallery to see a small sample of our gown cleaning
accomplishments. Also, have your gown professionally cleaned
soon after your wedding. The longer stains remain on the gown,
the more difficult they are to remove and the harder it is on
the garment to remove them.
Anti-Sugar
Treatment (top)
There
is much more to preserving a gown than removing all the visible
stains and placing it in an acid-free box. Many preserved gowns
look fine just after cleaning. However, invisible stains may
still persist. Sugar stains are initially invisible, but with
time they will darken and seriously stain the gown, this process
is called caramelization. Such stains are the product of soda,
champagne, and other sugars that the cleaning process does not
entirely remove. For this reason, Margaret’s puts each
gown through a proprietary Anti-Sugar Treatment. Once treated,
the gowns are thoroughly inspected with a Spectra Light to identify
any latent sugar stains and then each stain is individually removed.
Note: It
can not be emphasized enough the necessity of performing an
anti-sugar treatment on silk gowns especially.
Packaging Materials (top)
Completely
archival, our storage box and tissue are acid-free, sulfer and
lignin-free, and buffered to remain acid-free. Just because a product
(like cardboard) is described as acid-free that does not mean
it will remain acid-free. Only true archival-quality products
are guaranteed to remain acid free.
The desized, unbleached, and washed cotton muslin liner serves as a fabric filter and blotter which helps keep any moisture away from the gown.
This is not the lesser quality
more typical sealed box method. The materials margaret's utilizes
are truly archival and not sealed. Museum conservators recommend
the unsealed Museum Box Storage method over the sealed box method. 
The
sealed box method uses a seal to stabilize the cardboard box
that is not of archival quality. Even though most boxes these
days are acid-free, they are not of archival quality and contain
sulfer and ligin that will eventually turn acidic once exposed
to moisture and air. All materials Margaret's uses are truely
archival in nature.
Legacy
Note: A cotton-muslin bag fits over the box to keep
the box clean. It can be easily washed, and still allows maximum
breatheability for the gown.
Storage Procedure & Margaret's Vestito Gown Storage Service (top)
Store
your boxed gown in a cupboard or closet in the main section of
the house, preferably in a place where it will be left undisturbed.
A guestroom or spare room closet is ideal. Don’t store
your gown in the attic, basement, on a cement slab, or in a closet
that contains an outside wall. Fluctuations in temperature and
humidity can result in damage to the gown. If at all possible,
it is best to store the box flat to prevent shifting of the gown
during storage. If it is necessary to store the box on end there
is adequate tissue to support the gown from bunching up at the
box bottom.
We suggest that you store your gown in a cool, dark, dry location. Check it every two or three years and refold it to prevent permanent creases, but otherwise keep handling to a minimum. Because oils from your skin can damage the preservation, we always include a pair of white gloves to use whenever you handle your gown.
A new service from Margaret's is our Vestito Bridal Gown Storage. For a small fee we will store your gown in a temperature and climate-controlled environment for as long as you wish. Consider this for before the wedding to keep your husband-to-be from spying on it and to protect it from crushing in a crowded closet! Following preservation we will store if for as long as you wish. This includes a yearly gown inspection and refold whenever needed.
Note: You
can remove and wash the outer muslin cover to keep
your chest looking like new.
Warranty (top)
Through
its relationship with the Association of Wedding
Gown Specialists, Margaret's includes a Lifetime/International
warrantee honored in over 500 locations. We're
proud to be the only bridal service provider in
San Diego County who includes this guarantee!
Your preservation includes a 100% International
guarantee against carmalized sugar stains or yellowing
of the gown. Return gown to any participating Wedding
Gown Specialist, who will inspect and press the
gown at no charge. Improper handling of the gown
without the supervision of a Wedding Gown Specialist
may cause damage and compromise the true preservation
of your gown.
Opening
The Chest (top)
With
the Museum Box Storage Method utilized in our Legacy
Gown Preservation it is possible for you to periodically
open and inspect your gown without voiding the
warrantee. We recommend that you periodically open
the box, inspect the gown and refold it to prevent
permanent creases from being developed. It is best
to refolded the gown every 3 to 5 years and we
would gladly assist in the opening and folding
process if you desire. Please make an appointment
and bring the gown in to one of our locations if
you wish us to assist in the inspection and folding
process.
Legacy
Note: Use your anniversary as a reminder
to check and/or refold your gown. Every fifth
year anniversary is a great reminder.
Courier
Service (top)
Nationwide
Free courier service is provide for those wishing
to take advantage of Margaret's expertise that
don't reside in Southern California. Feel free
to request a free courier pack to ship your gown
to Margaret's for processing. The courier pack
will contain all the necessary materials to safely
ship your gown, including a pre-paid shipper. Upon
completion of our preservation services, Margaret's
will expertly package your completed heirloomed
gown in a custom shipping container with a vapor
barrier for safe transport back home. Free return
shipping with insurance is provided through our
Clean-By-Mail™ service. We provide detailed
instructions and white gloves such that you may
unpack the shipping container and open and inspect
your gown without voiding the warrantee.
Site
Pick-Up (top)
If
you are taking advantage of Southern California's
beauty to hold your wedding here and returning
to your home outside of Southern California we
have a great way to assure your gown receives
only the finest of care. We will be honored to
pick up your gown at the resort or reception
site after the wedding, preserve your gown and
ship the completed heirloomed gown to your home.
Margaret's will pick up the shipping costs.
Legacy
Note: Contact our bridal coordinator before
the wedding to set up the pick up of your gown
from an authorized person. Then you can honeymoon
knowing your gown is in good hands. Fresh stains
are easy to remove!
The Original Destination Wedding Kit (NEW! Only $52.95) (top)
The Original Destination Wedding Kit . . . the perfect carry-on for your gown. Now your gown can travel safely with you to your destination wedding! Specially designed to fit into the overhead space above your seat, your Destination Wedding Kit goes through security with you when you board the plane. No need to check your gown with your luggage and worry about it getting lost. Kit comes with a 20” x 17” x 7” acid-free container for your gown, 25 sheets of special tissue paper for packing, packing instructions, a stain stick for wedding-day emergencies, and a sturdy carton to place over the container. The carton has a handle for easy carrying.
Caution: check dimensions with your carrier before going to the airport.
