Allison Parris Feather Dress

Your man Jeeves has recently become the go to source for designer Allison Parris. Right now we have a wonderful dress embellished with feathers everywhere. Jeeves’ assistant Mollie loves this dress (we both can’t wait to go to the Allison Parris runway show in a few weeks).

Jeeves’ job? To figure out the best method to safely clean this great dress.

Since your man Jeeves is the most experienced garment care expert in New York City this is a natural fit. Also since Jeeves is the only luxury dry cleaner in New York City to use the CO2 method, we can test using all available methods.

Currently Jeeves is testing the dress to see which dry cleaning method is best. Jeeves is also testing to see if the dress should be hand cleaned or spot cleaned only.

It’s rewarding to be trusted by Allison Parris on such an important assignment. Jeeves loves what he does!

As soon as we are done Jeeves will share the results with you. Thanks for listening, your man Jeeves.

Rena Lange Slacks with Dye

Your man Jeeves received a call last week from the manager at Rena Lange. They were in a bit of a bind as a steamer in their shop decieded to leak onto a gray jacket which was touching these beautiful white wool crepe slacks.

As you may have noticed the dye from the jacket has caused considerable damage to the white slacks, which were entrusted to Jeeves for restoration.

Our head cleaning technician was given the challenge and after hours of careful work and cleaning in liquid carbon dioxide the results are nothing less than perfection.

Jeeves has seen far too many garments with stains such as this ruined due to improper dry cleaning by shops who do not employ craftsmen.

Stain removal requires extensive knowledge of chemistry, garment construction, and fabric types. By simply placing a garment into a dry cleaning machine does not yield a stain free result.

Rena Lange Slacks after Restoration

Your man Jeeves is known world wide as the place to take care of the most difficult stains on the most delicate of garments. Why trust anyone else?

Jeeves is one of America’s Best Cleaners and the only world wide garment care concern. Jeeves New York is the only luxury garment care firm in New York to be 100% petrochemical free.

All dry cleaning at Jeeves is accomplished in liquid CO2 which is the only method approved as safe by the EPA.

Cranberry Sauce

Your man Jeeves hasn’t always celebrated Thanksgiving, in fact he still is a bit leery of the idea. Being an import from Britain, the notion of celebrating a quintessential American holiday can be  a bit much, but he is learning to love the Macy’s Parade.

Jeeves is certain of one thing , Thanksgiving always means work.

A large dinner  with many guests tends to be a bit trying on Jeeves’ nerves, especially with the potential for a variety of stains.

Cranberry stains are somewhat difficult whether they be on your crisp white table linens or your favorite silk tie. Never the less, remove as much of the offending sauce as possible without rubbing the stain. Bring the tie to your man Jeeves as soon as possible so he can remedy the situation for you. Linens should be pretreated and washed right away, and of course Jeeves can take care of this for you as well.

Gravy can create quite the predicament as well.  Most have butter as an ingredient so anything stained with gravy may need the Jeeves touch and to be dry cleaned. Jeeves’ new Eco2 Cleanse CO2 dry cleaning process takes care of gravy stains wonderfully, plus is environmentally responsible.

Unruly grass stains may present themselves while your family works off their newly acquired calories playing “football” ( your man Jeeves prefers futbol). Hopefully everyone will change into more casual attire and will not subject their Thanksgiving best to tumbling in the grass.

With proper pretreatment, grass stains can wash out of washable clothing, but for stubborn stains, Jeeves is always at your service.

Jeeves’ Thanksgiving tradition  is relaxing after a long day with a spot of Port and a slice of pumpkin pie.

Alexander McQueen Alien Shoe

Your man Jeeves was pondering Alexander McQueen’s 10 inch Alien shoes from his Spring 2010 collection. It seems that a certain Lady Gaga has already sported a pair in her music video Bad Romance.

It is Jeeves’ assumption that Lady Gaga is not really the female equivalent of a lord, but none the less, one must give her credit for her balance.

Jeeves fascination with these shoes is two fold. First how does a lady actually walk in them without the risk of serious injury? And second, if one damaged this shoe when walking who would be able to repair it?

For those anywhere in the world who are brave enough to wear Alien’s, rest assured that your man Jeeves is here in case of disaster. Jeeves’ shoe craftsmen can repair any shoe from a ballet flat to a 10 inch Alien. Jeeves also offers world wide service so that you may have your shoes sent to us and Jeeves will take care of the rest.

If you are a bit closer to Jeeves’ New York home, we operate an extensive collection and delivery service, so your shoes can be picked-up, repaired and delivered right to your home.

Alien shoes? Please do be careful when wearing, Jeeves would like to you stay in one piece.

Jeeves would like to credit Grazia Fashion for the inspiration for this blog post.

Aida at the Met

At last count your man Jeeves  has cleaned over 36,000 costumes for the Metropolitan Opera House. What an accomplishment.

And these aren’t everyday items.

The costumes at the Metropolitan Opera’s are the best-of-the-best. Their costume designers use only the finest fabrics and materials. Yards and yards of silk, miles of crinoline. You wouldn’t believe  how much padding is in some of the petticoats.

Garments are referred to as; mantua, frock, breeches and court jackets. The language of their wardrobe quickly transports one back in time.

Corsets are worn under gowns to pinch in a woman’s waist and  padded petticoats give  hips the required width. When all is said and done some of the gowns must weigh 30 pounds!

One of the most amazing things about the costumes at the Met is how well made they are. No detail is too small, including proper period buttons and embellishments.

The costume designers at the Met are truly magicians. My staff and I are transported to another place and time every time these costumes are brought to us for cleaning.

This week we are in ancient Egypt; we are cleaning Aida.

Thanks for listening, your man Jeeves.

Rainy, cold day in NYC

Nippy day here in New York City, wet and gloomy.  Jeeves had to tie a scarf around his neck for the first time this season, then slipped on his gloves.

So, how does your man Jeeves get ready for cold weather?

• Don’t wait to have your winter coats and jackets cleaned; clean them before a stain develops.
• Check for moth damage. Wool garments that were not cleaned before summer arrived should be looked at.  Moth holes can be repaired, but invisible weaving can get costly.
• Leather, suede and shearling garments that are soiled should be cleaned before winter.  Have these garments “weather proofed”, which will help them shed water and soiling.
• Have loose buttons, hooks and other closures repaired now. There is nothing worse than having a coat that cannot be buttoned up on a freezing cold day.
• Check your other garments for open seams and falling linings. These areas take a lot of wear and should be fixed before they get worse.

Following these simple steps will insure an easy transition into Winter and save you hassle If you need cleaning advice, just ring your man Jeeves. As always he is at your service.

Jeeves can provide the ultimate in garment care for you just about anywhere around the globe. For those in New York City, Jeeves offers complimentary pick-up and delivery. Elsewhere Jeeves can ship via FEDEX.

Jeeves is only one of 23 garment care firms in the USA selected as one of America’s Best Cleaners.

Cymbeline Bridal Gown, 2010

Actually this part is up to you.

The cleaning and preservation of your bridal gown after your wedding can only do so much. Yes, the first steps are proper cleaning and preservation, which includes acid-neutral materials and a porous storage vessel.

Sealed boxes and plastic should never be used. And of course the wedding dress should only be preserved if clean.

Assuring that your gown is stored properly is up to you.

Ideally an air conditioned and humidity controlled storage environment is ideal, but for many this may not be practical.

Storing your cleaned and preserved bridal gown in a basement is never good. Many basements may seem fine, but the humidity levels may be too high. This can lead to mold damage over time.

Attics are too hot. Excessive heat will break down textile fibers, so attics are a “no no”.

The best place for long term storage would be in an inside closet in a part of your home which is a part of living space. These areas are generally heated and air conditioned so you are giving your gown the very best storage conditions and the potential to last 200 years.

You should also open your gown vessel every two years to check the condition of  your dress. If you ever see anything that doesn’t look right, bring it back to the firm which took care of the cleaning and preservation for you. They should be able to advise you of any issues.

Please wash your hands or wear cotton gloves before you handle your preserved gown, you do not want the oils in your hands to transfer to your gown.

In need of bridal gown cleaning and preservation?

Jeeves of Belgravia, New York is recommended by both the Vera Wang Bridal House and the Bridal Salon at Bergdorf Goodman. Your man Jeeves will care for your gown unlike any other firm anywhere.

Your gown will be cleaned without the use of petrochemicals in our Eco2 Cleanse liquid carbon dioxide process. Eco2 Cleanse is the gentlest, greenest way to clean your bridal gown.

After cleaning your gown will be treated to Jeeves’ museum conservation method of gown preservation.

Jeeves offers complimentary pick-up in the New York City area and FEDEX shipping worldwide.

Give our bridal gown preservation department a call if you need additional information at 212-570-9130.

Oscar de la Renta gown at Jeeves

Your man Jeeves ran over to Bergdorf Goodman last week to meet with Nara the bridal manager. She was in need of having a few of her sample gowns cleaned to “freshen them up” for her clients.

Nara asked, if Jeeves would like to start with a simple gown or a more complex piece. Jeeves chose a most beautiful Oscar de la Renta gown with yards and yards of pleated silk trim. Jeeves always wants to impress on the first go around.

The Oscar gown was collected and transported to the Jeeves production facility where our head cleaning technician was awaiting it’s arrival.

The issues? A very soiled hem from all of “try on’s” at Bergdorf’s, a grayish cast from NYC dust and makeup around the neckline. Nothing tragic, but the gown was in need of cleaning.

A few hours later the gown was perfectly cleaned, and inspected. Off to the hand finishing area and into the hands of Roseanna.

Roseanna, who has been hand finishing gowns at Jeeves for over 15 years was hard at work. Her hand iron was a careful blur as each inch of the gown was gone over.

The result? Perfection.

Bergdorf’s had their Oscar back on Saturday before noon for a fitting. At last your man Jeeves had heard, they had made the sale.

Soda bubbles, CO2

Soon harsh petrochemicals will be gone from the dry cleaning process used by your man Jeeves, replaced with new technology that uses the same substance that puts the “fizz” in your drink.

The process? Eco2 Cleanse.

The benefits? Replacing petrochemicals with liquid carbon dioxide has many, the most important is that dry cleaning becomes “truly” green.

Other benefits are:

• Better cleaning, white clothing never yellows or gets gray.
• No odor, you don’t have to “air out” your clothes before wearing.
• Gentle process, your clothes “float” in liquid CO2, they don’t tumble for 45 minutes.
• No heat, your clothes are not subjected to hot temperatures which set stains and break down fibers.

Your man Jeeves has been searching for a better way to dry clean clothes for years. This is the first major technological advancement that has been introduced in garment care since dry cleaning was invented over 100 years ago.

The New York branch of Jeeves will be the first “Jeeves” in the world to clean using the Eco2 Cleanse process and Jeeves will also be the only luxury garment care firm in New York City to clean in CO2.

Ink Stained Dolce & Gabbana Handbag

Success!

My talented handbag cleaning and restoration team worked for many, many hours in order to remove the ink stain from the Dolce & Gabbana handbag that I told you about last post. The result is perfection!

I remember years ago speaking to a “so called” leather and suede expert, and he told me that you can never get ink out of leather. Well no more, my technical staff has taken leather and suede cleaning to a new level and it IS possible to remove ink.

Just look at the results for yourself and thanks for listening.

If you are in need of handbag, purse or leather/suede cleaning, you know who to call, your man Jeeves.

Pick-up and delivery throughout Manhattan is complimentary, just ring 212-570-9130.

Dolce and Gabbana Hanbag, restored and ink removed.