Two wedding dresses, that were once beautiful and vibrant, were recently shipped to Jeeves with mold issues.

Both dresses were sent from a different, devastated bride in a quandary. Initially, they both thought that restoration of their dress was impossible, given the amount of mold that had infected each one.

 For each dress, the mold issue could have been avoided, had it not been placed in a plastic bag whilst damp for transportation after the wedding.
The first dress, took a dip in the Caribbean, along with the bride and groom, as the photographer choreographed a sunset portrait. When the dress emerged from the sea, only the hem was wet. The dress was then zipped up inside the plastic garment bag, sealing the moisture in, where it sat in St. Maarten for a week. When the bride arrived home, to New York, the hem of the dress was covered in black mold.

The problem with the second dress, started innocently enough. A smudge of cake frosting on the front was washed away, with bottled water, after the reception. The bodice was more than damp, and the dress was placed in the plastic garment bag for shipping back to New York. Once the dress arrived, a greenish, black mold had infected the top of the dress.

Both dresses could be restored, but the results were mixed. About 90% of the mold was removed from the dress that swimming in the sea, where as, a full 100% of the mold was removed from the other dress. A tremendous amount of additional time and labor was needed for both restoration projects, which added hundreds of dollars to the original fee.

Here is a guide for all brides. Four things are necessary for mold to grow.

1. Moisture.

2. Heat.

3. A closed environment.

4. Time (Mold starts growing in 72 hours).

Jeeves does not recommend that you store ANY garment in plastic, especially your wedding dress. If your bridal gown has gotten wet or damp on your wedding day, please let it air dry before placing into any garment bag. A short time after your wedding, you should consider having your dress cleaned, as stains and soil will be more difficult to remove the longer you wait.

Your man Jeeves knows his clients are no strangers to shearling garments. Let’s face it, shearling is a fashionable way to keep super warm now that the temperatures have dipped in the single digits in New York.

However, because shearling is an investment and the winter weather can wreak havoc on your winter wardrobe, most shearling owners find themselves hesitant to pull them from out of the closet on the nasty days.

Jeeves wants you to be happy, fashionable and warm, so he put together a little list of tips that will bring you comfort while you wear that shearling garment in any weather. Here is his advice:

#1 – Keep your shearling away from salt.
The salt can burn the skin, making it as hard as cardboard. If splashed with salt and/or snow, have your shearling garment cleaned ASAP.

#2 – If your shearling gets wet, air dry it.
Never put it into a clothes dryer.

#3 – When your shearling shows signs of soil, have it cleaned.
If you wait until it is extremely dirty, it may never look new again.

#4 – Hang up your shearling on a proper hanger.
Don’t use a skimpy wire hanger or a door knob. You will distort the skins.

#5 – Never store shearling in plastic.
Use a breathable, cloth garment bag.

#6 – Don’t store shearling in a place that gets direct sunlight.
This may cause damage to the dye of the shearling.

#7 – When your shearling needs to be cleaned, consult an expert.
Your neighborhood dry cleaner may not have the expertise to take care of your investment properly. Cleaning shearling is not like cleaning fabric.

#8 – Never put tape or stickers on your shearling to indicate stained areas.
The stickers will leave marks, that may not come out after cleaning.

Jeeves has the expertise you and your shearling need, as well as, over 30 years of luxury cleaning experience.

The decision to clean and preserve your wedding dress is very important.  Whether you’re hoping your dress becomes a family heirloom or you expect to wear it again yourself one day, understanding the delicate nature of your special garment may help make the decision a bit easier.

In normal wearing, skin oils and perspiration are absorbed into the fabric – wine, champagne or other sugary beverages may have even spilled on your dress; these organic compounds will undoubtedly damage the fabric if they are not neutralized or properly removed.

Here at Jeeves, we uphold the importance of having your bridal gown professionally cleaned before being stored long-term.  In fact, in addition to cleaning, proper storage is vital to the overall safety and security of such a special garment.  Scientific research proves that archival materials can protect delicate fabric from age and decay.  For these reasons, we strongly advise against having gown vacuum-sealed as plastics are used.  Instead, the preservation process must ensure that your gown be wrapped in acid-free materials before being placed in an acid-free textile storage box.

The box should be stored in an area where temperature and humidity levels are as constant as possible, preferably in a closet that is located on an interior wall; attics or basements are not appropriate locations for storage – in fact, spaces that are in close proximity to heating or air conditioning vents, pipes and even spaces that are exposed to direct sunlight should be carefully avoided.

Upon storage, about every 2-3 years your box should be opened and your gown inspected.  But brides remember, always wash your hands with a small amount of baking soda and warm water before handling this precious garment or wear cotton gloves.

For your convenience, if you live or work in the Manhattan area, we would love to arrange a pick-up and return of your gown after it has been cleaned and preserved; outside of Manhattan we can arrange for pick-up and delivery with our partnership with FEDEX. This is just the final detail that protects all of your wedding day memories and guarantees your gown’s perfect preservation for years to come!

Ever heard the phrase “desperate times call for desperate measures?”  Well, in our case the phrase is “drastic times call for drastic measures” because sometimes it takes drastic measures to achieve the most drastically-perfect results.  This week, a drastic time was met with drastic measures in making a one-of-a-kind gold lame Jackie Rogers gown camera-ready for the Bravo TV show, “Fashion Hunters” (airing soon).

A red ink stain from a Sharpie marker that found its way onto the silk lame of this beautiful gown would undoubtedly be no match made in heaven for any dry cleaner; the fabric is whisper thin and oh, so fragile – one small error and you’re left with yards of what is then nothing but worthless gold lame.

This “drastic task” inspired us to reflect upon the story of an old dry cleaner who once told Jeeves he could get any stain out of any garment – 100% of the time. We were thoroughly impressed – he had mastered the delicate art of using a pair of scissors.

Meanwhile, our lads in the workshop tried and tried to free the gown of its horrid red stain, but it just wouldn’t release its hold on the lame.  Was Jeeves defeated?

As if in a light-bulb moment we thought, “what if we used scissors?!” and instantly our head tailor got to work nipping and tucking to create a beautiful gather and perfect fold.  The result?  No more red stain, gold lame ready for its fashionista close-up!

Oh, and the answer to that “drastic” question? No, Jeeves remains undefeated!

Did you know that Ralph Lauren boutiques world-wide have a small selection of vintage and antique garments in their collection? Jeeves is currently working on another cleaning project from Ralph Lauren to get these remarkable finds ready for sale.

The staff of Jeeves has cleaned thousands of vintage and antique garments for Ralph Lauren and we are seeing lots of crochet, lace, fringed shawls and beads and sequins from the late 1800‘s to early 1900‘s.

The last two cleaning projects that Jeeves received were items shopped from London and Paris. The buyers at Ralph Lauren have great eyes and bring back amazing one of a kind items for their boutiques.

Because vintage is so hot in the high-end market, Jeeves has assembled tips on “How to Buy Vintage Clothing”. Our next blog will be “How to Care for Vintage Clothing”.

How to Buy Vintage Clothing:

• Look for quality first, is the garment well made? Well made garments will have less issues with wear and tear. They may be more expensive to being with, but worth it in the long run.
• Check the fabric; is it separating? Vintage garments may have been exposed to excessive amounts of heat which will cause the fabric to “dry rot”. Fabric in this condition is fragile and may start to tear after the first wearing. Check the collar, cuffs, under the arms and across the seat for signs of fabric separation.
• Stains? Vintage garments may have oxidized stains which will be light to dark brown or yellow in color. Oxidized stains are very difficult to impossible to remove in some cases.
• Odor? Musty odors could indicate mold, look over the garment for small dark grey to black stains. Mold stains are difficult to remove unless the garment can be bleached. Strong body odors in vintage garments that can’t we washed may not be removable; let your nose be your guide.
• Loose beads and sequins can be repaired but this type of work in time consuming and expensive if you are not handy with a needle and thread.

Jeeves specializes in the care of vintage and antique garments, with a team of craftsmen who care for, clean and repair these types of garments on a daily basis. Jeeves is the source in New York City for expert vintage garment cleaning, repair and care.

The staff of Jeeves got a call about 2 weeks ago from an assistant at Vogue.

Vogue, “Do you clean purses?”

Jeeves, “Yes”.

Vogue, “Can you clean a silk clutch with a awful grease stain for tomorrow? It happens to be for a VIP at Vogue.”

Jeeves, “Usually we need more time, but we never say no to VIP’s at Vogue.” (Actually we try never to say no to anyone in distress.)

About an hour later a smartly dressed assistant from Vogue shows up with the purse. It is beautiful and it does have a nasty stain.

Not an easy project when we ask for a week, but one day? And for a VIP.

Well all’s well that ends well. The lads at the Jeeves workshop rose to occasion again, toiling hard into the wee hours of the night. The next morning, when the purse arrived at our 65th Street shop, it looked amazing, all traces of the stain was gone.

A call to Vogue, another smartly dressed assistant arrives with AMEX in hand. name on the card? Anna Wintour. I hope she was pleased.

As summer is full tilt here in New York City, with the temperature reaching over 90 today, we have been seeing a lot of bold colors at Jeeves.

Nothing is quite as bold as the Dolce & Gabbana jacket that we collected from a client last week for cleaning. BRIGHT and ORANGE do not do this garment justice. If this garment had a dial to regulate the brightness it would be on “11″.

It seems that the Italian designers have turned on bold since the New York and London based designers were showing sheer and nude for this Spring/Summer season. One must give the nod to Versace and Dolce & Gabbana, as their shops radiate color and pattern.

This jacket is not for the “faint of heart” and my hat is off to the gentleman who will be wearing it this week after we delivered it to him today.

Jeeves the Best Dry Cleaner New York, Refinery 29

Wow was I surprised this morning when I get an email from my former assistant Mollie telling me about how Refinery 29 named Jeeves as the best dry cleaner in New York City. Didn’t see this one coming, plus a great way to start this morning.

It’s quite an honor and testament to the wonderful craftsmen of Jeeves to be named as the best in New York by one of the premiere fashion sites. Thank you Refinery 29.

I love how Refinery 29 described Jeeves, “…the perfect personal assistant to combat the trickiest stains…”, who else but your man Jeeves. Here is the link to the full article.

http://www.refinery29.com/nyc-best-tailors-cobblers-dry-cleaning?page=3

Thanks for listening, Jerry Pozniak.

Rent or own? If a gentleman has the need for formal wear on a somewhat regular basis, he should have a tuxedo in his wardrobe.

This glaring difference was obvious last weekend when I attended a “pre-prom” party for my son’s friends. Not that most people would notice, but the majority of the young men at the event were wearing ill fitting tuxedos.

As to be expected when renting, the majority of the jackets were too big with sleeves that were too long. You are never going to get a fitted look with a rental tuxedo

Purchase a classic style and invest in tailoring. You will end up with formal wear that fits you wonderfully and in the long run will save you money over the cost of a rental.

If you should get a stain, spill or have perspired heavily in your tuxedo, please do have it professionally cleaned. Never try to rub a stain off of the satin lapels, you will damage the satin. Since you will not be wearing it everyday you don’t want to have issues with your tuxedo the next time you need to wear it.

Thanks for listening, Jerry Pozniak, Managing Director, Jeeves New York.

What will you do with your wedding dress after the wedding? Saving? Donating? Selling?

With each of these scenarios cleaning your dress should be factored in; are you really going to try to sell your dress with a dirty hem line? Did you know that putting away your dress soiled may cause ugly yellow stains to appear after 6 months?

How do you choose a dry cleaner to clean your wedding dress?

In New York City, dry cleaners have bred like rabbits, there is practically one one each block. While the local guy may be fine for your jeans, he may have no clue what to do with your wedding dress.

When you clean your wedding dress you need a speciality dry cleaner; one who has a lot of experience cleaning wedding dresses.

Trust me on this. Wedding dresses are no joke to clean, they are usually embellished with, let’s say, “challenging trim items”.

Organza, lace, beads, sequins, Swarovski crystals and satin. All of which most dry cleaners do not see on a regular basis. All of which need special care so that they do not self destruct during cleaning.

Jeeves New York has the necessary experience and managing director, Jerry Pozniak has over 26 years of hands-on dry cleaning experience. He is so respected in the industry that other dry cleaners consult him when they have a problem. Jeeves is recommended by bridal retailers; Selia Yang, Bergdorf Goodman, Lanvin, Reem Acra and Vera Wang.

Jeeves New York can contacted at 212-570-9130 or www.JeevesNY.com.