(http://drycleaningtips NULL.com/2011/08/18/how-to-buy-vintage-clothing/vintage-beaded-dress/)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.