Gown Preservation Tips
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I want to preserve my wedding dress. Where do I buy acid free tissue paper? Also, is the acid free box necessary? (If so, where do I get this?) I was thinking of storing it in a rubbermaid container. Is that a no-no? I already had my dress dry-cleaned but did not have them put it in a box, etc. for me. Thanks in advance.
Hello--
Good questions. Some art supply stores, dry cleaners and archival arts resources can supply you with acid free tissue paper. If you can't get it from a local source, try Dick Blick on-line.
The box, however, in some ways is more important than the tissue, from the sound of your plans. I would strongly recommend NOT storing your gown in a real Rubbermaid (with an airtight seal)--with or without acid free paper. The tight seal will likely encourage condensation, and keep the fabric from breathing; a semi-transparent box may allow light in to discolor the fabric, etc. An acid free gown box, though likely a bit more expensive than a comparable Rubbermaid container, is a better choice.
You can often buy the boxes from your local dry cleaner, whether or not you have/had them clean the gown. Most don't care about that. They make a good enough profit selling the box with or without the "preservation" services. Some will also, as I mentioned, sell you the tissue paper as well. And keep in mind, even had you had your gown "cleaned and boxed" professionally, once you *open* the box, the conditions for your gown are no better than if you had purchased the box and tissue and packed it yourself.
Another easy way to store a gown is to wrap it carefully in a light-colored sheet (traditional wisdom recommends light blue, but I've seen good results with white and pale grey sheets as well) and fold and pack it loosely into a hope chest or other large conventional trunk.
If you store it in a dry, cool place, then the fabric can breathe to limit fume fading/discoloration, the sheet keeps contact soil from affecting the gown, the gown is easily accessible to re-fold once or twice per year to reduce deterioration at the fold lines, etc.
You can also wrap it in a sheet and hang it, but eventually this will tend to stretch and strain the fabric from the weight, so laying it down is preferable.
Favorable long term gown storage conditions can help preserve your gown, but gowns *do* tend to discolor and deteriorate over time. Your goal should be to minimize this, not prevent it completely.
Best wishes and much happiness to you.