How
to Shop for Decoratively Trimmed Garments
It's easy to be dazzled
by the splash of red sequins or the spray of
glittering "cracked ice" across the black velvet
of a glamorous gown. When planning a purchase
of an item that has decorative trims, however,
you must let your head rule your heart more
than ever.
Before you even lift
that gorgeous gown off the rack to carry it
to the dressing room, read the label.
No, not the one with the size... the one with
the care directions. The words you are
looking for are, "Dry Clean Only, exclusive
of trim." If you see them, run (don't
walk) away from that dress! What the label
doesn't spell out is that in order for you to
properly clean the garment, the trim must all
be removed, or it will probably
be damaged or even destroyed. Think of
the heartbreak of buying that special gown,
wearing it once, and having it come out of the
drycleaning machine totally denuded of its sequins.
It's happened.
This is called "garment
failure". Even if the sequins or other
trim are solvent-safe (can be treated by drycleaning),
if they are glued on or even attached with threads
that are not color-fast, there can still be
trouble.
When
shopping for a formal gown or other decoratively
trimmed item:
- Read the care label
and make sure it sounds reasonable for the
amount of effort you want to invest in the
item.
- Seek out quality
manufacturers with a track record of good
garment construction.
- Ask the retailer
if any similar garments have been returned.
- Go ahead, get the
one that matches your eyes! It's going
to look gorgeous on you!
Our
part in your purchase:
When we receive a garment
from you that we have the least concern about,
we do a thorough evaluation. First, we
read the care label, every time. If it
is in any way confusing or ambiguous, we may
call the International Fabricare Institute (IFI)
to see if they have past complaints about a
similar item by the same manufacturer.
Then we find a hidden seam on the garment and
test it for color-fastness. We find a
hidden area of trim and see if the sequin, fancy
button or glitter in any way softens or bleeds
when exposed to the solvent or spotting agents
that will be necessary to clean the garment.
If there is a doubt
about the cleanability of the garment, we will
tell you. Then we can discuss together
the best way to proceed.
Trims
that can sometimes cause problems:
- Surface designs
that are painted on garments.
- Dyed buttons
- Sequins that are
glued on
- Glitter (cracked
ice) or other glued on trims
- Dyed suedes and
leathers (often the color bleeds)
- Fur trim
- Vinyl or plastic
trim or piping
Why
do garments get sold that aren't serviceable?
That's one of the touchy
questions of the garment industry. As
long as consumers buy garments that are not
capable of being cleaned by any normal methods
and not holding the manufacturer responsible,
the practice will continue. Under the
Federal Trade Commission's Care Labeling Rules,
any garment sold in the US must have a permanently
affixed label stating at least one acceptable
method of cleaning the garment. Any label
that says the garment can be cleaned with
the exception of the trim is not in
compliance with this rule, and should be left
on the rack where it will do the least harm. |
