National Clothesline

Vintage garments are fashionable and big business. I deal with many people who buy, restore and sell older garments.

My most recent project was the restoration of Colonel Sanders’ (KFC) white suits that he wore while cooking his famous chicken. After restoration, one of the suits was auctioned off for $82,000.

As a garment analyst for 37 years, many of the original fabrics that I have tested have now turned vintage.

Rayon. As it was used years ago, this was never a fabric that could be wetcleaned. The rayon used then was termed viscose rayon, which would shrink excessively when put into water. This rayon should only be drycleaned.

Crepe. This is a fabric with a rough texture created by tightly twisted yarns. Vintage crepe fabrics should never be wetcleaned or put into water because excessive shrinkage is likely to occur. This fabric should only be drycleaned.

Moire. This was a fabric with a water grain or wood grain pattern put on to a fabric by manufacturers who used heat, pressure and engraved rollers. Moire fabrics were made of rayon, acetate, polyester and nylon. Only polyester and nylon moire fabrics can be wetcleaned.

Imitation leather, suede and wet-look fabrics. These were popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Manufacturers used vinyl and polyurethane plastic. It was very difficult to differentiate between two plastics. The vinyl plastic should be wetcleaned. The only solvent that would be safe for cleaning vinyl is GreenEarth. For safety, these fabrics should be wetcleaned.

Gortex. I tested Gortex when it first came out. Most Gortex used for outerwear can be wetcleaned. To retain the water repellant properties, it requires thorough rinsing. Some vintage Gortex made was only drycleanable due to fabric construction.

Velvet. Vintage velvet is mainly rayon, acetate and silk. This can only be drycleaned.

Gold- and silver-coated fabrics. These were popular in the 1980s. When the coating is only on one side of the fabric, it should be wetcleaned. When the coating appears through and through the fabric, it should be drycleaned.

Rayon matte jersey. This was an expensive knitted fabric that was popular in the 1980s. It can only be drycleaned.

Imitation persian lamb. This was popular in the 1960s. Manufacturers glued fibers to a fabric and made it look like fur. This should only be sent to a professional furrier for cleaning.

Ultra-suede. This is an expensive imitation suede fabric that I tested when it first came on the market. This fabric can be wetcleaned or drycleaned, depending upon the fabric construction (e.g. lining, trimming, etc.)

Pouf or Pouffe. This is a French word that describes a vintage styling, accentuated by a double layered fabric. Flounces, gathers and ruffles give a balloon or puffed effect. This should only be drycleaned.

Flocked print and coated fabrics. A popular older fabric used was imitation velvet print or a velvet look created by gluing fibers on the surface of the fabric. This fabric was often unserviceable to dry-cleaning and sometimes to wetcleaning. It was often mislabeled as drycleanable. Green Earth solvent would be the safest way of cleaning this fabric.

Hologram. This is an older styling by American designers such as Daang Goodman and Tommy Hilfiger who used prints and fabrics that created kaleidoscopic and a three-dimensional look. These fabrics should be hand washed.

Bonded fabrics. A popular old styling was bonding a urethane foam onto a fabric. This gave the fabric bulk and was still a lightweight fabric. Age and oxidation will deteriorate the urethane foam. Any cleaning would be dangerous and could only be attempted with the customer’s written permission.

Micromattique. This was the original micro polyester fiber from DuPont. This fabric was serviceable to wetcleaning procedures. My original testing of the fabric showed that sometimes drycleaning procedures would remove the fluorescent dye, causing a dulling and loss of brightness.

Beaded trimming. The plastic trimming used was unserviceable to both chlorinated and petroleum solvents. The safest way to handle any older beaded garments would be in wetcleaning. GreenEarth solvent would be the only way to dryclean these fabrics.

Angora sweaters. This was a popular fabric in the 1980s and 1990s. This fur fiber had strong shrinkage characteristics when drycleaned. This should be wetcleaned by hand for safest results.

Matelasse. This is a raised design on a fabric usually created by a bonding process. Age will deteriorate the bonding process and this garment should be drycleaned with the customer’s permission and risk.

Trimming attachments. Beads and other trimming were attached with a chain stitching. One broken strand can cause loss of all the trimming. Check the stitching thread carefully before cleaning.

Dyes. Vegetable dyes obtained from fruits and vegetables were commonly used up until the middle 1800s. Anilin dyes and synthetic dyes were first introduced in 1860. History reports that sailors introduced blue indigo dyes in their uniforms because they did not fade. After 1930, white became the traditional color for wedding gowns. Check for re-dying of the fabric, which was often the fashionable thing for the bride to do after a wedding. The white gown was often cut down, dyed and used as a regular dress.