Spills seem to have a homing instinct when it comes to silk.The lady who so carefully dons a slinky blouse, who so delicately nibbles at the buffet, will inevitably look down at some point in the evening to see a dull glob of something spreading amoeba-like across her bosom.
“Silk is the worst for spills,” said Lesley Hudson, who works a few days a week in her family’s clothing boutique, Village Sportswear, in Mountain Brook. “Sometimes if you don’t treat it right away, it could ruin it.”
February has always been a big party and gala season in Calhoun County. Sadly for silks, chiffons, velvets and cashmeres, that means running the gantlet of wine tastings, benefit buffets and supper dances.
Into this fray of keeping party clothes and special occasion outfits spiffy comes the Clothing Doctor, Steve Boorstein, a fourth generation dry cleaner and author of the newly released The Ultimate Guide to Shopping & Caring for Clothing: Everything you need to know … From Blue Jeans to Ball Gowns (Boutique Books, $19.95). He and Hudson say people need to think about the kind of care their fancy duds will need before they buy them, and certainly before they take them out on the town.
For instance, some fabrics – silk being one of them – seem prone to spillage, either from the wearer or someone nearby. Velvet, which is incredibly sensitive to water, is another popular but perilous fabric.
Boorstein says people who are clumsy (we know who we are) might want to stay away from such touchy materials. If that’s not possible, then go armed into the night with a plan to take care of casualties as they occur.
The first mistake people make, he said, is believing the myth that club soda is supposed to take out everything or even be applied to anything. If you get a spill, no matter what the fabric, the first step is to blot it gently with a dry cloth. Do not rub.
For anything deemed by the manufacturer as “dry clean only,” blotting is your only option, Boorstein said.
For things that aren’t dry clean only, your next step depends on the type of spill. If the spot is water-based (you may not know the answer to that, so when in doubt, assume that it’s not), then you can apply a little water and blot the spot; do not rub. If the stain is oil-based — as are those prime spotters, salad dressings — water won’t help. Blot with the dry cloth and get it treated within 24 hours.
Some designers are making clothes in synthetic materials that are hardier, said Hudson, who acknowledged that for most high-end fabrics, there is no outlet but the dry cleaners when it comes to care. One such fabric, Discoe, feels like a natural fiber, but it can be washed in the sink, hung to dry, and it resists wrinkles, she said. People who travel frequently are beginning to see it as a good option for suits that need to look good on the go.
Some products the store carries, such as a linen wash, a silk lingerie wash and a baby wash for fine cottons, can circumvent a trip to the cleaners.
“But, honestly, I still take so many things to the cleaners,” she said. “Time is a problem, but for silk and wool, that’s almost what you have to do.”
Boorstein said shoppers need to inquire about specifics of care their clothes will need, as well as how delicate they are, before they buy.
For example, chiffon, especially silk chiffon, is prone to snags and runs. Spills aren’t necessarily the enemy, but furniture, handbag clasps and high heels are. Keep that in mind before you don that flowing, draping skirt.
Velvet wilts in the presence of moisture, so a rainy night isn’t a good time to trot it out. It’s also not its best in dance situations because even perspiration can affect its pile. Moisture of any kind is an enemy.
Perspiration is also a stealth enemy of silk and taffeta. The alkalinity in perspiration and the chloride salts in some deodorants or anti-perspirants can change the color of silk. That’s why many silk blouses get discolored under the arms. White and green silks turn yellow, reds and navy blues turn purple. Boorstein recommends sewing in shields to protect that part of the garment. Taffeta is subject to color change after the fabric dries, so those clothes need to go to the cleaners the next day.
Finally, organza is popular for wedding dresses and evening gowns, but it’s a brittle, sheeny fabric tricky to wear and care for. Any spills shouldn’t be rubbed because the slightest friction can take the polish of the fabric. Make sure the dress fits properly, because the fibers will break and separate, particularly at seams.
As for what’s the worst stain, Boorstein says Superglue and all of its fast-bonding kin are murderers’ row.
“The only way to remove this stain is with a pair of scissors. Second in line are yellow stains; oily stains from clear salad dressing and splatters during cooking and sugar stains from fruit squirts and liquid spills of all kinds.
These stains — left alone for a few days to a few weeks — can and will turn a shade of yellow — and yellow is often a sign of permanence.”
