From Designer Gowns to Suede and Leather: Tips for Maintaining Luxury Fabrics
Is this you? A glance inside your armor reveals a curated collection that includes the finest labels from the top fashion houses. The downside to owning couture, bespoke, and high-end garments comes when each requires cleaning and maintenance. All too many practitioners in our industry masquerade as premium dry cleaners or advertise that they are luxury dry cleaners, when in fact, they are not. The proof resides with reputation. Ask your most discriminating relatives and friends, and they will recommend Cameo by Copeland Cleaners as the premium dry cleaners of choice throughout Manhattan and the TriState. We earn your trust in the care we provide to each and every garment.
Caring for Your Finest Wardrobe Pieces
In this posting, we’ll cover how we maintain your choicest wardrobe pieces. We’ll also include storage tips so that when you receive your dry cleaned garments in pristine condition, you can provide a safe environment for them within your residence.
Specialized Care for Luxury Fabrics
Maintaining luxury fabrics like designer gowns, silk, suede, and leather requires specialized care. When every garment arrives at Cameo by Copeland Cleaners’ premises, it is assessed and evaluated. Its current condition is noted, as well as its fabric and construction. At this time, the optimal cleaning methods are determined.
Cameo by Copeland Cleaners’ experts use only fabric-specific solvents, hand-spotting, and, for leather, conditioning to prevent drying. As premium dry cleaners, Cameo by Copeland Cleaners maintain luxury fabrics (i.e. silk, suede, leather, and velvets\) using specialized, non-toxic, eco-friendly solvents, rather than water, to prevent distortion.
Precision Cleaning & Finishing Techniques
Our experts employ meticulous hand-cleaning, custom stain removal, and precise, low-temperature, or hand-finishing techniques to protect your garments with delicate embellishments, to maintain their structural integrity, and to preserve fabric texture.
Specialized Care Techniques from Luxury Dry Cleaners
- Fabric Identification & Inspection: Cameo’s experts analyze materials, stitching, and dyes before cleaning to determine the safest approach.
- Hand Cleaning & Spotting: Delicate garments are cleaned by hand to avoid abrasive machine damage, with stains treated gently to preserve fabric integrity.
- Specialized Solvents: Eco-friendly, biodegradable, or specialized solvents (like green solvents) are used to lift oils and dirt without damaging fibers.
- Delicate Finishing: Precision steaming, padded irons, and hand-finishing will restore your garment’s original shape and drape, avoiding harsh, flat pressing.
- Protection of Embellishments: Beads, sequins, and, in the case of suede, the nap itself, are protected or cleaned separately to maintain their shine and texture.
- Leather & Suede Care: Garments made from animal hides require distinct, specialized cleaning techniques, often using sponges and brushes to handle delicate textures to raise the nap (for suede) without removing natural oils.
As premium dry cleaners, Cameo by Copeland Cleaners also offers restoration services, such as re-blocking, re-weaving, and repairing, to extend the life of your high-end, higher value garments.
Tips for Maintaining Luxury Fabrics
When you receive your immaculate, restored wardrobe items from Cameo by Copeland Cleaners’ care, here are some tips for maintaining them at home between wearings.
Designer Gowns & Delicate Fabrics (Silk, Cashmere, Wool):
- Storage: Store in breathable garment bags, never plastic, in a cool, dark, and dry place to prevent moisture damage and yellowing.
- Avoid High Heat: If the hem of your gown becomes wrinkled in store, steaming is generally preferred over ironing to remove wrinkles without scorching or damaging delicate fabric structure.
- Hand-Spotting: While dining, if you spill or stain your clothing, avoid rubbing stained fabrics. Instead, use gentle blotting techniques to prevent damaging fibers. At home, remove and hang your garment immediately and contact Cameo by Copeland Cleaners to pick up and deliver your stained clothing. The longer a stain sits, the greater difficulty to remove it.
- Professional Cleaning: When your luxury clothing items require cleaning, call Cameo by Copeland cleaners. As your luxury dry cleaners we will arrange pick up and delivery of your garments at a time that is convenient to your schedule.
Suede and Leather Maintenance
- Storage: Use padded hangers to prevent shoulder deformation
Apply a protective spray to suede to guard against water and dirt. - After Each Wearing: Use a specialized suede brush to remove dirt, brushing in one direction to maintain the nap. Smooth leathers do not require treatment between wearings.
- Conditioning: Smooth leather needs to stay hydrated to prevent cracks while your suedes may require protective sprays to guard against water and grime to stay clean longer. Contact Cameo by Copeland Cleaners to arrange for our representative to pick up your leathers for conditioning treatment, and return them supple and ready-to-wear.
General Luxury Care Principles
- Protect Embellishments: Ensure beads, sequins, and embroidery are protected while in storage to prevent snagging, and pulling; loss or damage.
As luxury dry cleaners, Cameo by Copeland Cleaners understands the value of your time. That’s why we offer convenient pickup and delivery throughout the region, ensuring your garments are handled with care and protected from damage during transport. We invite you to connect with our team to schedule pickup for your high-end dry cleaning needs today.