Q&A with Lynda, Rick, and Jordan: A Fabricare Specialist vs. A Dry Cleaner

Happy Friday, readers! So excited to have Lynda, Rick, and Jordan back again for another Q&A session—and this one will be a series of posts, as it is a question the Woods get asked repeatedly, and the answer is layered, detailed, and integral to understanding how to care for your quality clothing. To be honest, it’s one I had when I first learned about Davis Imperial. Essentially, I think it’s what any person asks when they starts truly investing in their closet.

Question: “In the last year, I have purchased some pricier dresses that I really want to last (considering they cost more than a lot of my other items combined!). After a quick google search, I see two kinds of cleaners—the typical dry cleaner, and “fabricare specialists”. What’s the difference, and why does it matter?” {Lauren, Chicago IL}

Answer: 

As you can well imagine, as a family owned and operated certified couture cleaner for over 56 years, many questions are posed to us each day. But the question that makes our top ten list of most frequently asked questions by a first time client is "What makes you different from the ordinary dry cleaner in my neighborhood?”

Instead of focusing on what the typical dry cleaner does not do, we think it is far more productive to discuss what a quality dry cleaner should be doing. By definition, fabricare specialists are true quality cleaners. Not ordinary dry cleaners. There is a difference. And it's not just one of semantics.

In a nutshell, we are not comparing apples and apples. It’s far more like comparing attending a cocktail party with appetizers and drinks versus sitting down to a full course dinner including dessert with the wait staff making sure that all your preferences, standards of excellence and expectations are met. Our goal is to clarify for our readers the importance of having a fabricare specialist process your favorite garments with a positive result. You may have both a $3,000 suit or dress and a pair of your favorite 15-year-old khaki pants in your wardrobe that have been perfectly broken in. Although there may have been a substantial price difference when purchased, they’re both invaluable in your eyes. At Davis Imperial Cleaners both garments are processed exactly the same way with particular attention to detail—just like every single piece that comes through the door.

Today’s answer will focus on knowledge, skills, and evaluation. Under this category, a Fabricare Specialist should:

1. Have the fashion and fabric knowledge to recognize the investment you have made in your wardrobe and household items, and accept the responsibility to protect your investment. That can only be successfully accomplished if the cleaner has the technical skills and experience, along with a combination of old world techniques and state of the art equipment and computer technology.
2. Be vigilant about security. At Davis Imperial, from the time a garment is received or delivered, it is bar-coded with a removable tag so that garment location in our facility can be immediately determined, as well as the stage of care it is at, and when it will be ready—just like tracking a package.
3. Offer a detailed inspection, including the reading of the care label upon arrival at our facility. It should also include the option to examine a garment under full spectrum light which may reveal a variety of both visible as well as invisible stains and/or fabric damage so that they can be properly addressed.
4. Properly evaluate and test fine fabrics, embellishments and trims to properly select the correct process to remove a stain (such as utilizing gentle solutions that do not strip the fabric of dyes or damage the details).

Davis Imperial follows all of these steps to ensure every garment that comes into our space is treated like the most important garment we’ve received--because, in essence, it is. And next week you’ll find out just how delicately and thoroughly we handle each piece through our second-to-none process. We can’t wait to share with you.

Wishing you and your loved ones good health and happiness always…

Thanks Lynda, Rick, and Jordan for your always informative answers and for stopping by to share with us!

And readers, don’t forget to submit any questions you have on Facebook or on Twitter @davisimperial, or you can email us at davisimperialblog@gmail.com

Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next week!

your wedding dress—the royal treatment

Unlike the majority of my friends, I never fully embraced royal wedding fever. William was never my cup of tea (get it?), although I thought Harry was cute, if not a little bit volatile at times. The tale of William and Kate played vaguely in the soundtrack of my life, allowing me to identify loose details in conversation (like how she was waiting for a ring), but never the full story. Needless to say, I did not wake up at 3:30 in the morning to watch the nuptials, but like the rest of the world, could not escape the endless recap on every single news and media outlet available. And thank goodness, because once I saw that dress, I got it. Kate Middleton’s style was absolutely classically perfect. Years from now, she will still appear chic and sophisticated, the gorgeous commoner turned royalty in the Alexander McQueen lace dress.


And now, lucky Londoners will be able to view the one-of-a-kind gorgeousness up close as the dress goes on display through October at Buckingham Palace. A dress, by the way, that was handmade at the Royal School of Needlework by students, graduates, and staff from around the world who had to wash their hands during the making every half hour to ensure it remained perfect. And to continue that treatment, the preservation staff will go through intricate steps to ensure the piece looks as impeccable as the day it was made, not only during the exhibition, but for the rest of the royal couple’s lives.


And proper preservation is not just for royals—every girl deserves to have her dream gown stay in the perfect condition it was in during her nuptials, no matter what the time in her life. Choosing a fabricare consultant like Davis Imperial, a company that treats every single wedding dress with their patented Museum Care Preservation™, will ensure that happens. Davis Imperial is the only licensed certified cleaning, restoration, and preservation specialist in Chicago. They offer a complete menu of pre- and post-wedding services, including pick-up and delivery within their route areas, a complimentary consultation and condition report, as well as fabricarebymail™ worldwide. Something any bride, crown or not, can appreciate.


To learn more about Davis Imperial’s full array of wedding services, click here.


To read more about Kate’s dress and the display at Buckingham Palace, click here. Image by Lewis Whyld/AP Photo.


Thanks for reading! See you back here on Friday—don’t forget to send your questions to davisimperial@gmail.com for Q&A with Lynda, Rick, and Jordan.

Q&A with Lynda, Rick, and Jordan: Green Cleaners

Happy Friday, everyone! Thanks for the questions you submitted--we are so excited to hear from you, and we truly hope Lynda, Rick, and Jordan help you understand a little better why it is so valuable to care for your clothes in the right way.

Today’s reader question is about what it really means when a cleaner claims to be “green”.

Question: “Lately, I have really been trying to clean up my act when it comes to the environment, but I am wondering if there is a way to do this with my dry cleaner of choice? I am not really sure what the difference is between a “green” cleaner and a normal one. Am I losing anything by sending my clothing to an environmentally-friendly cleaner? Will my clothes get the same benefits? What am I gaining?” {Sarah, Vernon Hills, IL}

Answer:

Unless you’re a zealot for whom no price is too great to pay or sacrifice too much to ask, striking a balance between being a good environmental citizen and maintaining your personal standards for the quality and care in your life requires you to be an educated consumer.

Some choices are easy.  You have to go to San Francisco for your BFF’s wedding.  The smallest impact you could have on the environment is walking.  THAT is zealot territory.  The most self-indulgent choice is a private jet.  THAT is obscene.  For most responsible human beings who care about the world they live in, the reasonable choice is a seat on a non-stop commercial airline flight (an added bonus would be a full plane that achieved economy of scale!).

For other choices, like dry cleaning, the pros and cons are not so obvious because the knowledge required to make an intelligent decision is primarily known only by industry insiders.  You are to be commended for wanting to know the pluses and minuses attached to your choices, and we’re happy to share our inside, painstakingly researched information with you.

1. All cleaners are not created equal. 
   
1. There are green zealot cleaners for whom changes in texture, tensile strength, cleanliness or even size are acceptable sacrifices because their primary, and perhaps exclusive interest, is in being GREEN.  These are generally ONE process cleaners.  Think of them like a one-size-fits-all garment.  They NEVER fit everyone perfectly.  Similarly, a single green cleaning process is NEVER the perfect cleaning answer for EVERY garment brought in to them.  The result will almost always be a compromise.
2. There are cleaners who have NO environmental conscience. 
   
1. For their own reasons they choose not to invest in any eco-friendly technologies or practices beyond those required by state or local governments.  Most of these cleaners are solely dependent on processing 100% of your garments in a solvent the federal EPA has deemed to be a Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP)
   

3. Then there are cleaners, like us, who have spent years researching and training in the latest environmentally sound technologies and principles, as well as staying abreast of the latest fashions, fabrics, construction techniques and trends. 
   
1. Cleaners who think beyond the cleaning process to determine what is good for the garment, and even take it many steps further by evaluating and monitoring their entire business for its impact on the world we live in.  We work toward achieving total environmental sustainability, and we adopt and invest in those eco-friendly and conservation opportunities accordingly.  We are dedicated to striking the balance between optimum environmental performance and superior garment care and superior client service.

And when these types of cleaners do it right, they receive certifications like being named a Certified Environmental Dry Cleaner (which we are), or one of our personal points of pride, being the first dry cleaner in Illinois to be named a Certified Green Cleaner. 

Wishing you and your loved ones good health and happiness always…Lynda, Rick and Jordan, Your Fabricare Friends

Thanks Lynda, Rick, and Jordan for your always informative answers and for stopping by to share with us!

And readers, don’t forget to submit any questions you have on Facebook or on Twitter @davisimperial, or you can email us at davisimperialblog@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next week!

the most important dress of your life

Writing about weddings has allowed me to live vicariously through the best and worst of brides' and their guests' stories. Every girl deserves a perfect day, but no one can plan for everything--there are always details out of the bride and groom's control. Which is why elements that can be planned and cared for beforehand, like the bride and her party's dresses, are of the utmost importance. 

So where does a gal begin to make her checklist of necessary steps? Wedding planners and friends are great resources because they'll be able to share what worked for them, and--most importantly--what didn't. And when it comes to caring for the most beautiful--and chances are, most expensive!--garment of your life, Davis Imperial is one name that tends to pop up repeatedly, since they offer an extensive list of quality services many brides don’t even know are available. Below is a quick snapshot of how they can help make your day as dreamy and stress-free as possible. 

1. Fit and Style 

--Unless you had your dress custom made for you (lucky lady!), it will need some alterations. Davis Imperial's wedding gown coordinator works in collaboration with a seamstress to provide --in meticulous detail-- whatever minor or major alterations are needed. Whether it is a simple hem or a complete restoration and re-styling of a vintage piece, they'll care for your dress as though it were a priceless heirloom--which, with the right care, it will be some day.

2. Appearance

--It's your big day, your girls are gathered around, and suddenly you realize the dresses you picked for them look perfect...except for the fact that they wrinkle easier than tin foil. Davis Imperial not only offers pressing services for the entire party, going so far as to deliver the gowns to the event location, but they also offer on-location experts that can tend to all the dresses in the party whether it's right before you walk down the aisle, or right before you walk into the reception.

3. Preservation 

This is one of the lesser-known (or anticipated) steps for newly-engaged gals, since it happens after the ceremony, but it is one of the most important, and could make or break the chances of a dress surviving the test of time. When it comes to cleaning your dress and ensuring it will look brand new for your daughter or granddaughter someday, Davis Imperial's trademarked MuseumCare™ Preservation is second to none. And they're recommended by the Chicago History Museum--an entire brand whose identity relies on ensuring dated items retain their quality. 

Their Clean Room Preservation Laboratory and Museum Inspection Area--located on site--allows their technicians to carefully inspect every inch of a garment, identifying areas soiled by stains detrimental to fabric if ignored.  Stains such as white wine and champagne that dry clear and are invisible to the naked eye are located, identified and hand cleaned by Davis technicians that have been with their company over 35 years.  This meticulous procedure prevents the dreaded yellow stains that would eventually surface, and gradually darken to black, completely degrading the fabric. 

After hand cleaning, the gown is hand-ironed following the designer's line and drape, and then packaged in 100% acid-free (including the wedding chest!) archival quality packaging. White cottons gloves are included with the preservation (in order for the bride to be able to handle her gown without transferring oils and salt from her hands to the gown). No sealed boxes with little windows here! Preservations are accomplished the same way that the Museum Conservation Institute of the Smithsonian Institution and The Chicago History Museum preserve textiles.  This type of preservation is classified as an open preservation, which allows for natural fibers to breathe, and allows viewing of the gown over time.

To learn more about the full list of Davis Imperial pre- and post-services available to the bride and her wedding party, click here. 

…And don't forget to join us back here on Friday, when Lynda, Rick, and Jordan stop by to answer reader questions!

P.S. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for exclusive updates, deals, and events!

getting a peek behind the seams

Hello! My name is Brooke, and for just over a year now, I have written a blog called Always a Bridesmaid, which essentially covers everything weddings. Along the way, I've discovered countless incredible resources for brides, their party, and wedding-goers at large; from bridal boutiques to florists to dessert shops that would make a gal's mouth water. The wedding world in Chicago, like most communities once you infiltrate them, actually becomes quite intimate, and word-of-mouth is paramount. 

Over and over, one name seemed to keep popping up among brides and shop-owners: Davis Imperial Cleaners. Which, to be honest, didn't make a lot of sense to me--why were women gushing about a dry cleaner?  To me, they all seemed similar--neon signs in the front, pleasant employees working behind the desk, usually one seamstress on hand that always seemed to be hiding in the back room, and a wave of heat when you walked through the front door. In Chicago, cleaners are almost as plentiful as Starbucks, and if one doesn't work for you, there's always the competition down the street. 

So in hopes of bringing the best of the Chicago wedding and fashion world to my readers, I ventured out to Davis Imperial to see first-hand what the fuss was about.  Even from its exterior, the space looks nothing like a typical dry cleaner--elegantly crafted signage (no neon here!) displayed names like Chanel, and the windows themselves housed fashion that would fit perfectly within the walls of a high-end boutique. It's no wonder, as I discovered the visual merchandiser behind the displays held long-standing jobs at Neiman's and Armani. If a merchandiser seems out of place within the average idea of a dry cleaner, get used to it; once you experience the Davis Imperial difference first hand, the accolades they've been receiving--making "best of" lists in books such as CS, Chicago Magazine, CS Brides, and Esquire Magazine's: The Big Black Book-The Style Manual for Successful Men--are no surprise.

The difference is in the detail paid to every single service the Woods deliver. Lynda, Rick, and their son Jordan Wood are the tour de force behind the company, a business founded by Lynda's parents who opened the doors over 55 years ago. Somehow, they manage to strike a delicate balance between a luxury brand (take one look at the packaging the clothing is sent home in and the "welcome kit" clients receive when engaging their services, and you'll see there's no better word fit to describe them) and a family business, providing the style-obsessed of Chicago a trusted resource for all the most important events in their lives. The Woods don't just care about the bottom line, they care about the lives and the experience of their clients, treating them like family and never settling for less than the best.

Discovering the Davis Imperial name is like learning a vocabulary word you never knew before--once you hear it, suddenly it's everywhere. The influence of the brand and the family infiltrates the city's fashion and bridal world, and the stories aren't just about clothing care, they offer a peek into the life of a family and of Chicagoans everywhere. Which is why I am so honored to launch this blog that allows everyone to learn firsthand the Davis Imperial difference, and bring exclusive fashion and bridal events, tips, and tricks to readers. Not only that, but Lynda, Rick, and Jordan will be stopping by every Friday for a Q&A session, answering everything and anything you want to know about the world of clothing, weddings, style and fabricare.

Thanks so much for reading! And please, if you have any stories you'd like to share, questions to ask, or topics you'd love to read about, email me at davisimperialblog@gmail.com. To learn more about the Davis Imperial difference, click over to their site.

p.s. Now you can follow Davis Imperial on Twitter and friend them on Facebook for blog, event, and deal updates.