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.

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!

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