Vintage Aftercare

Storing Your Vintage Clothing

Keep your vintage clothes in a dry, dust-free place away from direct sunlight. Humidity or damp will damage delicate fibers, and sunlight can irreversibly fade vintage prints and colors.

For the same reason, keep vintage clothes stored where they can breathe, not in plastic covers like the ones you get from the dry cleaners. Long term, these are not healthy for the fabric of the clothes.

Hang your vintage clothes on wooden hangers, or for best protection, cloth-covered padded hangers. (Metal hangers can leave rust stains on your clothes and they also leave stretch marks that are very hard to get rid of).
Washing Your Vintage Clothes

Washing clothes is a controversial subject in vintage... People endlessly debate the merits and dangers of washing vs. dry cleaning, however, here are our tips:

Always hand wash pre1960s vintage, rather than machine washing and drying it. If you are really concerned, as the fabric is very old or delicate, consider not washing it at all: a good airing can often work just as well for removing odour without damaging the garment. This is what Issey Miyake does - if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for us!

To keep your precious clothes in good condition, wash them less. Repeated, vigorous washing can damage the fibers of vintage clothes (and new clothes too). Washing (machine-washable) clothes at 30 instead of 60 degrees will also prolong their life, and is much more eco-friendly too.

Never wash embroidered silks or satins, ever!

If you want to dry clean specialty vintage items that are durable enough for it, then use a reputable dry cleaner that you can build up a relationship of trust with. There's nothing more stressful than leaving your special finds in the hands of strangers. It's good to use someone that you trust to know what's best for your clothes and will take as much care of them as you would.

If you're unsure, you can get dry cleaner cloths for home use, in your own dryer. You can clean up to six items with one cloth.

With all vintage clothing and shoes, try not to wear the item two days in a row without airing it. This will give it time to breathe and will restore it for the next wear.
Maintaining Your Vintage Clothes

Repair small rips and tears immediately, as they will only get bigger if you don't.

Lube your zipper! This can be a fun night with a friend... Old metal zippers should be carefully lubed with zipper lube to keep them gliding smoothly through your clothing.

Most of all love your vintage clothes and respect them as you would a person of the same age!