Satin Question

[Manwariel]

I bought some polyester satin (yeah, it doesn't breathe and all that, but it was affordable) for my wedding dress (I'm getting married next spring  ), so it's washable, but is there a reason to wash or not wash it?

[Auryn]

Firstly congratulations
secondly, as a general rule I wash all fabrics when I first buy them.
I know that things get sprayed down when they enter customs and I don't to have that on my skin.
So that is 1 reason to wash.
The second is to test the color fastness of it.
I know its supposed to be perfectly color fast but I have had synthetics bleed on me more than once- and yes directly on me while I was at an event- not pretty or fun

[gem]

Washing can also change the hand of a fabric--for better or worse--so it's a great idea to wash a test swatch to see if you prefer it washed or unwashed.

(I just had occasion to test this yesterday; bought some outdoor canvas for an apron for my MIL, but it was *crazy stiff.* It said "professionally spot clean only," but I took a chance and ran it through the wash/dry--softened up *beautifully.*  'Course, I can't now vouch for its sun-fastness, but MIL won't be cooking in the sun much, anyway.)

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Being that I do a lot of Alterations on Bridesmaid's Dresses and Wedding Dresses made out of Polyester Satins, it's best to have them drycleaned.

There are various qualities of Bridal Satins. The heavier the Satin, the better for dresses. There is a French name for the heavier Satin called Peou de Suea(pronounced Swa). That is the Satin that has a more tarnished finish to it rather than shiny.

But do a swatch in a Gentle Cycle wash. Even if dried for a bit in the dryer, test to see how it looks when ironed.

Congratulations on the upcoming nuptials.

[operafantomet]

There are various qualities of Bridal Satins. The heavier the Satin, the better for dresses. There is a French name for the heavier Satin called Peou de Suea(pronounced Swa). That is the Satin that has a more tarnished finish to it rather than shiny.

Peau de soie? I think it equals Duchess Satin in English.

I'm a fan of washing fabrics before use, even those meant to be dry cleaned only. But washing does remove the finish many producers adds to a fabric, like a certain shine or stiffness. This is very noticeable in silk dupioni, but usually less so in soft satins. I second what Lady Kathleen and Gem said - try a small piece and see how it behaves.

As Auryn said, it also "locks" the colour into the fabric when washed. But assuming your wedding dress will be white, this is probably less of an issue for you. 

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

As you can tell, Opera, my French sucks.

Thanks for the correct translation. You knew what I was trying to convey.

[LadyFae]

I sold bridal gowns for almost 9 years- the owner of the last store I worked at had no qualms about throwing any of the gowns into a regular washing machine! I never heard her regret that choice, even once! You'd be surprised how well they turn out!

[Manwariel]

Okay, thanks everyone!

[Rowan MacD]

I sold bridal gowns for almost 9 years- the owner of the last store I worked at had no qualms about throwing any of the gowns into a regular washing machine! I never heard her regret that choice, even once! You'd be surprised how well they turn out!

I have heard that most 'dry clean only' garments are marked that way due to the way they are constructed, rather than delicate materials.  
 I have 2 chemises from Museum Replicas that are marked dry clean, but since they are both white cotton blends,  I have washed them a number of times (with bleach) and they are still fine.  Since I only paid about $20.00 for each of them,  I was not about to dry clean them.


 Granted MR is not known for high quality merchandise, and nearly, if not all their pieces are made in some Asian sweatshop somewhere.  The quality is somewhere between a rayon Halloween costume and the hopefully now defunct Von Lancelot.  Both chemises I purchased needed some 'fixing' before they were wearable (seams and trim not sewn together or down at all, drawstrings sewn down inside casings or missing entirely) so I figure that with MR, the workmanship is so poor that they think the garment will fall apart if washed, and quite frankly, they probably would have if I hadn't repaired them prior to cleaning.