To ask how to preserve an 80 yr old wedding dress?

[Trumplosttheelection]

Well 77 years old to be exact.

My dear grandma died last week and her dress from 1944 has surfaced. I haven't seen it yet and it appears to have survived all this time in an ottoman. I don't want to do anything with it as such but we need to keep it safe. I've ordered a box with acid free tissue but what about moth?
Thinking of keeping it on top of a wardrobe so ambient temp and obvs out if light in the box. The room faces north as well.
What do I need to know?

Apologies for using aibu, it was the first topic that came to mind and my brain isn't working very well. I can't believe I don't have her anymore. She was 98 so I've done well but I've realised over the last 5 days just how much she was one of my fundamental building blocks of my life. Don't really know what to do now. So I need to get this right.

I'd see what condition it's in to br honest and then take specialist advice as to what would be best.

Where do you get specialist advice though?

I'm thinking conserve not restore

Try contacting the V&A museum

I think what you're doing might be enough. We have a family christening gown that is several generations old and it's kept in a box wrapped in black tissue paper. It's in perfect condition.

And I've just realised there nobody to ask anymore. My mum said it's such pretty fabric and we don't know how they managed it with rationing and there's nobody to ask now. Her sister, my great aunt died two years ago.
I should have asked grandma about it but I didn't know I would want to iyswim

No advice, but I'm sorry for your loss.
My grandmother died a few months ago and, like you, I'm now feeling the void her death has left.
I've been given her engagement ring and there's something about owning something that belonged to her as a young woman that's made me think of her differently.
Enjoy your special memories and take care of yourself.

Tbh we kept my grandma's wedding dress only for it to get destroyed by mice in the attic.
Ultimately you need to decide what your goal is for this dress. Are you going to want to keep it forever to pass onto future generations? Are you keeping it as a strong memory of her?
Personally I think I'd look into selling it to a specialist that is interested in dresses of that era. Maybe take a photo for your own records so you can reminisce about it but preserving and storing is a lot of effort especially if it ends up destroyed like ours did.
I have recently had to clear out a hoarder's house though so my opinion may be skewed.

@Trumplosttheelection I also wish I'd spoken to my grandma. The ring, for example- I never saw it when she was alive. I think it was too small for her in latter years. I would love to have heard the story of her engagement....

You could contact a local museum and ask if they know any textile conservation people they could give you details for.

Thank you all. The V&A website says to do the box and tissue thing so that's helpful. I'm defo keeping it. It was homemade by my great grandmother. When I get to the point of decluttering for my kids I can look at selling it then but for now it's coming home.

Box arrived and I'm collecting tomorrow