Wedding dress stain - help?

[Oscardelarenta]

Hi there,

I’m getting married this year and by sheer luck have bought a silk Oscar De La Renta wedding gown for $199 reduced from $15,000!

The tricky part is, it was a sample and I bought it with a few marks from being worn and trodden on when being tried on at the bridal showroom.

Aside from that the dress was in great nick and decided I would have it dry cleaned to see if the marks would subside. The dress came out looking sensational and superb, the silk glistened and is so radiant and gorgeous.

However there are a few darker grey marks on the train that didn’t come off with dry cleaning. I would have to have the train substantially shortened to remove them.

I tried spot cleaning a similar inconspicuous stain on the inside of the hem and it came off, leaving a very tiny water mark.

The dress is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen and I’m pinching myself that I bought it at such a steal.

I want to try my very hardest to get these stains out. I have read online that white vinegar is an excellent choice, whilst other online sources have advocated for shampoo.

Your thoughts?

There is so much information online and what I really need is trusted counsel from those who have successfully gotten dirt marks off a silk dress.

Many thanks in advance for your advice - and fingers crossed!

X

No experience but want to see how it turns out. Could you patch try on the inside first to check to abnormal results and then test very small area. It sounds lovely - any pics

You need an expert dry cleaner - not one that just bungs it in the machine but one that assesses and treats individual stains based on the fabric and their own expertise.

I'd focus my research on finding an expert experienced cleaner rather than risking DIY on the gown.

Could the train be embellished with beads or applique or some such to cover the marks? Could you take it to a department store e.g. John Lewis or to a fabric shop to seek advice? Or, ask a dress maker to see what he/she recommends? You could do some research on Etsy (try 'wedding dress applique') and other websites to get an idea of what you might like. The marks may be well and truly "set" now and further attempts to clean may cause damage. Congratulations and best wishes - brilliant bargain-hunting!!

Hi all,

Thanks for your advice!

There’s one other dry cleaner I will visit to try a specalised ‘spot’ clean.

Unfortunately embellishments are not an option as the dress is plain and is the reason I bought it!

Will let you know how it goes :)

Thank you for the help!

Xox

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to update you on this.

I spot cleaned the dress myself with a delicate liquid soap and tepid water. All the marks came out and did not leave a water mark! Just a little bit of light rubbing and the stains were removed :)

Thanks everyone for the help and advice.

Cheers,

Luisa

Photo please?