The Special Container
Once your gown has been properly cleaned, repaired and pressed, the container is what keeps your gown in pristine condition through the years.
Several years ago, museum conservators met with representatives of commercial paper companies out of a concern about apparent deterioration (yellowing, brown spots, staining, streaking, friability, etc.,) of their textiles stored in standard cardboard boxes. After research and testing, they realized that those standard boxes had become increasingly acidic over time, causing the degradation and discoloration of the contents.

Experts in garment and textile conservation recommend against plastics and vacuum sealing. An article in a dry-cleaning trade paper, The National Clothesline, reads "Plastic bags are not acid free. Being chemically unstable, plastic gives off fumes as it decomposes with age. This also hastens textile deterioration. ...Excessive humidity is the greatest danger in storage, therefore plastic bags by their very nature are conducive to mold and mildew formation".

Several experts in textile conservation have expressed opinions as well:
*  Katherine Dirks, a museum conservator in the Division of Textiles at the Museum of American History in Washington D.C. notes "we've found that vacuum sealing never helps in the preservation of clothing".
*Norman Oehlke, Director of Member Services at IFI states, "You cannot vacuum seal a cardboard box. It requires a steel or glass container that can't breathe".  
*Dr. Nancy Kerr, a Professor of Textile Science at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton states, "Vacuum sealing is not a good idea because any moisture trapped inside leads to mildew".
*Dan Eisen, Chief Garment Analyst and Director of the N.Y. School of Dry Cleaning states "when wedding gowns are stored, they should be properly cleaned and free of stains. Use an acid-free box with acid-free tissue paper. Do not cover or seal with plastic since this type of storage builds up an acid condition that hastens deterioration".

Museum conservators now require long-term storage boxes to be completely acid free. They expect to extend the lifetime of textiles for 200 years by storing them in an acid-free box with acid-free tissue and a muslin liner.

The Foster-Steven's Company has been working with the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists (www.weddinggownspecialists.com) to construct acid-free, lignin-free, sulpher-free, and buffered heirloom containers for over 40 years. Archival quality means it is suitable for contact with historic materials. The hope of the Bride is that her wedding gown becomes 'historical' having been worn by many generations of brides.

In addition to our Standard MuseumCareTM Preservation, our Couture Bridal Gown Preservation has two cotton liners, one inside the storage box and the other fits over the MuseumCare™ box. Both are de-sized, unbleached, and washed cotton muslin liners, which serve as a fabric filter that can remove 99% of incoming suspended dirt. It also serves as a blotter helping to keep any moisture away from the gown. The outside cover also keeps the box clean, can be easily washed, and still allows maximum breathe-ability for the gown.
With the expertise of your Wedding Gown Specialists at Twin City Cleaners, you can feel comfortable and confident that your gown has received the greatest of care.