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It’s not that people in ancient times weren’t concerned with cleanliness.  They were.  The Bible tells of women going down to the river to wash their clothes, and dry cleaning actually dates back to ancient times.  In fact, in the ruins of Pompeii were found records of “fullers” who were the professional clothes cleaners of that time.

The first washing machine was invented by Sir John Hoskins in 1677, and, in 1848, the closest thing to dry cleaning as we know it was discovered by an owner of a textile dyeing factory when he found that the liquid from an oil lamp dissolved fat.

It’s just that hygiene in general, up until modern times, was viewed in extremely basic terms.  People generally washed their clothes – and themselves – in cold water unless they were wealthy. The great scholar Erasmus wrote about the bottom layer of medieval flooring being covered with rushes and left undisturbed, sometimes for twenty years, harboring spit, vomit, leakage of urine from animals and humans, and scraps.

In fact, since Classic Cleaners are wedding gown specialists, we know that one reason June became such a popular month for weddings is that, in medieval times, baths were annual, usually in may, so that June brides still smelled relatively fresh. (If not, the bridal bouquet was designed to divert attention from the odor!)

It’s obvious that our standards for both personal hygiene and the cleaning of clothes have been much refined.  Classic Cleaners is at the forefront of that trend towards spotless and sweet smelling, using the modern craft of clean!

By Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

The story of the tuxedo is an interesting one, beginning when President Teddy Roosevelt was in the White House.  Just 40 miles northwest of New York City there was a very exclusive residential colony called Tuxedo Park.  The story goes that at the first annual high society Tuxedo Part Autumn Ball, the son of tobacco magnate Pierre Lourillard was the first to sport a “tail-less” black jacket.  Roosevelt liked the style, and a new trend was born.

Also called a dinner jacket, today’s tuxedo is traditionally black or dark blue, with satin or grosgrain facing on the lapels and on stripes going down the sides of the trousers.  The complete semiformal outfit includes the bowtie, shirt, cummerbund, and sometimes a vest.  For warmer climates (at Classic cleaners we often help couples prepare their wardrobes for travel to destination weddings) a white or ivory dinner jacket may be worn.

Like any man’s suit, a tuxedo can be acquired three ways:

• Bespoke:  Suit is custom-made from a pattern the tailor creates from your measurements.
• Made to measure: Suit is tailored from a pre-made pattern and modified to fit you.
• Ready-to-wear:  Bought from a store and then possibly altered.

Classic Cleaners typically “meets” the groom’s tuxedo either:

• before the wedding when we do alternations and/or prepare the suit for travel.
• after the wedding when we clean the tuxedo, mend it where needed, and prepare it for storage.

“Nothing commands attention like a man in a well-fitted suit,” according to B.A. T.  At Classic Cleaners we’d add, “That goes double if that well-fitted suit happens to be a tuxedo!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

In modern times, we’re finding, people pay less attention to folklore. When it comes to weddings, though, traditions and even superstitions continue to play a part in the planning. Of course, no one really knows for sure whether certain things bring good luck or bad, but, as the website weddings.lovetoknow.com  explains, brides don’t want to take a chance!

One loyal Classic Cleaners customer in McCordsville recalled originally planning to have each of her bridesmaids dress in a different jewel-tone shade, with the groomsmen in bowties to match, and the same colors replicated in her bouquet and in the table decorations. That most original and colorful concept was scrapped when an aunt shared with her that it would bring bad luck if the bridesmaids weren’t all in the same color dresses. Not actually “buying” that story, our customer nonetheless had all her attendants wear the same color.

Early bridesmaids actually wore dresses similar to the bride’s in order to confuse evil spirits who might want to harm the bride or cause mischief. In fact, we learned, that’s why the groomsmen were there as well!

Another wedding custom related to color choices has some tradition behind it as well – the boutonniere. In medieval times, when a lady fancied a particular knight, she’d give him a token – a scarf, flower, or ribbon – to carry into battle.  The knight was said to be “wearing her colors”.

As you can tell, at Classic Cleaners, we’re really into weddings.   As a member of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists, we can offer MuseumCare™ preservation of wedding gowns, an advanced process endorsed by the Association of Bridal Consultants. At Classic Cleaners, we may not be superstitious, but we love to keep wedding traditions alive!

Do you have a favorite wedding-related superstition or tradition?  Please share it with us.  We want all our readers to have good luck!

 by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team