“Today’s independent woman doesn’t want to go along with the crowd; she wants to stand on her own merit,” says Lovetoknow.com.

Jill F. said her vows in silver gray

While white wedding dresses remain the most popular choice for many brides, colored wedding dresses are growing in popularity for modern, trendy brides. Lovetoknow reminds critics that white wedding gowns weren’t the norm until 1840, when Queen Victoria chose a white dress for her wedding.

At Classic Cleaners, we know.  In just the past season, of the many beautiful wedding gowns brought in for post-wedding cleaning, one was red, the other a silver gray.

Jill F. confided that she’d never even considered white.  Seeking a non-traditional dress, she’d chosen the one with the most appealing style and fit – it happened to come in gray.

Lovetoknow names five reasons brides are beginning to branch out in their wedding color choices:

• Desire to be different
• Greater selection of styles
• Cheaper prices for party dresses as compared to bridal gowns
• Cultural considerations (where a certain color is traditional or symbolic)
• Ability to reuse the gown for other occasions

 Every profession has its special challenges, and dry cleaning is no exception. 

• The delicate fabric on evening gowns needs special treatment.
• The color red presents its own set of special challenges.
• Beading and trim need to be handled with special expertise.

Dry cleaning wedding dresses is a specialty at Classic Cleaners.  There’s an extra measure of satisfaction, though, when Classic Cleaners technicians can do their work in “Technicolor”!
 

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

In cleaning their clothes, Civil War soldiers knew that, to avoid shrinkage, they had to be aware of three elements:

•   Mechanical action
•   Moisture
•   Heat

The stains on their uniforms, which were made from wool or a cotton-based (denim-like material), generally fell into three categories:

• Grass and mud stains      
• Black  powder
• Food stains

Civil War re-enacting is a fun hobby and a terrific way to study history.  Classic Cleaners’ partner Steve Arnold certainly thinks so. Posing at the far left of the photograph below, Arnold was taking part a  2001 re-enactment of the first major battle of the Civil War, Manassas, which took place in 1861 in the state of Virginia. The uniforms worn by the re-enactors  were actually reproduced on 100-year old looms, copied from photographs of the original uniforms of the Liberty Hall Volunteers from Lexington, Virgina. 

Clothing back in Civil War days was made to last for many years. Garments would be reworked and repaired until they were threadbare, and yet people took a lot of pride in the appearance of their clothing.  Needless to say, battlefield solders had to make do, brushing their uniforms as best they could, as well as washing their garments in lakes or streams.

Hand-brushing garments, as a matter of fact, is still one of several hand-care techniques used at Classic Cleaners today for treating challenging stains and for restoring “nap” to fabrics (although black powder is rarely a problem nowadays!).  In place of the crude lye soaps of Civil War times, skilled Classic Cleaners technicians have available an assortment of specialty cleaning chemicals to help restore and clean garments of every vintage!

Classic Cleaners' Steve Arnold in Civil War Re-enactment at Menasses Battlefield

Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

This is one of Classic Cleaners’ many superb dry cleaning stores in Indianapolis. This is an excellent location for residents of Northeast Indianapolis and the Geist area. It is accessible from Fox Rd. and Oaklandon Rd.

Classic Cleaners
8150 Oaklandon Rd.
Indianapolis, IN 46236

Phone
317-823-9328

Hours
Monday-Friday: 7:00 am-7:00 pm
Saturday: 8:30 am-4:30 pm

• Drive-thru service is available during regular business hours
• Express drop-off service is available 24 hours a day

Wednesday Specials
Plain slacks and skirts $5.99
Plain business shirts (on hangers) $2.20

In addition to our great stores, Classic Cleaners offers a FREE home pickup and delivery area for all of your dry cleaning and laundry items! We believe we offer the Indianapolis metropolitan area’s best and most convenient dry cleaning and laundry locations and services. Please visit Classic Cleaners soon and enjoy true VIP-level customer service!

–Matt
The Classic Cleaners Blog Team

This is one of Classic Cleaners’ many excellent dry cleaning stores in Indianapolis. This is a superb location for residents of Northeast Indianapolis and the Geist area.

Classic Cleaners
11202 Fall Creek Rd.
Indianapolis, IN 46256

Phone
317-842-5244

Hours
Monday-Friday: 7:00 am-7:00 pm
Saturday: 8:30 am-4:30 pm

• Express drop-off service is available 24 hours a day

Saturday Specials
Plain slacks and skirts $5.99
Plain business shirts (on hangers) $2.20

In addition to our great stores, Classic Cleaners offers a FREE home pickup and delivery area for all of your dry cleaning and laundry items! We believe we offer the Indianapolis metropolitan area’s best and most convenient dry cleaning and laundry locations and services. Please visit Classic Cleaners soon and enjoy true VIP-level customer service!

–Matt
The Classic Cleaners Blog Team