Until the 20th century, a groom would simply wear his “Sunday best” on his wedding day.  But since at Classic Cleaners (we’re members of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists), we’re familiar with modern weddings, we know that today, the usual attire of choice for the groom is a tuxedo.

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

“Once upon a time, women who bought their wedding dresses secondhand to cut costs may have kept it a secret; today they have bragging rights,”  says Bethany Kandel in New York Times’ Field Notes. Kandel cautions the now “in” frugal brides to budget for alternations and dry cleaning bills.

At Classic Cleaners, our wedding gown care professionals know all about the specialized dry cleaning, alternation, and pressing techniques needed for both brand new and “lightly loved” bridal attire.

While a surprising number of brides are buying used wedding gear online, as SmartMoney reporter Joan Magee notes, at Classic Cleaners we’re noticing more and more brides choosing to restore beautiful heirloom wedding gowns, first worn by Mom or Grandma, for their own wedding.

The Australian film released just last year, Second Hand Wedding, was dubbed a “first-class success by reviewers. Apparently, from the time Barbra Streisand lamented her status as “Secondhand Rose“, frugality has made quite a comeback. 

Of course, at Classic Cleaners, our job is making sure all our brides- and all their wedding gowns – make their absolute best appearance (whatever time around)! 

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

Sometimes it seems Classic Cleaners specializes in stories.  With wedding gown cleaning and preservation a specialty of ours, we feel as if we’ve been part of the “wedding party” for many brides, both before and after their big event.

Quite often, as members of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists, Classic Cleaners professionals have helped preserve bridal gowns for daughters and even granddaughters to wear.  Rarely, though, have we come across a story with as many chapters as the one about the dress owned by “Magee” (Margaret) Land.

Magee at Mardi Gras, 1977

Chapter I:

It all started in February, 1977 at the New Orleans Mardi Gras debutante ball, when The Dress was worn for the first time by Magee, then a college junior, as one of the princesses at the Ball.  Mardi Gras princesses, according to tradition, were escorted by masked gentlemen; Magee’s escort was her uncle.  Her date: Casey Land from Danville, Indiana.

Magee and Casey Land's wedding 1979

Chapter II:

Two years later, on January 6, 1979, The Dress made its second appearance.  Remade with an overlay by Juliette

Coutures of New Orleans, this time Magee wore it as her wedding gown, beautiful bride of Michael Casey Land.

Chapter III:

Fast forward to New Year’s eve, 2010. The Lands now have two beautiful daughters, Tara and Meagan, and son Hunter. Meagan is being married in The Dress, altered by

Joyce Hittesdorf of Something Wonderful and restored to pristine white by Leon Neal of Classic Cleaners.

Magee's daughter's wedding New Year's Eve 2010

Chapters IV, V, and ?:

Future plans for The Dress include daughter Tara and Hunter’s girlfriend Anna.  From there, who knows?

The ongoing story of The Dress has been made possible through MuseumCare™ preservation, the advanced process used by Classic Cleaners, and the only one endorsed by the Association of Bridal Consultants.

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

Dry cleaning in Indianapolis is big business for Classic Cleaners, don’t get me wrong.
But, sometimes, after watching all the celebrities show off their beautiful designer clothes on TV, I can’t help wondering…who cleans those couture evening gowns after a big White House or Red Carpet event? (Tell me they don’t throw the gowns away after one wearing!)

To my relief, I read in Savvy Sugar that (apart from official dinners) every United States President and spouse are responsible for all of their everyday expenses such as food, drink, and dry-cleaning bills! Does someone keep track?  Apparently, the White House functions like a luxury hotel.  At the end of each month, the president receives a bill for food and incidental expenses.

When it comes to TV and movie stars, at least one, Ellen Pompeo of Gray’s Anatomy, was spotted dropping off a bag of clothes at a Hollywood Hills dry cleaners. And, if you should happen to visit a Hollywood dry cleaners yourself, don’t be surprised if food expert Rachael Ray is the one taking in your order.  The CBS show I Get That a Lot puts celebrities in “normal person jobs” to confuse customers, and Ray served at least one stint as a dry cleaners clerk. The show’s executive producer Ed Horwitz remarked that, since a large portion of the Rachael Ray show audience use their local drycleaners, it would be fun to put her into that environment.

 While Classic Cleaners has no plans to open a store in Hollywood, when it comes to the cleaning and restoring of delicate evening gowns, our professionals are up to the challenge.

• Hand cleaning: Each gown is treated individually, while protecting beads, embroidery, lacy, and sequins.
• Anti-sugar stain treatment: Often stains from sugar, salt, and acids dry clear, These stains cannot be initially be seen, and do not disappear with normal dry cleaning.  Over time, though, the stains can turn an ugly brownish-yellow.  At Classic Cleaners, your gown will be given a complete anti-acid conditioning.
  
  Gloved handling and Inspection: Each gown is lovingly protected from skin oils and from contact with other garments.

Not all our customers are headed for Hollywood Hills or the White House, but with Classic Cleaners, you can be ready just in case that engraved invitation is delivered tomorrow!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team