The holidays are coming and we all know what that means – time to bring out the sparkly, beaded, and embroidered clothes! These pieces of clothing may have been sitting at the back of your closet for months now (you probably even last saw them during last year’s holidays, no?) so they’re bound to be due for some TLC.
There are certain things about clothing with bead embellishments that people may or may not know. First, embellishments surely make a certain piece of clothing look more upscale than it initially would be. It instantly makes a piece of apparel look fancy and more luxurious. Second, bead embellishments are usually hand sewn one by one by clothing beaders, so it would take a lot of time to finish up just one piece of embellished clothing. This also makes the certain piece of clothing unique and quite pricey – imagine all the labor it has gone through! And third, bejeweled items require some special and delicate attention when it comes to caring for them, either while wearing or washing.
There are a number of ways to care for pieces of clothing with bead embellishments – most of which are washing techniques that have been discovered long ago, to protect and preserve the finest embellished and bejeweled garments. Here are some tips and tricks in maintaining the tip-top shape of your favorite embellished wardrobe pieces:
1. The easiest and most fuss-free way to care for your embellished clothing would be to bring them to the dry cleaners. They would know exactly how to handle such delicate pieces of clothing!
2. If you want to do the washing on your own, don’t forget to check the clothes’ care label. As much as possible, never throw the piece of apparel into the washing machine. Hand washing is the way to go!
3. Identify the type of material used as different kinds of fabric call for different care practices.
4. Also identify how the bead embellishments are attached to the garment. Are they sewed on or glued on? Often times, how the embellishments are attached is quite obvious from the outside. But sometimes, you would have to check by turning the garment inside out to see the stitching, setting, or glue dots that may not be visible from the outside.
5. Always wash the garment inside out using warm water. If the embellishments are glued on, make sure not to use hot water that may cause the glue to melt. If it’s sewn, try as much as possible not to twist or wring the garment because the beads may break, or the thread may loosen up.
6. When ironing the garment, make sure that the heat doesn’t come into direct contact with the bead embellishments. Direct heat may cause the embellishments to soften or crack, and could melt the adhesive.
7. If you see loose ends, do not pull them, no matter how tempting it is. Pulling them will only cause more damage! Once you see loose thread, if you can, stitch it right away to avoid creating more loose ends.
8. Spot clean when necessary. In case of a minor spill, you may use a dry or damp cloth to clean the affected area. Make sure to only blot carefully and not rub, as the friction may be too rough for the garment.
Now that you know how to care for your embellished pieces of clothing, are you ready to whip them out for the holidays? Share your thoughts below!