How to Care for Items Made from the Most Expensive Delicate Fabrics: Tips from an Opera Costume Designer

Much of what Leboeuf has learned from curating thousands of dresses, camisoles, and gowns in every style from Egyptian to Victorian can also be useful to the average housewife trying to extend the life of much more boring items, and we start with mindset.

For the Washington National Opera, costumes are an investment. Even the simplest jeans that are worn out are easy to replace, but the Duke of Mantua’s dresses from the opera “Rigoletto” are another matter entirely.

“We want everything to last as long as possible,” says Leboeuf. And perhaps this philosophy will suit any average woman (especially if she has a cashmere sweater and a natural silk blouse in her wardrobe).

What can you do to extend the life of your clothes? This is what Leboeuf advises.

On the one hand, the theatre budget is very different from the amounts you work with. On the other hand, it is also limited, and so dressers are constantly looking for fabrics that they can make the most of.

“We’re big fans of natural fibers. But you know, you can’t dress an entire choir of 100 people in 100 percent silk,” Leboeuf says. When it comes to synthetics, she recommends choosing nylon or rayon over polyester. “They tend to fit better and feel more like natural materials,” Leboeuf says.

Lycra and spandex help clothes fit well. “Of course, nothing beats a good tailor, but even a small amount of elastic fibers will help – 5% will be enough,” the costume designer explains.

We’re sure you’ve guessed it: theater costumes are washed much less often than regular T-shirts (and even kitchen towels, which we always forget about). And the main reason is that washing wears things out – even more than wearing them.

The same principle can be applied to pants and dresses—within reason, of course. “For example, I wash my jeans very rarely—once a season, in fact—and I only remove stains with a toothbrush,” says Marsha.

An experiment led by Rachel McQueen, an assistant professor of textiles at the University of Alberta, showed that jeans that had not been washed in 15 months contained as much bacteria as pants that had only been worn for two weeks.

To freshen up a garment between washes, Leboeuf recommends spritzing it with vodka using a spray bottle (don’t waste money on a premium garment, the cheapest will do): turn the garment inside out and spray the alcohol on the problem areas—for example, the groin and armpits.

Read also: How to Get Rid of Odors in Clothes Without Washing: 10 Clever Hacks That Will Help You at Home and on Vacation

There’s one rule in theater that’s always followed: Costumes should be washed after the last performance before being put away. “Otherwise, oil and other dirt can cause discoloration and attract pests,” says assistant costume designer Mark Hamberger. You can apply the same principle to outfits you wear very rarely—say, an evening gown that sits in your closet most of the year.

Leboeuf recalls many instances where items didn’t survive a dry cleaning. “For example, in the recent production of Turandot, there were costumes with special buttons that we 3D printed. They retained their color after dry cleaning, but not their shape,” Marsha says.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that dry cleaning can’t be used – just check the label where the manufacturer has left the instructions. When you collect your items, be sure to remove them from the metal hangers (they can rust and stain) and remove them from the plastic bag (store clothes, especially delicate fabrics, in covers that allow air circulation).

Don’t underestimate the delicate wash cycle: it can do more than we think. For example, we think it’s not suitable for decorated items, while Marsha and Mark’s experience indicates that this is not the case.

“After the operetta, which took place in a jazz bar, we had a lot of beaded dresses left over. We were afraid that dry cleaning them would ruin them, so we machine washed one on a delicate cycle in a mesh bag – and it came out fine. We used the same method for all the other outfits in the collection – including one decorated not only with beads, but also with feathers – and it almost came out fine: the feather paint left a stain, but it was noticed in time and managed to be removed before the outfit dried,” Leboeuf says.

Read also: When to ignore the “hand wash only” label: Expert advice

“I just put towels and sheets in there, everything else I hang on the dryer,” Marsha says.

Drying can damage fabric in a variety of ways: For example, the heat can set an unwashed stain or change the texture of the fibers. And of course, it can cause things to shrink even if you take every precaution.

“The only dry cycle I use is the no-heat cycle. This feature is a great way to get rid of dust buildup in your clothes and give them a little fluffiness,” says Marsha.

“The less you rummage through your clothes in your closet, the better: after each touch, traces of oils produced by the skin remain on the fabric, which can damage the fabric. So, if you have the opportunity, hang things up so that everything is visible and you can quickly find what you need,” advises Mark.

The first thing you do after buying a new item is cut off the ribbons sewn near the neckline? According to Leboeuf, this is a big mistake: “These loops serve an important function: they distribute the weight of the item more evenly on the hanger,” Marsha explains.

All space organizers think that the first thing to do to free up space in the closet is to replace all the hangers with thin wire hangers. According to Leboeuf, this rule only works for lightweight items: for heavier items, it’s better to use wide wooden hangers and fold knitted sweaters rather than hang them.

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