Christina Underkoffler, Author at Treasured Garment Restoration

November 11, 2020 In Vintage Restoration

TGR Original: Honoring All Who Served!

We have been so honored over the years to clean, restore and preserve some amazing vintage military uniforms. Here are just a few:

Mary Larson – 1940’s Navy Uniform:

Above you can see the before and after photos of her military uniform. She also provided us with a photo of her during her service. She was featured on Fox9 last spring for her service to our country. You can watch the segment here.

Vintage Hat

You can see the before and after of this hat. It was hand cleaned and it was required to use several different cleaning processes as there were different textures and fabrics making up this hat.

WWII Bomber Jacket

Above, the jacket was half-cleaned using our expert cleaning techniques. Next to it is the finished jacket, on display in it’s preservation box.

Korean War Uniform – Cleaned & Preserved:

WWII Veteran Uniform in Preservation Box:

Thank you to all those who serve!

October 6, 2019 In Wedding Dress ReDesign

Steps to Re-designing a Vintage Gown

This is such a popular topic these days, that we’re re-blogging this post from earlier this year. Heres our “8 Steps to Re-designing a Vintage Gown.”

So you’ve received the heirloom wedding dress from your mother and have thought about wearing it. But wait.. it doesn’t fit! Or perhaps the style is just a bit out-of-date for your liking? Don’t completely turn down the dress yet – you might still be able to wear it, and make it your own!

Many brides these days are turning to vintage wedding dresses from their mother or grandmother. It’s become a big trend over the last few years, and only continues to increase! Think about it – wearing a special gown that embodies the strength, wisdom and compassion of the women in your family down the aisle on one of the biggest days of your life. But where do you even start if this is something you just *might* be thinking about?

We’ve put together 8 Simple Steps to Redesigning Your Mother’s Vintage Dress to give you a better idea of what the process looks like! The entire process can vary in the time it will take to fully complete your dress, and really depends on the amount of changes you are wanting to make, but it’s a good idea to start around 9-12 months out.

1. Is There a Possibility?

The first step is to bring the vintage gown to us so that we can determine whether there is even a possibility for you to redesign and wear it! We’ll examine the fabric, beading, lace, examine any stains, and how it has been handled and preserved through the years (ie, was it placed in a box, or in a pile on the floor of a closet?). Depending on the gown’s age, we may need to work with our vintage restoration department to clean and restore it before working with it. Sometimes the entire gown can be worn, other times, only parts of the gown or certain fabrics are able to be used for your gown.

2. Let Our Designer Get to Know YOU!

Darcy, our Wedding Gown Designer, would love to learn more about you, your likes, dislikes, things you are drawn to so that she can get a better idea of what you might like. This step usually includes sending Darcy pictures of other dresses you like – whether it’s parts of a dress (ie. the neckline, or a certain type of beading). It can also help to share a Pinterest board with Darcy and some of your overall ideas for the wedding, pictures of architecture or places, or any beautiful images that you really feel drawn to! Darcy is then able to draw a few sketches and come up with some ideas for transforming the gown into something you would love.

3. Meeting #1 – Talk Design and Take Measurements

Next, you’ll set up a second meeting with Darcy to see what she has come up with. She’ll usually have a few ideas and options for how she thinks you would love the gown to look. You can then edit the designs from there and talk more about your preferences. During this meeting, Darcy will take your measurements as well.

4. Show Actual Changes on the Vintage Dress

Once the final design is agreed upon, Darcy will use your measurements to mark up the vintage dress to show where changes will be made. This could include safety pins, bits of fabric, or ribbon to show the changes. At this time, the dress will be altered a little to fit your earlier measurements – this could mean the dress might get cut in certain areas, but not always.

5. Meeting #2 – First Fitting

You’ll set up another meeting with Darcy to come in and see the dress as it is marked up. You will try on the dress to make sure the measurements are accurate and that everything is lined up in the correct locations. This is the moment when you can begin to really visualize and see the dress becoming YOUR dress!

6. Sewing

This is where Darcy begins to sew your gown – to place lace or fabric in different places and to fit the dress perfect for you. Throughout this period, she may be in contact with you for minor tweaks or other measurements. This is your dress, and you want it to be fabulous!

7. Final Fitting

At your final meeting with Darcy, you get to see the final result! You are able to try on your dress, make sure it fits, and to show it off to all your best girlfriends! If there are any minor tweaks to be made, we make sure to leave a little time to complete them.

8. It’s Wedding Time!

Once your gown is complete, we press it to perfection, and give it to you for your big day! You are going to look beautiful!

June 6, 2018 In Wedding Trends

Royal Wedding Dresses Inspire The Masses

Styles of wedding dresses come and go with the times. From the puffy shoulders of the ‘80s to the newer bohemian style 2-piece dresses, there’s always a new trend around the corner. With the royal wedding only a few weeks ago, the new Duchess of Sussex is already paving the way for the next wedding gown fashion trend.

Meghan Markle’s dress, designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy Couture, highlights elegance and minimalism with a bateau neckline as the focal point of the silk cady dress. Glamour Magazine even has an article showcasing “12 Meghan Markle-Inspired Wedding Dresses You Can Buy Right Now” that was posted just hours after the wedding ceremony. That’s how fast a trend can begin!

While Markle’s dress trend is just starting to boom, Kate Middleton’s long sleeve, lace dress sparked a princess-worthy fever 7 years ago. The Knot even listed some celebrities, like Nicky Hilton, who wore a dress admittedly inspired by the Duchess of Cambridge.

Middleton’s Alexander McQueen dress style doesn’t solely belong to celebrities. H&M made headlines for offering a replica of her dress for $299. Now you don’t have to spend the $434,000 on a royal gown to look like a princess.

If you want to incorporate a royal element into your wedding without caving on your personal style (or budget) you can wear a tiara. Both Middleton and Markle rocked the royal tradition and you can too. Whether you want to jump on the royal bandwagon or hold true to your style (despite the developing trends) find what makes you feel beautiful on your wedding day.

Regardless of what style you choose for your big day, don’t forget to have your dress cleaned and preserved after your wedding. Not only will your dress come back looking clean and fresh, but we also use an anti-sugar stain treatment that removes stains you might not even see that can show up years later on your dress. Being members of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists, we guarantee your gown won’t yellow and those “unseen” stains won’t show up for a lifetime. Give your dress the royal treatment by cleaning and preserving your gown at Treasured Garment Restoration.

January 13, 2018 In Associations & Awards

Treasured Garment Restoration Receives Diamond Award

Congratulations to our Treasured Garment Restoration team for winning the
Mpls St Paul Magazines Diamond Award for Outstanding Bridal Preservation
This is a huge honor for us and we would like to thank everyone that voted for us!

“The expertise with which this eco-friendly company cleans your gown was not lost on our panel of judges. Their museum-quality preservation process and impressive customer services were an added bonus. Said one judge: “Brides can rest easy knowing that their precious gown is in good hands.”

August 15, 2017 In Wedding Trends

A few of the Most Expensive Wedding Gowns

The average wedding gown in 2017 cost $1,211, but that doesn’t even come close to some of the most expensive wedding gowns of all time. These designers are always trying to be at the height of fashion and the top of the price range!

Starting back in the 1950s, we have the Imperial Pearl Syndicate gown. Simple in design, this gown was made with over 100,000 cultured pearls on a bed of white satin and a silk ballerina skirt. This gown weighs an astonishing amount at 27 pounds and most models could only stand to wear it for a half an hour at a time! This dress was considered the most expensive gown during its time period, total cost was $100,000!

A more commonly know wedding gown is the custom Alexander McQueen creation that Kate Middleton wore on her wedding day to Prince William designed by Sarah Burton. Kate’s gown featured a Satin Bodice with a slightly padded hip. The attention to detail is truly incredible. The lace was hand placed and sewn onto the bodice, and cascading in the back is a tasteful 9ft train. It was pieced together like petals on a flower and made with ivory silk and hand embroidered flowers. This dress comes in at $388,000!

From a very traditional gown to one that doesn’t quite represent the ideal wedding, we have the Vera Wang Peacock Gown. Vera Wang used the talents of 8 other designers and 2009 male peacock feathers to great the garment. It contains 2009 feathers to commemorate the year when it was created. Each feather had to be individually placed and sew on the base of the dress. Although this gown has yet to be worn at an actual wedding the total cost is $1.5 million dollars!

Our final gown known as The Diamond Wedding Gown was a collaboration between designer Kenee Strauss and jeweler Martin Katz. It is considered the most expensive wedding dress in the world. It was made in 2006 for no particular bride, featuring the finest silks and has over 150 karats of diamonds hand sewn to it. This gown was used just as a display piece for the Ritz-Carlton. If you would like to wear this gown for your wedding, it will set you back $12 million!

Whether your dress was found at a thrift store to a $12 million dollar couture gown, Treasured Garment Restoration has everything you need. Please check out our wedding alteration services or our cleaning and preservation services for all your bridal needs!

July 10, 2017 In Wedding Dresses, Wedding Gown Preservation, Weddings

Wedding Traditions Around the World

Whether or not you’re into the traditions of weddings, they exist in every country and culture you can think of. Here in the United States we have tossing the bouquet and not seeing the bride before the wedding, but what do a few other countries do to celebrate a day of love and fun?

China

In China, the date is not so easily set. Most couples will consult a fortune teller to find a date for their wedding using their birthdays and traditional Chinese lucky numbers. On the morning of the wedding, the groom and groomsmen would make their way to the bride’s home where he and his friends would have to negotiate and haggle with the bridesmaids to enter the house. This usually included using his wits and money to bribe himself in. Once the offer was good enough the groom would join the bride’s parents for tea as a parting ritual. Weddings in China are a way for a family to show their wealth, therefore meals are typically 10-12 courses with very expensive meal options. Along with expensive food, the bride and groom would change from traditional Chinese wedding garb to a western style dress, and depending on the family’s wealth they may have several wardrobe changes after that.

Scotland

Weddings in Scotland are rich, colorful, and involve a lot more than just wearing a kilt. Unlike our US bachelor parties, the groomsmen will capture the groom, cover him in feathers, soot, and flour then parades him through the village as they yell and make a scene. This ritual is not as commonly practiced anymore but is still seen in a few rural areas of Scotland. For the bride’s apparel, they wear a traditional white dress but keep a sixpence hidden in their shoe and a sprig of white heather in their bouquets to bring good luck to their marriage. The groom traditionally pays for the wedding dress as the bride buys the “wedding sark” or shirt worn by the groom. Before the ceremony it is tradition to do the wedding walk, this is where the groom accompanies the maid of honor with the bride and best man following. After the ceremony, the newlyweds leave as a couple and the best man and maid of honor leave together. For the wedding walk to yield good luck they must cross water twice. At the reception, the traditional grand march is often the first dance to take place. It begins with the couple marching to bagpipes followed by the bridal party, parents, and lastly the guests! Finally, the guests accompany the bride and groom to their house, a piece of cake is broken over the bride’s head, and the groom carries her over the threshold to protect her from bad spirits. The minister then blesses the house, and the newlyweds, after this the ceremony is finished.

Egypt

Egyptian weddings have taken a lot of cues from Western traditions, but still, have some very interesting activities. The night before the wedding the bride and all her friends and family will get together for a Henna party. Henna is believed to be good luck, and in ancient times it was customary to dip your whole hands and feet in henna, now that is outdated and most time an artist is hired to work on the women. In most weddings, there is a colorful procession to take the bride to the groom’s house. Beautifully decorated cars take both families to the venue accompanied by a noisy parade. The marriage is typically performed by a Maazon, and once the marriage certificate is signed the bride and groom will put their hands together and press their thumbs against one another’s to be covered with a white handkerchief and bound. A reading from the Quran is read and the marriage is confirmed. The handkerchief is then removed by the Maazon or a single man to be blessed for his own wedding. Legally the couple is married but can not stay together until after the reception. Unlike the US, Egyptian receptions can happen the next day, next week, or even a year after the ceremony has taken place! Most Egyptian receptions start around 10 pm and go on till the next morning. At the end of the night, the couple retires to their bridal suite while the guests throw wheat into the air, which is a sign of fertility!

With all these difference between countries, a few things stay the same: a couple commits their lives together, everybody has a great time, and some serious dry cleaning is needed after! Let us take care of all your wedding needs no matter what traditions you put your clothes through!

April 12, 2017 In Featured, Vintage Restoration

TGR Original: 70 Year Old Pin Up Dress Restored

Rolf Armstrong & Jewel Flowers circa 1940

Jewel Flowers was an iconic American pin–up model from North Carolina. She was a favorite of well-known WWII pin-up artist, Rolf Armstrong, and collaborated on many portraits with him during her 20-year modeling career. The two met when Armstrong posted an ad in the New York Times and Flowers responded to the ad. This resulted in featuring her in over 50 pin-ups. Flowers often wore custom made, elaborate gowns or costumes in her portraits.

When Lynn Ficher brought in a vintage dress worn by Jewel Flowers – it had been over 70 years since the dress was modeled by Flowers in an Armstrong’s portrait (shown below). Ficher brought the gown to Treasured Garment Restoration, a division of St Croix Cleaners early November. Considering the age of the vintage gown, the skirt was in fairly good condition. However, the purple velvet bodice of the dress was deteriorating and not in a condition where it could survive any cleaning or restoration method.

Kat Clobes, our Treasured Garment team member worked with Ficher and the decision was made to rebuild the purple bodice of the dress and restore the dress close to its original beauty.

“The overall integrity of the green skirt was in good shape so we cleaned that to the best of our ability. As for the bodice, we rebuilt it from scratch using a similar but less chemically treated purple velvet that will last much longer than the original”

“Girl on a Beam”

The purple and green vintage dress inspired at least two well-known portraits featuring Jewel. You can see in the before picture of the boned velvet bodice how the fabric was deteriorating. The dress needed extra support to prevent the fabric from separating from the skirt. Precise measurements were taken of the bust and it was completely remade and reattached.

This vintage dress that was such a piece of World War II pin-up art history was cleaned and preserved with care and will now be able to be displayed for years to come.

If you have an old or vintage treasured garment tucked away and would like to learn more about restoration and preservation options, we’d love to talk with you! You can reach our team of specially trained Treasured Garment experts to set up a free garment inspection at (651) 705-8623

December 19, 2016 In Vintage Restoration, Wedding Dresses, Wedding Gown Preservation

TGR Original: 116 Year Old Heirloom Restored

Customer Heather MacLeod remembers seeing this dress for the first time when she was just a little girl. Pulling it from its box, she was immediately attached to its history and sentimental value to her family. It’s typical for garments over 100 years old to be in less than ideal storage conditions, which can sometimes make cleaning/restoring much more difficult. This heirloom, dating back to 1899 was clearly in more favorable storage conditions making it easier to restore. The before and after pictures speak for themselves:

What is the background story of the woman in the dress? Mary Ella McIntosh grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. On December 27, 1899 at age 27, she married British-born James Paris Scott (age 33). They settled in James’ home in Massachusetts, and later had one child – a daughter, Elaine, born in August 1914.

When was the first time you saw the dress? I remember my grandmother – Mary Ella’s daughter, Elaine – showing me the dress when I was a young child; I was probably about six years old the first time I saw it. After that, she was willing to show it to me any time I asked (at least a few times a year). When she passed away in 1992, the dress was passed to me.

Why did you decide to get your great grandmothers wedding attire cleaned? The dress had been in the attic for many years, and fortunately remained in very good condition. But I realized that a dress that was 116 years old needed proper cleaning and packaging in order to prevent degradation.

Why did you bring your great grandmothers wedding attire to a member of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists? It was important to find someone who could be trusted to clean an antique dress without doing any damage. Treasured Garment Restoration did a fantastic job of cleaning the dress, and packing it appropriately so that it will last for many years to come.

Duane, the former Treasured Garment Specialist who worked on this dress, says “With older dresses that have oxidized so much over time, it’s sometimes a mystery what color the dress truly was, but with this dress we were able to really brighten it up and restore it. [You can see that this dress was constructed using 2 very different fabrics—1) cotton linen, which restored all the way back to its original color, and 2) silk (the trim) which will brighten a bit, but usually will not restore completely back to its original color.) ] Since this dress is over 100 years old we had to be careful to make sure we didn’t distort any of the fibers in the process. We carefully test all fabrics to make sure we’re using the right process with them. This is especially important to ensure the longevity of the dress for years to come.”

It’s truly an honor for our team at Treasured Garment Restoration to restore garments such as this dress.
We find joy in taking items that mean so much to our customers and restoring them to their original beauty. Our goal is to preserve garments so they last for years to come and can be passed down for generations.

If you have a wedding dress or other vintage garment you’d like us to take a look at– contact us!

July 11, 2016 In Wedding Dress ReDesign

TGR Original: 80’s Gown Redesigned for Modern Bride

During its time, this gown was right on trend. But now it’s a little hard to relate to the gigantic bows and puffed sleeves! Treasured Garment Restoration has been lucky enough to redesign old gowns to meet modern brides’ tastes and still serve as a great tribute to a mother or grandmother.

This dress (pictured) is a great example of 80’s bridal fashion. It features everything from the large puffed sleeves to bows and ruffles. By just looking at this dress, it’s hard to envision an idea of how it could be redesigned. Our highly trained alteration specialists can walk you through a redesign and help you create exactly what want for your big day. Don’t believe us? Check this out:

It’s hard to believe this is even the same dress. Our creative specialists removed the sleeves, bows, and ruffles. They updated the neckline and added new elements to the skirt while keeping the integrity of the original dress. Brand new lace was added along with new pearl trim. All motifs from the original dress were kept, just readjusted to suit the new design. Look closely at the waistline and you can see that it was changed from the “sweetheart” to a more modern waistline. If you have questions or are interested in doing something like this to your dress give us a call!

We love a new project. To find a location nearest you visit our location page or call one of our 2 bridal alterations’ specialists: 1)Woodbury location off Valley Creek Road (651) 315-8870, or 2) in Minneapolis-Loring Park (free parking on site) at (651) 927-8198.

September 3, 2015 In Wedding Gown Preservation

TGR Original: Kathryn’s Wedding Gown Preservation

Kathryn didn’t want her wedding dress ruined over something as silly as not getting it cleaned and preserved. In hopes of her daughter someday wearing it, she brought it to the experts at Treasured Garment Restoration. Read more about Kathryn’s wedding dress journey below!

When was your wedding and where did it take place?
My wedding took place in Woodstock, IL, the ceremony was at St. Mary’s Church and the Reception was at Bull Valley Country Club on June 20th, 2015

When did you know that your wedding dress was “the one”
I went in knowing exactly what I wanted, something that would be timeless, and still, be popular in 20 years. The main style I wanted was A-line and because I had a religious ceremony it had to have some form of straps. I only had to try on 6 dresses before finding the one, it honestly made me look 6 sizes smaller then I was, it was definitely that timeless look I was going for (plus I knew it would totally make my fiance at the time cry when he saw me! Ha!)

What is your absolute favorite memory from your wedding day?
Honestly, the fact that all my friends and family from all over the country were in the same place at the same time. You just never think that’s possible till it actually happens, and the fact that I’ve never seen Nick (my husband) so happy in his life, I always knew he’d be the guy I’d marry so it was awesome to finally get it done!

Why did you decide to get your wedding dress cleaned?
I literally love my wedding dress, and I would hate for any hidden stains to ruin it in several years. Plus if I have a daughter I would want her to wear it or use some part of it in her wedding dress. It’s one of the few parts of your wedding you can hold on to for a lifetime, and I wouldn’t want to ruin it just over not cleaning it.

Why did you bring your wedding attire to a member of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists?
It was recommended by my bridal salon in Madison that I need to get it professional cleaned after the wedding, Treasured Garments had the best reviews in the area so I knew it would be in safe hands there. I was definitely not willing to take a chance of my dress getting ruined, and I didn’t see that happening with the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists.

Photography Credit: http://wemakebridescry.com/

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