St Croix Cleaners Archives - Treasured Garment Restoration

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.

August 11, 2014 In Wedding Tips

Wedding Dress Shopping Tips

The search for your wedding dress can be overwhelming and sometimes frustrating.
Before you go shopping for your wedding dress, check out some of our guidelines to help you in your search.

1. Set your budget.
Going in without a budget can be a recipe for disaster. You may end up leaving the store spending way more than
you can afford on a dress. Go in with a price in mind and leave a little wiggle room to ensure you’re happy with your purchase.

2. Have an style in mind

This is when Pinterest can come in handy. Go online and cruise around looking at different styles that interest you.
Then when you go to your appointment you are educated on the look you’re going for.

3. Buy a dress that fits or is slightly bigger

Even if you plan on loosing weight, don’t buy a dress that is too small in hopes of dropping a few pounds.
If anything always go bigger. Then if you do loose weight it can always be altered to fit you but adding fabric is difficult.

4. Keep an open mind
More often then not, the style you want may not be the style you end up with. Even if you have a style in mind, stay open to other styles. Other looks may look better on you than you thought!

5. Bring backup

Most importantly, bring a crew of close friends who will share their honest opinions with you.
Support is vital when choosing the dress for your big day.

July 17, 2014 In General, Short and Sweet, Weddings

Quick Fixes for Wedding Day Disasters

With all the stress building up to your wedding day, having something go wrong the day of can drive a person insane. So here are a few quick ideas to fix unexpected problems that may arise!

Chalk– Have a stick of chalk with you in case of emergency stains such as salad dressing, wine, or food falling on to your dress. Just lightly cover the stain with the chalk. That way you wont have the wet mark from trying to remove it. Then later you can come back and try getting rid of it or bring it to us!

Rings– Worst case scenario, the man of honor forgets the rings. Instead, use a close family members rings or someone you admire for the ceremony. Then later you can exchange them for your rings later on.

Missing Bouquets– If the flowers you ordered came in and you wound up one short, take one of the table decorations and create a make shift bouquet. Another idea is to break up the bouquets that did show up and create smaller ones so everyone has the same one.

Your Dress Wont Fit– Bring extra safety pins and an emergency sewing kit. You can also bring extra accessories to cover up any unexpected splits and stains.

July 14, 2014 In General, Short and Sweet, Videos

Treasured Garment Restoration on Kare 11

In preparation for the All-Star Game coming up this week, Treasured Garment Restoration had the honor of repairing and cleaning the Twins banners that hang at Target Field.
Watch as Polly and Julie go over what we did to restore these priceless items.
You can also go and see them in person now at Target Field. Go Twins!

Follow this link to see the video

http://www.kare11.com/story/sports/mlb/twins/2014/07/11/stillwater-business-restores-twins-banners/12558273/

June 23, 2014 In General, Short and Sweet, Wedding Dresses, Wedding Gown Preservation, Weddings

How to Save Money On Your Wedding Day

The last thing you want is to start off your new marriage in debt from your wedding.The average cost of a wedding in the US in around $25,000. If this price seems way out of budget for you, we’ve researched and talked to brides about some great ways to save a few dollars for your big day!

1. Get a friend ordained
You can now go online and file with the state to have a friend ordained and have them officiate your wedding.
This can shave off a few hundred dollars from your wedding bill.
Plus it can serve as a great memory to have someone close to you pronounce your marriage.

2. DIY on the small things
If you have access to craft materials DIY projects can save major dollars. However, this can also take up a lot of time and effort. So if you do choose this route, recruit friends to help out so you don’t spend weeks focused on one project.

3. Hire a wedding planner
This may sound like a tip that will cost you more money, when in fact it can save lots you if you choose carefully. A wedding planner often knows all the secrets around your area that can save you thousands of dollars. They often know the right people and can get you deals while also showing you where you can skip certain costs you wont need.

4. Buy Pre-owned
The internet makes it easy to find quality pre-owned wedding dresses. This can save a huge portion of your wedding bill. Check out sites like www.preownedweddingdresses.com or even www.tradesy.com for beautiful dresses that are in great condition. Even after the wedding, try getting some money back by selling your dress to another bride.

5. Buy in season
One huge mistake many wedding planners make is buying flowers or foods that include off season items. When it comes to flowers, buy in bulk and something that’s in season. Bigger flowers can also save you money because they have larger stems so they cost less per bouquet.

June 18, 2014 In Clothing Tips, General, Short and Sweet, Weddings

Dressing The Groom

We covered dress styles for the bridesmaids and bride.
But what about the groom’s attire?
There are a variety of styles in tuxedos that you may have never even known about.

Luckily you have us to walk you through a couple of the styles we see here at St Croix Cleaners and Treasured Garment Restoration.

These three basic styles are once you often see going down the aisle.
However, it’s all about the details. There are many specific factors that go into picking the perfect tux for your event.

First up is the buttons

There is also a one-button suit which is better suited if
you’re going for a hipper more laid back event.
A good rule to live by when it comes to buttoning etiquette is to always leave the last button unbuttoned.

You also have to consider what type of lapels you’re interested in.
Here are a few of the styles you’ll see.

Lastly, the pockets. For this detail, you should make sure what you choose matches the number of buttons the tux has.

The most important part of choosing the right tux is choosing the right tailor to fit you.
Suits almost always need a few alterations. Bring it to our experts and we’ll be sure you look great on your big day!

June 16, 2014 In General, Short and Sweet, Vintage

Vintage Tablecloths

We recently had the opportunity to clean some very beautiful tablecloths that came with an even more interesting back story.

Believed to be brought over from Ireland in the 1900’s, these tablecloths belonged to
Eleanor Jane Hall Adams. A grandmother of a well known St. Paul local.

Eleanor married the boy next door and moved to St. Paul in 1947, bringing these intricate tablecloths with them.
Her husband eventually moved on to being the first Champlain of Macalester college.
They have survived in wonderful condition while being passed down through 4 generations and plan on continuing to do so for generations to come.

Shown above is the tablecloths after being cleaned and preserved by our treasured garment specialist

June 10, 2014 In Clothing Tips, General, Short and Sweet, Wedding Dresses, Weddings

5 Tips To Choosing Bridesmaids Dresses

1. Find a style that suits everyone

Talk to your friends and see what styles they DON’T want. It’s no surprise that dressing multiple bridesmaids is a challenge. Show them the styles you’re interested in and have them decide amongst themselves on the final choice. Another trend is having the same dress but fit differently to each bride. That way everyone has something that’s flattering.

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2. Find something they would wear again

Because of the cost of bridesmaid’s dresses, find something they could wear another time other than just your wedding. The average cost of a bridesmaids dress is between $100-$300. Make it worth it for them.

3. Make sure the style matches your wedding

Try to find a dress that makes sense and is in sync with the overall theme of the wedding. We’ve all heard the saying “We wouldn’t want to outshine the bride” but it’s possible for everyone to be happy here.

4. Take into consideration the weather

This may seem obvious, however it’s easy to overlook. The time of year should make sense with the style you choose. Even the time of day should be considered.

5. Have an alteration specialist in mind

To ensure that all the dresses fit right, keep an alteration specialist in mind for your bridesmaids to go to. St. Croix Cleaners has staffed excellent seamstresses to help each one of your bridesmaids create the perfect fit.

October 8, 2012 In General

A Glimpse of History: 1943 Navy WAVES Uniform Restoration

“A very proud American woman.” That’s how former Treasured Garment Restoration specialist Duane describes Mary K. Larson, a former Navy WAVES service member who allowed us the special privilege of cleaning and preserving her uniforms.

Larson joined the U.S. Naval Reserve (Women’s Reserve), or Navy WAVES for short, in 1943, with the intent of serving her country during the trying times of World War II.

Founded just a year earlier in 1942, the WAVES, which was short for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, was a division of the Navy consisting entirely of women. It marked the first time women had been accepted into the Navy, or any U.S. military branch for that matter.

Though the Army had its own version of the WAVES, called the WACC, these women were considered to be serving with the Army, not in it! For all intensive purposes, WAVES members were an official part of the Navy.

Members of the WAVES were not allowed to serve aboard combat ships or aircraft, but this doesn’t mean their contributions weren’t important. For example, while serving, Mary was a Cryptologic Technician Interpretive, or CTI. CTI’s specialize in communication and intelligence work, all vitally essential military functions, and even more so during wartime.

Treasured Garment Restoration was honored to work on Mary’s uniforms, which included a blue grey pinstriped seersucker uniform and several “dress blues”. The garments definitely needed some work, as you can see in the before and after photos below.

“The uniforms,” Schumann said, “give us a great glimpse into history, and 1943.”

From all of us at Treasured Garment Restoration we’d like to thank Mrs. Mary K. Larson for her service to our country, and for allowing us to preserve such prized possessions!

August 27, 2012 In General

It’s All About the Dress!

Betty Altheide 1953

It was a warm Saturday in Minneapolis, July 18^th, 1953. Betty Schuler arrived at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church in her beautiful white eyelet layered wedding gown and she was a bit nervous, yet excited as she was about to become the bride of John Altheide. Betty recalls that it was rather warm that day and that there was no air conditioning; “I don’t remember the temperature exactly, but I do know that no one fainted” (as was the case in many hot, summer weddings in those days).

After growing up in Edina, MN, Betty went on to college at William Woods University, an all-girls school in Fulton, MO. John grew up around St. Louis, Mo and attended Westminister College, also in Fulton, MO. How did they meet? “It was December 3, 1949, we met on a blind date going to a Fraternity party”, she blushed, as John stands by, in disbelief, that she even remembers the date!

After they finished school, John went into the Air Force. They got to see each other only about 3 or 4 times in the ensuing 2 years that he was enlisted. After 1 year, he proposed to her.

Betty proceeded with all the wedding planning on her own since John was not around. The ceremony was held at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church, the reception was held at the Edina Country Club. She purchased her dress at Dayton’s in downtown Minneapolis and remembers that the dress plus the hoop skirt she wore with it was under $100.00. She was careful with the dress at her wedding, no cake spilled, no punch spilled, no drinking at the reception—so it was looking great after the big day.

The newlywed couple then spent their honeymoon at Maddens Resort in northern Minnesota where they actually were able to spend some time together to really get to know each other. John, having been in the military for a couple of years, had been doing his own laundry, and Betty was alarmed to find that he didn’t spend much time sorting his colors—all of his underwear was pink! They then moved to St. Louis, Missouri after the wedding. It seems that everything worked out through the years — Betty and John just celebrated their 59^th Wedding Anniversary this summer—and they’re looking forward to number 60 in 2013!

In the spring of 2012 when Betty and John and their children were cleaning out their nooks and crannies, they came upon the dress, yellowed and stained, and it was sent to Treasured Garment Restoration for evaluation. If the gown was so well protected the day of the wedding, what happened, then, with the horrible spills we saw on it when it came to be restored? “Well”, Betty explained, “35 years ago –when the dress was 25 years old—there was a party amongst our friends and the requirement was to bring or wear something from your wedding. So, I wore my wedding gown!” Amazingly, Betty was still able to wear the gown after 25 years and 2 children and her only comment was “yes, I fit into it, but I didn’t sit down all night”.

Fortunately, this spill was only 35 years old. After careful testing, TGR was able to

If it had been spilled 59 years ago, it is possible determine that the latent stains – aka

that these stains may have created holes caramelized sugar stains would be

in the fabric. able to be removed!

We, at Treasured Garment Restoration, have seen a number of things show up on vintage wedding dresses that can re-ignite memories of the day… and we are truly passionate about restoring and preserving the each unique dress along with the memories it symbolizes for our customers!

One thing remains constant– it’s all about THE DRESS! Brides will spend countless hours looking at photos, magazines, (now Pinterest) and shopping for the one dress that makes them feel like a princess for the day. Each dress is unique and could tell a story of its own—if only a dress could talk!