We certainly understand the appeal of having your wedding gown, the most memorable and possibly the most expensive garment you’ve ever worn, displayed where you can see it and show it off.  But the question is how safe is your wedding gown in this type of environment.

As a textile specialist we would caution against it unless you are protecting it from light. The direct light from the sun or even artificial light will cause fabric to change color or rot, even with specially treated glass. Hanging a wedding gown will cause the garment to stretch or distort.  Textiles folded and stored fair much better than something hanging on a hanger for long periods of time.

We see gowns on a regular basis that have been stored for twenty, thirty, fifty or more years that were exposed to household elements in an attic, basement, cedar chest, or even dresser drawer that literally could not withstand the cleaning with out them deteriorating.  But we have some clients that were lucky enough to have had a family members have the gowns professionally preserved.  In which case, these gowns are in great condition.

So, if you are thinking about this trend we strongly encourage you to have your gown cleaned and stored properly in a museum quality preservation chest and guaranteed by a professional gown specialist.  But…if you really want to display your gown, perhaps a life sized sketch from the designer framed and hung in a special place in your home would be a better option.