How to Care for Your Formal Dress After the Event
Homecoming season is coming to an end, which means the dresses have been worn, the pictures have been taken and the dance floor has officially seen your best moves. But now that the big night is over, there’s commonly one question left. What do you actually do with that gorgeous dress sitting in your closet?
After spending so much time finding the one, the last thing you want to do is toss your formal dress over a chair or shove it into the back of your closet. With a little extra care, your favorite dress can stay looking just as beautiful as it did on the night you wore it.
Whether you're planning to wear it again, pass it down or simply keep it as a special memory, here’s how to give your formal dress the after-party treatment it deserves.
Start With a Clean Dress
Before your dress officially goes into hibernation, give it a good look from top to bottom. Between dinner, dancing and everything else that comes with a night out, your dress may have picked up a little more than you realize. Check the hemline, underarms, neckline and any areas where makeup, food, drinks, makeup, self-tanner may have come into contact with the fabric.
And don't wait too long to deal with stains. The sooner they're taken care of, the better. Always check the care label before cleaning your dress. For a small makeup or dirt mark, a quick swipe with a Shout wipe or Tide To Go pen may do the trick, but always test stain removers on an inconspicuous area first. For larger or more stubborn stains like spray tan, food or drink spills, taking your dress to a professional dry cleaner is your safest bet. Dresses with intricate beading, sequins or other delicate details may need extra attention.
Once your dress is clean, make sure it is completely dry before putting it away.
Give Your Dress Some Room to Breathe
For most dresses, a padded or sturdy hanger is a great place to start. A breathable garment bag, like the one you brought your dress home in, can also help protect your dress from dust while keeping air circulating around the fabric.
Try to avoid leaving delicate dresses in a plastic dry-cleaning bag for long-term storage. And when it comes to where you store it, choose somewhere cool and dry and away from sunlight rather than a humid basement, hot attic or where it could get sun bleached.
Have a Dress With a Full Skirt? Protect the Shape.
Some dresses get their signature look from the way the skirt is constructed. If your dress has layers of chiffon, tulle or a structured hem, you'll want to make sure those details aren't getting crushed in storage. Take Style 47320, for example. Its tiers and structured hem give the skirt that beautiful, full shape that makes the dress stand out.
Ava Presley 47320 Ruffle Strap Tiered Skirt Chiffon Mini Dress
When storing a dress like this, give the skirt plenty of room instead of folding it into a tight space. You want those layers to maintain their shape so the dress is just as fun to wear the next time you pull it out. A little space can make a big difference when it comes to preserving the shape of your favorite dress.
Protect the Details
Beading, fringe, sequins, crystals and other embellishments can completely transform a formal look, but they also need a little extra TLC after the big night. Style 47334 is the perfect example. With intricate beading and delicate fringe throughout the design, this is a dress you'll want to give plenty of space when storing.
Ava Presley 47334 Beaded Fringe Embellished Fitted Mini Dress
Keep embellished dresses away from rough fabrics, zippers or anything that could catch on the details. Before putting yours away, take a quick look for any loose beads or threads so you can take care of small issues before they become bigger ones. After all, the sparkle deserves to stay the sparkle.
Keep Your Dress Looking Picture-Perfect
Smooth fabrics have a way of making every wrinkle noticeable, especially when the dress has a sleek silhouette or statement details.
Ava Presley 47319 Off Shoulder Ruched Bow Detail Mini Dress
Style 47319 is a perfect example. Its smooth finish and oversized bow create a polished look that you don't want to lose to a cramped closet.
Hang styles like this on a sturdy or padded hanger and give them enough room that the fabric isn't constantly pressed against other clothes. If you notice wrinkles when you take your dress out again, check the care instructions before reaching for an iron or steamer.
Final Thoughts Give Your Dress a Second Life
The big night may be over, but your dress doesn’t have to be. Homecoming only lasts one night, but your favorite dress can have a life far beyond the dance.
One of the best things about a great formal dress is finding new ways to wear it. Change up your shoes and accessories, style your hair differently or pair it with completely different pieces to create a new look.
Maybe it was your first Homecoming dress. Maybe you felt absolutely incredible in it. Maybe the pictures from that night are some of your favorite memories. Sometimes a dress becomes more than just something hanging in your closet. It becomes a little reminder of a moment you'll always remember. Take care of it now, store it properly and you might be surprised by how many more memories you can make in the same dress. Because whether you wear it again, pass it along or keep it tucked safely away, every great dress deserves a second chapter.
XOXO,
Ava Presley