The dress has spent a few days in a garment bag, been lifted into a car and out again, and now there is a hard crease across the front, exactly where the light falls. The first instinct is to reach for the iron. With dresses, steam is almost always the better idea, but only if you know which fabric you are dealing with and how close to hold the steamer.<\/p>\n
Start with the care label sewn inside, usually in a side seam. If there isn’t one, or it has faded, treat the dress as delicate. The label tells you what temperature the fabric can take and whether it can be steamed. For a made-to-measure or altered dress, it is worth asking at your final fitting how to care for it, as a lining, a corset or embroidery can change the answer.<\/p>\n
Then do a small test somewhere no one will see: the inside edge of the hem, a seam at the back or the inner face of the skirt. Steam for a few seconds, from a distance, and check the result once the fabric has dried. You are looking for three things: a water mark, a change in sheen and a texture that turns soft or tacky. If you see any of them, stop and leave the rest of the dress alone.<\/p>\n
The steamer matters too. Some spit droplets when switched on or tilted, and on lustrous fabrics a drop can sometimes leave a visible mark. Let the steamer heat up fully, keep it upright and aim the first bursts at a cloth, not at the dress.<\/p>\n
If the skirt has several layers, steam each one separately, not just the top layer. Creases in an under-layer can show through, especially against the light.<\/p>\n
Duchess taffeta, used for dresses with pleats and structured volume, holds its shape well but marks easily. Steam helps with large creases; the small ones left by folding are more stubborn. Take care with the built-in pleats: they are not travel creases and should not be smoothed away. Steam along their length, without pressing. Dresses such as Love A45<\/a>, described in the catalogue in duchess taffeta with a pleated skirt, show exactly this kind of volume: it asks for patience, not pressure.<\/p>\n Silk chiffon and tulle are light and crease very little, but they are sensitive to direct heat. Distance is the safest approach here. Often, hanging the dress in the bathroom while a hot shower runs, well away from the water, is enough for small creases. Never touch tulle with the soleplate of an iron.<\/p>\n Lace steams better turned inside out, or with a clean white towel underneath. Don’t stretch it, as the mesh can lose its shape. If the dress has cotton lace with micro-sequins, as Love 311<\/a> is described in the catalogue, keep the steam away from the sequins and concentrate on the areas without appliqu\u00e9s.<\/p>\n Heat and water can affect the glue, the thread or the colour coating of some embellishments. So in embroidered areas, don’t steam directly and don’t hold the steamer in one place. Wherever possible, work from the reverse or on the surrounding areas, and let the creases beneath the embroidery settle on their own once the dress is worn. You’ll find more on how details like these behave in our article on hand embroidery<\/a>.<\/p>\n The waist and bodice have seams, boning or support materials. Too much steam can make the under-layer ripple. Steam lightly, from a distance, and don’t keep the jet trained on the same spot.<\/p>\n The hem and train pose a different problem: they are closest to the floor and the most likely to be soiled. Steam won’t lift a mud stain; it can set it. If the hem is dirty, it is a job for cleaning, not steaming.<\/p>\n The lining often behaves differently from the outer fabric. It may be synthetic and react to heat more quickly. That is why you test it separately, rather than assuming it will cope in the same way.<\/p>\n There are times when the risk simply isn’t worth it. If you don’t know what the dress is made of, if the label is missing, if there are stains as well as creases, if the fabric has a high sheen or if the embroidery is dense and worked by hand, it is wiser to ask for an opinion. The dress cleaning and pressing service<\/a> exists precisely for cases like these: you talk through the dress, what concerns you and what can be done given its fabric.<\/p>\n It’s worth thinking about this in good time, not on the last evening. Any work, whether at home or in the atelier, goes better without a rush. Timings depend on the dress and on how busy the atelier is, so it is best to ask the Alice Design atelier directly.<\/p>\n Steaming matters less if the dress is stored properly. Hang it on a wide hanger, using the straps or inner loops if it has them, in a breathable garment bag rather than sealed plastic. A long skirt can be gathered up with a wide ribbon so it doesn’t trail. In transit, don’t squash it: it is better laid out across the back seat than folded in the boot. Fabrics that look different by daylight and in the evening are covered in our article on lace, tulle, chiffon or taffeta<\/a>, if you would like to understand how each one behaves.<\/p>\n In short, check before you begin: the label, a test in a hidden spot, the distance between steamer and fabric, and complete drying. If you have any doubts, they can be cleared up at an appointment at the atelier<\/a>, with the dress in front of you rather than from descriptions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Steam can lift travel creases, but every fabric reacts differently. Here is what to check, what to test first and when it is better not to do it yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"alice_seo_title":"Steaming a Dress Before the Event: A Guide | Alice Design","alice_seo_desc":"How to steam a wedding or evening dress at home: taffeta, chiffon, tulle, lace and embroidery, what to test first and when to leave it to an atelier.","alice_en_title":"Steaming Your Dress Before the Event: How to Do It Safely, Fabric by Fabric","alice_en_slug":"how-to-steam-a-dress-before-the-event","alice_en_short":"","alice_en_excerpt":"Steam can lift travel creases, but every fabric reacts differently. Here is what to check, what to test first and when it is better not to do it yourself.","alice_en_content":" The dress has spent a few days in a garment bag, been lifted into a car and out again, and now there is a hard crease across the front, exactly where the light falls. The first instinct is to reach for the iron. With dresses, steam is almost always the better idea, but only if you know which fabric you are dealing with and how close to hold the steamer.<\/p> Start with the care label sewn inside, usually in a side seam. If there isn't one, or it has faded, treat the dress as delicate. The label tells you what temperature the fabric can take and whether it can be steamed. For a made-to-measure or altered dress, it is worth asking at your final fitting how to care for it, as a lining, a corset or embroidery can change the answer.<\/p> Then do a small test somewhere no one will see: the inside edge of the hem, a seam at the back or the inner face of the skirt. Steam for a few seconds, from a distance, and check the result once the fabric has dried. You are looking for three things: a water mark, a change in sheen and a texture that turns soft or tacky. If you see any of them, stop and leave the rest of the dress alone.<\/p> The steamer matters too. Some spit droplets when switched on or tilted, and on lustrous fabrics a drop can sometimes leave a visible mark. Let the steamer heat up fully, keep it upright and aim the first bursts at a cloth, not at the dress.<\/p> If the skirt has several layers, steam each one separately, not just the top layer. Creases in an under-layer can show through, especially against the light.<\/p> Duchess taffeta, used for dresses with pleats and structured volume, holds its shape well but marks easily. Steam helps with large creases; the small ones left by folding are more stubborn. Take care with the built-in pleats: they are not travel creases and should not be smoothed away. Steam along their length, without pressing. Dresses such as Love A45<\/a>, described in the catalogue in duchess taffeta with a pleated skirt, show exactly this kind of volume: it asks for patience, not pressure.<\/p> Silk chiffon and tulle are light and crease very little, but they are sensitive to direct heat. Distance is the safest approach here. Often, hanging the dress in the bathroom while a hot shower runs, well away from the water, is enough for small creases. Never touch tulle with the soleplate of an iron.<\/p> Lace steams better turned inside out, or with a clean white towel underneath. Don't stretch it, as the mesh can lose its shape. If the dress has cotton lace with micro-sequins, as Love 311<\/a> is described in the catalogue, keep the steam away from the sequins and concentrate on the areas without appliqu\u00e9s.<\/p> Heat and water can affect the glue, the thread or the colour coating of some embellishments. So in embroidered areas, don't steam directly and don't hold the steamer in one place. Wherever possible, work from the reverse or on the surrounding areas, and let the creases beneath the embroidery settle on their own once the dress is worn. You'll find more on how details like these behave in our article on hand embroidery<\/a>.<\/p> The waist and bodice have seams, boning or support materials. Too much steam can make the under-layer ripple. Steam lightly, from a distance, and don't keep the jet trained on the same spot.<\/p> The hem and train pose a different problem: they are closest to the floor and the most likely to be soiled. Steam won't lift a mud stain; it can set it. If the hem is dirty, it is a job for cleaning, not steaming.<\/p> The lining often behaves differently from the outer fabric. It may be synthetic and react to heat more quickly. That is why you test it separately, rather than assuming it will cope in the same way.<\/p> There are times when the risk simply isn't worth it. If you don't know what the dress is made of, if the label is missing, if there are stains as well as creases, if the fabric has a high sheen or if the embroidery is dense and worked by hand, it is wiser to ask for an opinion. The dress cleaning and pressing service<\/a> exists precisely for cases like these: you talk through the dress, what concerns you and what can be done given its fabric.<\/p> It's worth thinking about this in good time, not on the last evening. Any work, whether at home or in the atelier, goes better without a rush. Timings depend on the dress and on how busy the atelier is, so it is best to ask the Alice Design atelier directly.<\/p> Steaming matters less if the dress is stored properly. Hang it on a wide hanger, using the straps or inner loops if it has them, in a breathable garment bag rather than sealed plastic. A long skirt can be gathered up with a wide ribbon so it doesn't trail. In transit, don't squash it: it is better laid out across the back seat than folded in the boot. Fabrics that look different by daylight and in the evening are covered in our article on lace, tulle, chiffon or taffeta<\/a>, if you would like to understand how each one behaves.<\/p>Chiffon and tulle<\/h3>\n
Lace<\/h3>\n
Embroidery, beads, sequins and pearls<\/h3>\n
Where it most often goes wrong<\/h2>\n
When it’s better not to do it yourself<\/h2>\n
Keeping it ready until the day<\/h2>\n
Before you steam: what to read and what to test<\/h2>
How to do it, step by step<\/h2>
Fabric by fabric<\/h2>
Taffeta and other fabrics with body<\/h3>
Chiffon and tulle<\/h3>
Lace<\/h3>
Embroidery, beads, sequins and pearls<\/h3>
Where it most often goes wrong<\/h2>
When it's better not to do it yourself<\/h2>
Keeping it ready until the day<\/h2>