How to Make Your Antique Clothes Last for Another Century(ish) | Home Clothing Conservation

Sometimes, we get lucky and find a "buried treasure" (at least that's how I like to think of cool antique clothing because I'll never actually be a pirate) hidden away in someone's trunk at an estate sale, or mislabeled at a flea market or antique mall. It's those moments that make you feel all-powerful and giddy, while you go to buy the garment manically giggling to yourself about how you are *quite literally* another Indiana Jones (or maybe that's just me...🤔)

But...what do you do when you get home with your new Victorian bodice? Do you hang your 1920s flapper dress in your closet? Do you keep that Edwardian dress in a plastic storage container? Shove the Regency spencer in a pillowcase? Fold up that vintage clothing haul and put it in your suitcase? How do you make sure that you can keep enjoying your new-to-you antique and vintage clothes for years to come?

While I'm not an expert in antique clothing conservation, I have learned some basic curatorial practices over the years, on how to store, handle and protect historic clothing as best as you can, given a variety of circumstances. Storing antique clothing at home will never surpass quality museum care, but there are things that you can easily do at home to help protect great-grandmother's wedding dress and keep it for years to come.

Curatorial practices change over time, with new developments and new standards being implemented in institutions and museums. So, I just really want to stress, down here in the description, where no one will probably ever read it (comment with Jazzy if you actually read this! 😂) that I am *not* an expert in conservation, and that my practices might not be what you were taught in University or what you do at your museum - and that's fine. I wanted to do a video that was accessible to the average person at home since most people don't know anything about how to store antique textiles. I figure something is better than nothing. Right? 😊

With clean hands (or nitrile gloves if you have any on hand), some archival boxes from The Container Store, and a whole lot of acid-free tissue paper, you can safely pack and store all of your 1880s bustle skirts, Edwardian shirtwaists, and Victorian bodices. Additionally, keeping your own historical costumes in archival boxes is a great way to make sure that they are protected between wearing, and to keep them protected for the future.

The archival boxes and tissue paper I use are from The Container Store and you can buy them here: https://www.containerstore.com/s/closet/under-the-bed-storage/archival-under-bed-garment-storage-box/12d?productId=10000203&theme=archival%20storage%20box&pos=0

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Видео How to Make Your Antique Clothes Last for Another Century(ish) | Home Clothing Conservation канала Abby Cox