Costume Care

Cleaning:  

                Laundering or dry cleaning a trimmed costume is NOT RECOMMENDED. To keep the costume fresh we suggest spraying with Febreze or vodka.  For stains, spot clean with Ivory Liquid, cold water, and a clean white towel for sponging and blotting.

Ironing/Steaming:  

                Costumes can be steamed, we do not suggest ironing.  Care should be taken with velvet when steaming, but spandex, mesh, chiffon, and sequin fabrics all steam well.

Storage:  

                It is best to store costumes folded loosely in box or bag.  Hanging the costumes can cause stretching and distortion of the spandex and mesh fabrics.  If you have questions about how to store your costumes, please ask us.

Sequin and beaded fabrics:  

                Please be aware that sequin fabric needs to be handled with care. It is made by sewing strands of sequins onto fabric in lines with single threads. If one of the threads break, the strands will come away from the fabric. If that happens, the sequins should be hand stitched right away so that large sections don't unravel. After stitching the sequins back down, the loose threads can be cut off to keep your garment looking nice.  Sequin fabric is great looking so a little care of your costume will go a long way and if the time is taken to care for the costume it will last a long time.

Stones and Trims:  

                Please be aware that stonework and trims are very delicate.  Here at Togatae Designs, we do mostly hand-beadwork, which means that each stone is sewn onto your costume.  This minimizes "shedding" that normally occurs with glued stones and prolongs the life of your costume.    In costumes with extensive or intricate beadwork, the gentler you are to your costume the longer it will last and the better it will look.  Treat it with the same care that you would give your evening gown.  

Zippers:

                In all Togatae Design costumes we use zippers from one of the world's largest manufacturers, YKK.  Zippers can be hard, get stuck, or come apart, especially if handled roughly or pulled too hard.  We suggest always having someone zip your costume for you so that the zipper does not get pulled unevenly or stretched on one side.