Did you see this cover story in the Washington Post featuring Julie Wilson and Encore Ballroom Couture? Julie has provided a niche service that helps her customers downsize their personal ballroom collections, knowing that the garments will live on to see another day. This is topic is near to my heart, as I work with organizations and individuals to determine the next chapters for their personal collections.

Have you ever taken the time to really study a photograph, to look beyond the obvious (“yup that’s grandma”) and explore the scene from a different angle? They say “a photo is worth a thousand words”, but have you ever tried do it? To piece together the story behind the pic?

Today we’re delving into this idea with the hope that you’ll be inspired to “look beyond the grandma” and uncover the past.

Despite my professional mission to make preservation EASY and FUN, this American Archives Month I’m asking different questions. I’m not here to tell you the HOW, but to remind you of the WHY. To look for the silver lining in these acidic monstrosities (too much?) and be grateful for what they are.

Personally, I love scrapbooks, even if they are deteriorating before my eyes. Because if the scrapbooks didn’t exist, their carefully curated contents would most likely be gone with the wind.

(Originally published at Hangerbee.com)

Here at Hangerbee, our focus is on hangable clothing storage. But with a background working with historic textiles, we fully understand that not every garment should be hung. That’s right! Hangerbee products are NOT the answer to everything. If you have a c1920s silk beaded “flapper” dress, like the one to the right (which is a piece I acquired in poor quality for reference purposes only), do NOT hang it! It’s much safer in a box.

But sometimes the answer is not as clear. Some contemporary garments should be boxed, while I’ve seen many c1840s dresses doing just fine on a padded hanger. To help you answer some questions about the garments in your life/museum/closet, here’s a quiz to get you started:

October is American Archives Month and I (Lindsey) have spent many years working in and around archival collections. So, to celebrate, this month I'll be posting a bit "from the archives".

And while I do have dreams to share my love of preservation with the world (and to make it easy and fun), today isn’t about that. Today isn’t about the “how” - it’s about the “why.”

(This post has been adapted from my original post at Hangerbee.com. Enjoy!)

Have a dress or gown in your life that might need a little TLC? If you plan to keep it hung in the closet for the long term, you might want to consider adding some easy straps. Many antique and vintage dresses need extra support simply due to their age, as organic material breaks down over time. In addition, garments of any age that have heavy skirts will always benefit from some DIY suspenders.

Have you preserved your wedding dress?
When I ask friends and family this question, I’m usually met with the same reaction: embarrassed guilt.
(looks away) “Oh yeah, I need to do that…
“You mean that white box thing?” (looks confused)
“I never even got mine cleaned – and wine spilled on it!”
“We’ve been married twenty years and it’s still just hanging in my closet.” (looks embarrassed)
Does any of this sound familiar?

Here’s a question we hear every so often: “Can I wear my wedding dress after it’s preserved?”
Unfortunately, most of the time the answer we’re told is a big ol’ “nope”.
<insert sad trombone sound.>
But guess what? Yes you can!
<cue peppy marching band music.>
Remember: what you do with your dress depends on you and what you want to do with it.

Do padded hangers prevent shoulder bumps?
Yes!
Padded hangers are a must-have for every closet. They support and protect heavy garments by evenly distributing the weight across the shoulders. But even lightweight garments benefit from padded hangers. Have you ever put on a dress shirt or sweater and noticed little bumps popping up from your shoulders?
Yikes!

I am excited to announce that I will be teaching three online textiles & clothing workshops for the Iowa Museum Association in early 2022. Here’s a little more about what to expect:

What is the difference between vintage and antique, anyway?
Have you ever walked through an antique store grumpily mumbling to yourself because you found your favorite childhood toy for sale on the shelf?
These Legos are definitely vintage. We still have - and play with - most of them.
“How is this allowed?” you exclaim to no one in particular, with teeth clenched and ego deflated.