Age & how to clean a Lady Edso rayon-acetate nightgown?

J

Jen S

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Sorry for the lousy pics! I have this nice Lady Edso gown which I think is 40s? And what are the pleated pieces of chiffon that are gathered over the bust and then make up the straps called?

It has a few light brownish spots that I'd love to get out, as it's in otherwise terrific condition. Any advice for cleaning rayon-acetate? Thank you!

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Rayon fabrics are a human created (synthetic) fabric. Clothes made from rayon weaken when they're wet and have a tendency to shrink. They can also bleed color easily and will wrinkle a great deal following washing. Taking care of them requires special considerations.Try a bit of peroxide on an inconspicuous area; inside of a seam. Use a Q-tip. If its tolerated ( doesn't lighten the fabric) dab a little (peroxide) on the stain itself. Use a Q-tip. It looks like a protein stain ( blood, food, etc) in the picture. Don't squeeze or twist the rayon. Blot with towel or let air dry.
 
Hi Jen,

Lovely nightgown! I work on the theory that all underclothes can be hand washed, as our grandmothers wouldn't be dry cleaning their scanties - so I recommend hand washing this in mild detergent and line drying after gently squeezing out excess water. If that doesn't lift the stain I would soak in an oxygen bleach product.

I don't recommend spot treatment on pieces this old as it can lift dye and you might end up with the stain removed, but a slightly lighter spot. They work well on more modern fabrics though.

I've recently written a blog post about vintage fabrics where I talk about rayon: it's actually a man-made fibre made from reconstituted natural fibres, like cotton and wood pulp. This is different from synthetic fibres like nylon (made from coal) and polyesters (made from petroleum products). Synthetic fibres, because they're oil based operate quite differently. Man-made and synthetic are often mixed up but especially when it comes to stain removal, they handle quite differently.

DeCoDiVa's right about vintage rayons being weak when wet but whether they shrink or not has to do with the weave (what the fibre is made into). Rayon crepe is the one to watch out for: this is best dry cleaned as it can shrink and rip when it gets wet, hence those lovely '40s dinner dresses made from crepe are prone to ripped underarms.

Good luck! I think this stain will come out, no problem.
 
Great, thank you both for your advice, I really appreciate it.

And what are those front chiffon pieces that come up over the bust and then are gathered into straps called? I have seen them on many older nightgowns - they are so graceful, and I am sure I've seen a specific name for them, but I cannot recall it. Thanks encore!
 
I can't be sure what's happening in the photo so can't advise on the name, sorry. It does look like the fabric has been accordian pleated though.

Also I can't date without a full length and label pics but these are generally late '40s to '50s. If you can show more pics it will help.
 
OK, here are some more bad pics (not set up right now for photos). The accordion pleated piece of chiffon passes vertically over each breast, on top of the lace bodice, and then is gathered into the shoulder straps. That's the part I'm at a loss for the term.

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