How to clean a vintage wool coat?

[little edie]

Hello,
I have a vintage wool coat from the 40s with a rayon lining "maybe." I am wondering if I could hand wash it in cold water instead of going to the dry cleaner?
Can it be washed?
Thank you

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Hi Little Edie, there is a risk in laundering tailored items, especially vintage ones, as one or more of the fabrics (eg lining) may shrink slightly which will through the garment out of whack. Design and construction of these items is very exact, and it's easy to damage it.

This is particularly the case when you are dealing with vintage fabrics, and especially, vintage rayons that are prone to shrinkage.

You may like to read my blog post about dry cleaning - you can see it here.

I would only launder if it was a lost cause, eg, you wanted to soak out a stain, in which case you're happy to take the risk of damaging it further but I wouldn't advise.

 

[Vinclothes]

I completely agree with Nicole. The often several inner layers of coats are made of different fabrics and do wierd things in size, color and shape when washed. If you try to wash a coat you then have to try to iron/steam the mess back into shape. If the outer fabric is wool, it will dry clean beautifully and the inner layers will not be damaged. Dry cleaning is the way to go.
Marian