My mother and dad were married in Feb. of 1942.  My mother wore a
beautiful satin gown. The gown has long sleeves that button almost to
the elbow, somewhat puffy shoulders,and a v-neck cut somewhat low (I
think it is called a sweetheart neckline) and is in the empire style.
The back of the gown is 2-3 feet longer than the front to form a
train.  The gown buttons all the way up the back.
I've had this dress in my cedar chest for about 35 years. 
Regrettably, I have not taken very good care of it, as it is just sort
of rolled up in a ball.  I would love to have the gown framed in a
full length frame with a glass front.  My husband could make the frame
for me without any problems, and we could have the glass cut to fit
it.  My question, is how to I arrange the gown in the frame -
especially to show all of its good features?  How do I make it stay in
place without further ruining it?  Would spray adhesive work?  And,
what would look best as a background?  I guess my question is How do I
frame a wedding dress? Thanks.

Hi sweetkatie,

What a great idea!

I'm going to keep this brief since your question price is low, but if
you read all the links I give you carefully, you should, with a bit of
work, have no trouble displaying your mother's wedding gown.


The main issue is ACID.  Just like when preserving family photos, to
properly preserve fabric you must not let it come into contact with
anything that is not acid free – this means certain cardboards,
plastics, and woods are out. Acid degrades the fabric and causes it to
yellow.


The second big issue is OXYGEN. Oxygen causes fabrics to deteriorate.
Full preservation means removing the oxygen from a sealed box and
replacing with a neutral gas such as nitrogen, and then making sure
the box is airtight.

Another issue is the weight of the gown. For vertical display, you
can't just hang the gown by its shoulders or over time it will become
damaged.

And finally, there are the issues of light (which can degrade fabric)
and mold (which can grow between the fabric and its container in humid
environments).


Here are the basic steps you need to follow 

1 . Have the gown professionally cleaned. You need to make sure that
it is clean and has been pressed before you display it.  The
drycleaner you choose should offer a special wedding-gown service and
be knowledgeable about vintage gowns. Make sure they are qualified to
judge the condition of the gown BEFORE they clean it. You don't want
the whole thing to fall apart if it is in bad shape! (Which it very
well could be if it is cotton and has been stored in cedar all these
years.)

Ask them to insert acid-free cardboard or tissue into the bodice but
tell them you will want to store the gown vertically, and not in a
box.


2. Normally, to fully preserve gowns they box them like this  (read
the details here)  –

Bridal Gown & Memorabilia Preservation
http://www.prestigeseattle.com/wedding_gowns.html

You (or your husband) will have to create a box that allows for the
same type of care. Acid-free and fully sealed. As far as taking out
the oxygen goes, I'm not entirely sure how you would do that. It might
be that you could ask a gown preservation company to preserve it in
your pre-made display box.


3. Read these links regarding preservation and display of gowns and
vintage fabric. They explain what the fabric can and cannot touch, how
to hang heavy gowns, what professionals do to store and display
fabrics, and much more.


Storing Wedding Gowns and Textile Heirlooms
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5545.html


Preserving Your Valuable Textiles
http://www3.niu.edu/anthro_museum/preserving-textile.html


Cleaners supply – wedding gowns  (LOTS of good Q & A's here!)
http://www.cleanersupply.com/advice/category.cfm?articleCatID=16


Wedding & Baby Christening Gown - Cleaning and Preservation
http://www.maxexchange.com/berlincleaners/wedding_gowns.htm



As far as positioning the gown for best exposure, I think you are
going to have to experiment with that. Most of what I found online
shows gowns displayed on mannequins with a 360 degree view.

Perhaps something 1/4 turned like this would show off more than just
the front …

GOWNS
http://www.antique-fashion.com/1628a.jpg
http://www.antiquedress.com/images/1767/embroiderneilgownsm.jpg
http://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/photos/77.jpg

Some ideas might come from here –

FIRST LADIES' GOWNS
http://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/category.cfm


Remember, all of the rules that apply to "storage" also must apply to
displaying your gown. No acid. No direct sunlight. No hanging. No
oxygen. No dampness.


Follow those rules, add the gown to a beautiful handmade display case,
and you could be creating a lifelong keepsake.

Good luck with the project!

-K~

search terms –

preserving wedding gown display
://www.google.com/search?q=preserving+wedding+gowns+display&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&start=0&sa=N

Google Images search – Gowns
http://images.google.com/images?q=gown+&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&start=0&sa=N

Just a guess, but I think you should consider more of an (air-tight)
"case" than a frame. The case would be about 4-6" thick, and you could
then stuff parts of the dress. Any type of spray adhesive would
further degrade the fabric.

--Cynthia