Satin Duchesse
Our satin dresses are now classic Talbot Runhof pieces. We’d like to share with you some tips and advice on handling this wonderful, but delicate glamorous fabric.
‘Duchesse’ is the French word for ‘duchess.’ Also known as ‘royal satin,’ this rich and lustrous fabric has a lot of body as a result of the way it is woven, and it will elevate every look. The high spandex content ensures that it traces the contours of the body perfectly and can be arranged into sophisticated drapes that look especially stunning if you’re wearing a shaper. In this case, the draping will flatter your figure and you’ll have absolutely no lines showing through the dress. A fabric with this aristocratic appeal deserves to be treated like a duchess. That’s why we’ve put together some tips and advice for you about how to handle duchesse satin.
Trying On
Handle with care! You don’t have to wear velvet gloves when you try on the dress, but do make sure your hands are perfectly clean. Even just a little hand cream residue can cause unsightly stains. Don’t push and pull the fabric around too roughly during the trying-on process, either, because that can cause damage in the form of pale or rough patches that are often impossible to correct. Sometimes pale patches can be gently 'rubbed off’ with a microfiber cloth.
Shine bright: Let the satin shine. Avoid wearing sharp-edged jewelry or accessories with sequins that may come into contact with the dress because they can scratch the fabric.
Seamlessly beautiful: Lustrous satin has plenty of sex appeal – so you don’t need lace lingerie to create a seductive look. In fact, it will show through the satin, so it’s better to wear seamless lingerie.
Alterations
Size matters! Always remember that alterations to duchesse satin are only possible to a limited extent. Satin dresses cannot be taken out because the original seam line would be visible.
If alterations are necessary, trust the experts for help or contact us for advice. We recommend that you don’t make any alterations yourself, such as taking up the hem with adhesive hem tape, because the tape line may show.
Cleaning
Most importantly: Whatever the stain, it’s always best to take the dress to a professional cleaner. If you have an accident during your evening out, remember never to rub duchesse satin because it causes unsightly pale patches!
Garments made entirely of duchesse satin can always be dry cleaned and every professional dry cleaner will accept them. Duchesse satin dresses can also always be professionally ironed, even if they have drape details. In Munich we recommend "Reinigung und Waäscherei am Bonner Platz" and "Reinigung Stark". Both have experience in cleaning our duchesse satin.
Here’s some practical advice on dealing with common dinner stains:
Alcohol: A professional dry cleaner can generally remove alcohol stains. On paler colored fabrics there may still be a slight outline after dry cleaning. In this case, it sometimes helps to place the dress in a bathtub of cold water. Then gently squeeze out the excess water and hang up to drip dry. Once the dress is dry, you can take it to a dry cleaner for professional ironing. We cannot guarantee that washing the dress at home will work. We always(!) recommend professional dry cleaning.
Water: A professional dry cleaner can generally remove water stains. If any outlines are still visible, a water bath can be helpful in this case, too.
Slight dust marks, pale patches, and visible fingerprints can be removed with a microfiber cloth. Place the dress on a smooth surface (never put your other hand underneath it or you might rub finger or even ring marks into the fabric) and rub the cloth gently over the fabric. We can’t guarantee this will work either.
If you scratch the fabric, a professional dry cleaner can help. However, even a professional can’t remove heavy scratches. So always handle the duchesse with care!
Cheers! Odors in the fabric can usually be removed with vodka. Pour some pure vodka into a spray bottle with a very fine nozzle and carefully spray the vodka onto the affected area. But be careful because large droplets can leave marks on the fabric. It may be necessary to repeat the process several times.
Note: We assume no guarantee for home cleaning! You do this at your own risk.
Traveling
When you pack your case, ensure that the drapes are flat (as you would with any other dress with draping). To flatten the drapes, pull the dress apart with the side seams and stroke it flat inside the suitcase. Ensure that the skirt is crease-free. It’s usually a better idea to transport the dress in a garment bag rather than a suitcase, and hang the garments separately if possible.
Our duchess satin doesn’t tolerate hot irons. Always iron it on a low temperature setting! If you decide to iron the dress yourself rather than taking it to a professional dry cleaner, always place a tea towel between the iron and the dress.
Steam it. Sometimes you can get rid of suitcase creases by hanging the dress in a steamy bathroom. Or get it steamed. In this case it’s important that the steam is hot enough, because otherwise water marks can form.