Parkers Custom Clothing Care Wedding Dress Cleaning

Being the Father of the Bride is a downright emotional job. Along with choking back the tears, you have to walk your daughter down the aisle and give her away in front of all of your family and friends. While you know that everyone’s eyes will be on the bride, you still want to look nice for her.

So, what should the Father of the Bride wear?

With Father’s Day still fresh in our minds and wedding season already beginning, we wanted to give you our favourite Father of the Bride fashion tips.

Be mindful of the venue

It’s tempting to think, “I’ll just rent a tux,” but depending on where the wedding is being held, you might look out of place in a full black tux. Take into account the venue and consider whether it might be appropriate to wear a nice grey four-buttoned suit or a lighter fabric two-button suit jacket with lapels (like a lightweight wool). If the venue is more formal, pull out all the stops and do your best James Bond.

Consult a tailor

Please oh, please make sure that your suit has been tailored to fit you. A nice, simple suit can look amazing if it fits correctly. The Father of the Bride should appear sophisticated and proud, not sloppy or uncomfortable.

Now is a great time to mention that at Parkers Custom Clothing Care, we have incredible tailors and would be happy to make your suit look just right.

You’re not going to a meeting

If you would wear this suit to a meeting, it isn’t right for one of the most important days in your daughter’s life. Put some thought into your attire and if you need a starting off point, consider what the groomsmen are wearing. You’re not required to wear exactly the same suit as the groom or his groomsmen, but you can use their attire as a guideline. If they are wearing fun, patterned bowties, go for it!

Never forget the importance of a handkerchief

There’s a pretty good chance that there will be some tears shed on the day of the wedding. Be the hero and pull out some new handkerchiefs to pass out to the bride – just make sure to keep one for yourself!

When in doubt, ask

If you’re unsure whether or not your fashion choices are acceptable, don’t be afraid to ask the bride. She will appreciate that you want to look your best and will gladly offer suggestions for colour, fabric, and style. You might also want to ask what your boutonniere will be and then make sure that you coordinate with those colours.

To give you some visual examples, here are a few dashing Fathers of the Bride to inspire you:

Tyler Boye Photography

The Ely Brothers

Bride Magazine

Now that you know what you’ll be wearing, don’t forget to arrange to get your suit dry cleaned after the big day. We even offer free pick up and delivery!

You’ve been planning for months, confirming menus, attending dress fittings, tying ribbons on favours, and now, the day is here. You’re getting married!

You enjoy a beautiful celebration and are whisked away on your honeymoon, a time to rest and forget about those late nights you spent arranging the seating plan and stressing about your aunts who just can’t seem to get along.

But what did you do with your wedding dress and your groom’s suit? Are they hanging in a closet at home, waiting for you to return from your vacation and deal with them?

Time isn’t on your side

Cutting the cake and feeding your spouse sounds like a great idea until you drop a piece on your dress and completely forget that you did. The sugar sets in the fabric and only reappears later, often turning into a brown stain with time.

The longer you leave a dress or suit to be cleaned, the more damage that can be done. It’s always best to get your wedding dress cleaned and preserved as soon as possible to avoid any lingering stains.

Don’t panic. We don’t expect you to think about getting your wedding dress dry cleaned as soon as you say, “I do.”

Prearrange for dress cleaning and preservation

At Parkers, we specialize in custom clothing care and are well known for our wedding dress preservation services. Our brides and grooms prearrange for us to come and pick up their wedding outfits, clean them with special processes designed for delicate garments, and return them looking like new.

We use custom wedding gown boxes, tissue, and forms that are all free from acid when we preserve wedding gowns. Unlike many gown preservation boxes, ours are re-sealable, allowing you to use the cotton gloves we provide to look at your dress and reminisce about your wedding day anytime you like.

We are also proud members of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists.

Free Valet Service

The best part about prearranging for us to dry-clean your gown or suit is that pick ups and drop offs are totally free! All you need to do is sign up for our valet service and schedule the pick up.

So, enjoy the honeymoon and all the sun tanning that comes with it – we’ll make sure that your wedding gown and your groom’s outfit are clean and waiting for you when you return.

Photo source: Alfredi

Phew! It’s getting hot out there! As the temperature rises, our goal to stay as cool as possible is often fighting against our desire to dress professionally for work. I know that we’re not the only ladies who deal with this. You don’t want to roast on your walk from the subway to meet your client and arrive all sweaty, but you also don’t want to show up in cut-offs and a tank top.

Never fear! We have scoured the blogosphere (and Pinterest, of course) and have found some professional looks you can beat the heat in.

Before we get started, we realize that sweat isn’t your favourite topic, but if you need any stains removed, let us know. We offer dry cleaning services and will even come and pick up your items for free.

Top 3 tips for looking professional in the summer

1. Choose your fabrics wisely. Take a look at the weight and breathability of your fabrics and then think about whether or not you would eat your lunch outside in a Toronto summer while wearing them. If you’re getting warm just thinking about it, choose something lighter and more flowing.

Source: Steven Allen

2. Let the right skin show. Most professional environments would be all right with a knee length skirt, but would frown upon a backless dress. You know your workplace better than we do, but make sure to dress appropriately. One great tip is to style your hair up and off your neck to stay cool.

Source: Obaz

3. When in doubt, wear a dress. There are so many beautiful dresses out this season and many of them are the perfect combination of sophisticated and summery. Find a silhouette that works for you and start stocking up!

Source: Miss Melissa

Source: Miss Melissa

If you need something dry cleaned and don’t want to brave the weather, let us know and we will come and pick it up for free!

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As wedding season really starts to heat up, we can’t help but gush over the gowns we’re seeing on the wedding blogs this year. Each one seems to have a little bit of a different silhouette and you can tell they’ve obviously been tailored to fit each bride like a glove.

Speaking of which, if you’ve fallen in love with a super fitted gown, our biggest piece of advice to brides is to get your alterations done by a professional. Come on in to Parkers and we’ll take care of whatever alterations you need to get your dress looking perfect.

Style Me Pretty

 Photography: Melanie Lust

Dress: Lela Rose

We love the way that the shape of this dress is the star of the show (after the beautiful bride, of course). Small fabric covered buttons provide the perfect bit of detail for this silhouette.

Style Me Pretty

Photography: Matt Edge Photography

Dress: Claire Pettibone

This Claire Pettibone dress is a lovely combination of fitted and flowing, achieving a romantic look that is also sophisticated. Don’t even get us started about how much we love the lace!

Once Wed

Photography: Ciara Richardson

Dress: Ciara Richardson

Wow! This ballerina style dress is totally unique and unlike anything we’ve seen this season. The halter neckline looks amazing and really helps soften up this bride’s look.

 
 
We’ve already mentioned that we do alterations, but we should also point out that wedding gowns really do need special cleaning and care. Here at Parkers Custom Clothing Care, we specialize in wedding gowns and know exactly how to treat lace and delicate details. Get in touch with us and we’ll even come and pick up your wedding gown for free!

With everyone coming down with Gatsby fever recently, we figured that if we can’t beat ‘em, we might as well join ‘em! The best part about the fashion in The Great Gatsby is the wild and extravagant use of texture we see. The 20s were an era of lavishness and the costumes used in the movie truly represent that. Because we do custom clothing care along with dry cleaning, we pay special attention to the extra details on a garment, like jewels or special pleating. In other words, we’re in our glory with Gatsby fashion!

Source: Mario Testino/Vogue US

Beautiful Textures in Fashion from The Great Gatsby

Silk, Velvet, and Satin:

In the 20s, these three fabrics were extremely popular with big name designers. Of course, silk, velvet, and satin were also expensive and were reserved for the wealthy – which is why we see it on those in Gatsby’s social circles. Luxurious fabric was a sign of affluence.

Knife Pleated Skirts:

With the silhouette changing to a drop waist, we see skirts with a ton of knife pleating. We love this trend and are already seeing it off the silver screen!

Fringe:

One of the most recognizable 20s fashion trends is the fringe. There are many looks throughout history that correspond well with the popular dances of the day and the fringe is definitely one of them. All of those swinging threads are perfect for the Charleston!

Feathers:

Whether collected to form a beautiful ostrich collar or simply placed in a bob, feathers are everywhere in The Great Gatsby. We haven’t seen too many over-the-top applications in Toronto yet, but we wouldn’t be surprised if we started to see more peacock feathers in hairpieces.

Jewels:

Daisy wore her fair share of diamonds (Tiffany & Co. designed the pieces used in the film), but any kind of bling is at home in 20s inspired fashion. We’re seeing a ton of new trends incorporating jewels and love the sparkle they bring to an outfit.

Source: Mario Testino/Vogue US

Looking for some Gatsby inspired styles for yourself? This Matthew Williamson dress is one of our favourites!

Source: Refinery 29 – Matthew Williamson

We really can’t stress this enough: 20s fashion isn’t meant for your washing machine. At Parkers Custom Clothing Care, we do more than just dry cleaning. We can take care of all your unique details like jeweled embellishments and will keep your pleats looking crisp.  Visit us at any of our GTA locations or give us a call at 1-877-746-2376.  We’d love to help you out!