Wed Dossier

Preserve and Protect
Set it and forget it? Not if Davis Imperial Cleaners has anything to say about it
| By Lisa Shames | Photography by Greg Gillis |

From the Fall/Winter 2009 issue of CS Brides magazine

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SEEING IS BELIEVING
A Davis Imperial Cleaners technician gives
a dress the white glove treatment.

Brides-to-be take note: It’s not the long walk down the aisle or the wedding reception that does the most damage to your precious gown, but the after-party. That’s where, according to Lynda Wood, hemlines are soiled and drinks spilled. And she should know. Davis Imperial Cleaners, the North Park dry cleaners she co-owns with her husband Rick, is the go-to spot for Chicago brides for couture dry cleaning, restoration and preservation. (She recommends buying an entirely different dress for the after-party, by the way.)

It only takes a matter of seconds after walking into Davis Imperial to realize that this isn’t your typical dry cleaner. In fact, separating themselves from the rest of the industry is a family tradition (Lynda’s parents founded the company back in 1956): Davis Imperial is the only certified wedding gown restoration and preservation textile specialist in Chicago; has been chosen as one of the 10 top dry cleaners in the world by Leading Cleaners Internationale; and is the first cleaner in Illinois to be named a Certified Green Cleaner and Certified Environmental Dry Cleaner. (It’s also worth noting that the Chicago History Museum and the Art Institute take their clothes and costumes here.)

To ensure the accolades keep coming in, the Woods are always on the hunt for new technology. Their latest toy? A clean room. Like its name suggests, the room is, well, clean—in part due to its positive air environment that prevents outside airborne contaminants from getting in. But the real CSI-factor comes into play when the electric blinds are shut, the lights are turned off and the black-light equipment is switched on. As if on cue, the pristine wedding dress we saw in normal light reveals a huge stain. “Looks like she had a good time,” laughs Rick, adding that the stain was probably Champagne or white wine. Cool? Sure, but the real value is that their technicians can then get these “invisible” stains out before they set in and turn yellow over time.

After a hands-on process that involves, among other things, a magnifying glass and lots of patience— dresses are wrapped in chemical-free muslin, detailed with lace and satin roses, and placed in an acid-free archival box. And, should a bride need to reach out and touch her dress again, white cotton gloves are, of course, part of the package.

In addition to clothing preservation, Davis Imperial is also well-known for its restoration skills, often working with brides hoping to wear their mother’s, or even grandmother’s, dresses. “That’s the emotional part of our business,” says Lynda, adding that while they see damaged-beyond-repair dresses a couple of times a week, they have been able to perform plenty of miracles, too (ask her about the dress that arrived in a paper bag). And shipping, Sunday pickups and on-site pressing are just another day at the office for the Woods.

But no matter how careful a bride is, Lynda admits accidents do happen. Her advice? “Leave it to the professionals.”

Davis Imperial Cleaners, 3325 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., 866.267.4560, davisimperial.com