Summer dresses are essential in Australia. Known for their smart designs that allow for maximum air circulation in hot weather, as well as their lightweight fabrics which help to keep you cool, having summer dresses in your wardrobe is essential. Because of their lightweight nature, many of the fabrics used to make summer dresses require proper care if they are to last more than a season. That’s why we’ve put together this essential guide to caring for your summer dresses, so that you can enjoy them year after year. Read on!
Linen Dresses - Care Tips
Linen is the darling of summer fabrics. Known for its elegant look and feel, linen is a durable fabric that’s breathable, cool to the touch, and hypoallergenic. It’s also moisture wicking, so it will draw perspiration away from your body, keeping you feeling comfortable.
Linen is known to last a long time, especially if you care for it well. Different linens, however, have different thicknesses, so some heavy duty linens may last longer than more loose weave linens. In either case, you should expect to get numerous seasons out of a linen dress, if you look after it. Follow these tips!
Washing Linen Summer Dresses
Spot clean any stains on your linen quickly, in cold water and mild stain remover that’s recommended for linen, then wash with a mild detergent only. Make sure you avoid bleach when soaking or washing your linen. (Bleach only works on white linen, so it’s safer to avoid it.)
Washing linen dresses by hand is ideal, but most people don’t have time for that. Thankfully, you can machine wash linen. It’s best to do it separately from other garments, so that the fabric doesn’t get damaged by pant buttons and so on. Also, you don’t want dyes running into your linen summer dresses, or vice versa.
Whether you wash by hand or machine wash, ensure you only ever use cold or lukewarm water, as washing in hot water may shrink or fade your linen dresses. The ideal temperature for washing linen is between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius. If you aren’t certain of the temperature setting on your machine, consider turning off the hot water isolation valve at the wall (clockwise) so you can be sure the wash won’t be too hot. When it comes to the machine cycle, opt for a gentle cycle when washing your linen. If you know your washing machine well, there’s probably a setting suitable for linen.
There’s no need to dry clean linen. In fact, dry cleaning uses chemical solvents that aren’t great for human health, so it’s best to keep your natural-fibre linen free of chemicals.
Drying Linen Dresses:
Lay your linen dress flat, out of direct sunlight if possible. This will help to ensure that you avoid those peg dents from hanging on the clothes line, and also means your linen won’t degrade and become brittle prematurely, as it may with overexposure to harsh sunlight.
Ironing Linen Dresses:
Firstly, you don’t need to. Linen creases are part of the charm. However, if you do want your linen a little crisp, iron it while it’s slightly damp, and then hang it, rather than fold it in a draw.
Note that linen dresses in the Femme Connection collections are made in Italy using the finest-quality yarns.
Storing Linen Dresses:
You can hang linen to prevent creases, or else store flat in a drawer. Make sure that, wherever you store your linen dress, it’s in a dry, cool place, and avoid placing it into plastic bags, as linen needs to air.
Caring For Denim Dresses
Denim dates back to the 17th Century, where it was first produced in Nîmes, France. Later, in 1873 in the USA, the first denim pants with reinforced rivets were produced (denim jeans). Denim was a popular fabric used for uniforms during the early 20th Century, but by the 1970s, denim jeans became a fashionable staple in wardrobes, and an essential part of youth culture, which continues today.
It’s not only pants that get made with denim, of course. Denim overalls and jackets have been popular, and of course, denim dresses have become a classic dress style for fashion-loving women. A denim dress offers a stylish and practical option, as denim is durable, and can be worn on repeat and styled in numerous ways. There are also lots of different denim thicknesses available, meaning you can choose a lightweight denim dress for summer, and a more heavy-duty denim dress for winter.
While traditionally denim is made from cotton, these days synthetics are often mixed in to give denim more stretch. This way, when you buy it, you don’t need to wear it in as such. It’ll be comfortable regardless.
Washing Denim Dresses:
Denim is one of those fabrics that benefits from minimal washes, as every time you wash denim, you risk losing a little of its colour. Spot cleaning is ideal, and if you’re worried about perspiring in your denim dress, you could consider wearing a cotton t-shirt beneath it, so that only the t-shirt requires a regular wash.
Inevitably, you will need to wash your denim dress at some point though, so make sure you turn your dress inside out before you put it into the washing machine. Use cold water, and a minimal amount of gentle detergent.
Drying Linen Dresses:
Avoid putting your denim dress in the tumble dryer, as it may shrink, or lose shape. Also, if your denim dress is made with a mix of cotton and synthetics, the synthetic fibres may be damaged by the heat of a clothes dryer.
Drying your denim dress on the clothesline is best. Turn it inside out first, so that if there’s any fading, it happens on the inside of the dress. Again, like with linen, it’s ideal to dry in a shady spot.
Ironing Denim Dresses:
You shouldn’t really need to iron denim dresses. And if your denim dress includes any synthetic fibres, like elastane, you need to be cautious when using the iron.
Steaming denim dresses is preferable to ironing them, but if you only have an iron, keep the dress turned inside out, and iron when the dress is still a little damp. Use a low heat setting.
Storing Denim Dresses:
If you want your denim dress to stay as crease-free as possible, it’s a good idea to store it on a hanger. Again, cool and dry conditions are best for denim fabric. If your denim dress has some elastane mixed into the fabric, it likely won’t crease if stored in a drawer. Just make sure it’s completely dry before you fold it away.
Caring For Cotton Dresses
Cotton is a go-to fabric when it comes to summer dresses. This plant-derived fabric is lightweight, cool, and comfortable. It’s also hypoallergenic, and durable, meaning a cotton dress should last you a few seasons, and it relatively easy to wash.
Washing Cotton Dresses:
Cotton can fade and shrink, so like linen, it’s best to wash in cool temperatures (30°C or below). Choose a cotton cycle if your machine offers one, otherwise, opt for a gentle and short cycle. Fabric softeners aren’t really necessary with cotton, and they can dull the finish of the fabric.
Drying Cotton Dresses:
You can dry cotton dresses in the tumble dryer using a moderate-to-low heat. Avoid high heat, as it can shrink cotton fibres.
Ironing Cotton Dresses:
If you hang your cotton dresses straight after drying them in the dryer, you likely won’t need to iron them. But if you do wish to iron, cotton can take high heat (usually your iron will have a cotton setting). You can also use a garment steamer on a cotton dress.
Storing Cotton Dresses:
Fold your cotton dress and store in a drawer, or else on a hanger. Ensure that wherever you store it, it’s cool and dry. Luckily, moths don’t have a hunger for cotton, so moth balls aren’t required.
Caring for Viscose Dresses
Viscose (a subtype of rayon) is made from wood pulp that goes through a process of being dissolved in a solvent and then spun into textile fibres. It’s often used as a substitute for silk, as it has a similar smooth feel and gentle drape.
Viscose is absorbent and breathable, making it a great fabric to build a summer dress out of. In addition, it is smooth, comfortable and hard wearing. You’ll notice a lot of floral dresses and boho dresses made out of viscose, or viscose/cotton blends.
Note that viscose is prone to shrinking when it’s washed or placed in a tumble dryer, so heat should be avoided. (Some viscose is preshrunk before you buy it.)
Washing Viscose Dresses:
Viscose is best washed by hand, as it becomes very delicate and loses elasticity when it’s wet. Use cold water, at a maximum temperature of 20° Celsius (viscose can shrink in hot water). If you do wish to wash your viscose summer dress in a machine, place it in a wash bag first, and select a ‘hand wash’ or ‘delicate’ cycle.
Choose a mild laundry detergent when washing viscose dresses, and avoid using bleach.
Drying Viscose Dresses:
Lay your dress flat to dry, otherwise, dry it on a hanger. Do not put a viscose dress in the tumble dryer.
Ironing Viscose Dresses:
Iron your viscose dress when it is still a little damp, and turn the dress inside out prior to ironing to retain the sheen of the fabric. Use a low-to-medium heat setting.
Storing Viscose Dresses:
It’s best to avoid hanging a viscose dress, as hanging can cause viscose to lose its shape. Instead, completely dry your viscose dress, and fold it, and store in a cool, dry drawer.
Caring For Synthetic Dresses
Polyester, nylon and elastane are popular fabrics used in summer dresses. Despite synthetic fabrics not being particularly breathable, they do hold dyes well, meaning you can get some great vibrant prints. They also don’t tend to show up sweat patches, which can be a welcome dress attribute in summer. Add to that, synthetics or synthetic blends are often stretchy and comfortable, which is a bonus. They also drape well and feel smooth.
When buying a synthetic fabric summer dress, be mindful of the dress design. Sleeveless or cap sleeve dresses will mean you don’t need to worry about perspiration patches under your arms. Short dresses in synthetic fabrics are also a good option. You can also shop for synthetics blended with cotton, which will increase the breathability of the fabric.
Washing Synthetic Dresses:
Washing synthetic summer dresses is relatively easy. They can handle a bit of warm water, and can also easily be machine washed. It’s still best to use a mild detergent, and avoid hot water, as being a synthetic fabric, the fibres can suffer from high heat.
Drying Synthetic Dresses:
To save on power, air dry your synthetic dresses. But if you’re in a hurry, you can dry polyester dresses in a tumble dryer on a low-to-medium setting. Again, avoid hot temperatures.
Ironing Synthetic Dresses:
You likely won’t need to iron your synthetic dress, as they don’t crease easily. However if you do wish to, use a very low heat setting, or use a clothes steamer.
Storing Synthetic Dresses:
It’s best to store synthetic dresses in cool, dry drawers, or breathable storage bags, rather than on hangers.
Whatever the fabric of your summer dress from Femme Connection, we hope you enjoy how it feels to wear. For the most part, it’s pretty easy to care for our dresses, as long as you read the care instructions on your garment, and follow the tips above.
Come to Femme Connection For Your Summer Dresses Australia!
Is your summer wardrobe still looking a little bare? Check out our Summer Collection! Or need summer dresses for Australia’s hot season? See our Women’s Dresses collections to find a wide variety of summer dress options.