The best way to iron silk is to not iron silk. That sounds like an obvious contradiction, but this most delicate of fabrics is incredibly sensitive to heat, light, water, and chemicals. Silk wrinkles easily, and if it is stained or spotted, it is likely that the marks will never be successfully removed.

One of the primary reasons for silk’s fragility is that the material is created from protein fiber. The raw materials of the very finest versions are harvested from the cocoons of the mulberry silkworm. The tiny, gossamer threads of the cocoons are woven into threads, which are in turn transformed into textiles. The Chinese developed this process well over 5,000 years ago, and for many centuries the method of creating silk were a closely guarded secret. As legend has it, revealing the secrets of silk making was punishable by death.

While such a fate is no longer the case, no doubt a source of comfort to silk manufacturers the world over, silk still requires far more care than any other fabric. Rather than making an effort to iron silk, a far better solution is to lightly steam it. In most cases, steaming will reduce wrinkles, and eliminate the possibility of burning, shrinking, stretching, or melting the fabric.

A small, hand-steamer works well in removing wrinkles from silk. As another option, while taking a hot shower, one can hang silk suits, ties, dresses, shirts, sheets, or even drapes in the bathroom. This method should also cause wrinkles to vanish. One choice a person should avoid is the urge to take silk fabrics to a dry cleaner. The solvents used my most commercial dry cleaners will play havoc with silk’s delicate composition.

If you feels that you must absolutely iron silk, there are a couple of methods that sometimes work. It should be noted, however, that these are far from foolproof. The owner of the garment may have success, but irons are notoriously imprecise in their temperature settings. It is equally possible that the silk garment may suffer damage.

When ironing silk, it should be remembered that no water should touch the fabric. It will cause rings and spots. Also, too much heat will ruin the fabric. The first step needed to iron silk is to turn the iron to the lowest heat setting possible. Next, place a washcloth or a towel over the silk item to be ironed.

Do not press down on the iron. Rather, move it quickly and with as little pressure as possible, concentrating on small sections of the garment before moving on. Never use the steam setting, as irons often spray drops of water along with the actual steam. Even with a washcloth covering the silk, small amounts of water can soak through and ruin the fabric. When completed, hang the silk item in an area away from direct sunlight.

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BLOG: Busting the Myth that Silk Clings, d'Italia, Dressmaking

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Melbourne Cup & Racing Fashion – Dresses & Glamour to Die For!

It is the race that stops a nation - the horse race AND the race to be the best dressed fashionista on the field.

The Melbourne Cup has traditionally been an “urban fashion parade”. It is an event where attendees arrive decked out in their most fashionable (and sometimes outrageously so) clothes. Top-of-the-range designer dresses and suits, exotic costumes, thousand-dollar hats and fascinators, diamond-encrusted stilettos... From celebrities to your next door neighbour, everyone is dressed to be noticed.

The first Melbourne Cup race was held in 1861. In its early days, the annual races were the very few places where upper-class society and the lower ranks met and socialised. The first Fashions on the Field competition was started more than forty years ago, as a publicity tool to attract more females to the racetracks. The races have now evolved to a full-fledged fashion fiesta, with international celebrities attending to judge the Fashions on the Field competitions.

The competitions are hotly contested every year – and it’s no surprise why. This year’s grand prize is a SAAB Convertible for a year, and two return trips to Dubai, flying Business Class with Emirates Airlines. The Melbourne Cup indeed involves much more than just a simple horse race.

To keep up with the culture of dressing to be seen, most racegoers have their clothing tailor-made. Australia boasts a range of tailors and seamstresses who specialise in racewear. The Melbourne Cup Day Design Award – which honours the most outstanding racewear design – is a highly competitive and exclusive affair. It is an invitation-only event, and judging criteria include originality of style, matching of accessories, and appropriateness of the outfit to the weather, individual, and trends.

d’Italia, a designer fabric store located in Malvern, Victoria, has been a key partner to many Melbourne Cup fashionistas. The store imports all its fabric from Italy and France, and has been providing Australian racegoers and award-winning seamstresses with high-quality, exclusive fabric for the creation of eye-catching Cup dresses.

The store offers an extensive range of designer fabric, from bright, bold prints to sleek, toned-down silk. A dressmaker referral service is also available for racegoers who have not found their own seamstress or tailor. Staff in the store regularly work the fashion circles in Australia, and consistently provide ideal recommendations for the best fit and originality.

 

The History of Melbourne Cup and the Fashion

It is Australia’s most famous Tuesday, the “race that stops a nation”. Mark Twain called it Australia’s true folk festival and said that the magnificence of its appeal on an entire country astonished him. It is also one of the world’s most challenging horse races, and certainly the richest in prize money.

The Melbourne Cup. Every year, millions of people across Australia stop what they are doing at 3pm on the first Tuesday of November to watch or listen to the race. Parliament suspends its proceedings, hundreds of thousands flock to the racing grounds in their best and most fashionable outfits, and festive celebrations take place.

Australia is the only country in the world which has declared an annual state public holiday for a horse race. As one of the most prestigious two-mile horse races in the world, the annual Melbourne Cup is a sporting and fashion affair that has become a national icon and a major Victorian tourist attraction.

The first Melbourne Cup race was held in 1861, where seventeen horses contested for a gold watch and 170pounds in cash. The winner was a horse from New South Wales named Archer, who was acquired and trained by Etienne L. de Mestre. Archer also won the second Cup race, and de Mestre would later train a further three Cup winners. Sixteen years later, Australia officially made the first Tuesday in November a public holiday – Melbourne Cup Day.

The Melbourne Cup race culture has traditionally been one of high fashion, with racegoers attending in their best outfits. From celebrities to the ordinary girl next door, attendees ensure they are dressed to stun. Women are usually decked out in fashionable hats or fascinators, and designer labels are prevalent. “Fashions on the Field” is a major highlight of the entire event, and prizes are given to the best-dressed male and female.

d'Italia Designer Fabric has been active in the Melbourne Cup fashion arena for the past several years. The store’s imported fabric has been highly sought-after by Melbourne Cup racegoers, for its high quality and exclusivity. The store also offers referral services to award-winning tailors and seamstresses.

Racing Fashion To Be Seen at the Melbourne Cup

It is the race that stops a nation - the horse race AND the race to be the best dressed fashionista on the field. From celebrities to your next door neighbour, everyone is there to be noticed at the Melbourne Cup races.

In view of the culture of dressing to be seen, d’Italia, a designer fabric store located in Melbourne, Australia, has been a key partner to seasoned racegoers and award-winning dressmakers throughout the years.

The store offers high-quality, European fabric that originates from the same manufacturers who supply to international couture names like Gucci, Armani and Escada. Staff in the store regularly work the fashion circles in Australia, and consistently provide ideal recommendations to customers for the best fit and originality.

The Melbourne Cup race, first held in 1861, has evolved into a full-fledged fashion fiesta, with international celebrities like Paris Hilton attending to judge the renowned Fashions on the Field competitions.

These competitions are hotly contested every year – and it’s no surprise why. This year’s grand prize is a SAAB Convertible for a year, and two return trips to Dubai, flying Business Class with Emirates Airlines.

In preparation for the racing season, d’Italia’s current key offerings are the in vogue metallic colours of crystal silvers, demure oyster/pewters, and glossy golds, available in high quality silks, linens and French laces.

Pretty spring colours are also available, to celebrate the season in which the Cup is held. Geranium pink, blue violet, dandelion yellow, Hermes orange and tomato red are irresistibly feminine and fanciful in plain silk satins, voiles, georgettes and – the latest a la mode – silk burnouts and French corded and Chantilly laces.

Racing season in Australia starts in September. Racegoers are encouraged to start booking their dressmaking services now, to avoid delays and disappointments.

Caring for Fabrics

• Beaded fabrics and most silks need to be specialist dry cleaned. This ensures the fabric is refined and preserves its natural fibres.
• Some silk can be hand washed when handled with care. It is best to use a mild gentle hand wash detergent and lukewarm water. After rinsing do not wring, use a towel and press the fabric gently blotting away the excess water.
• Once a silk garment has been made do not store in plastic. Silk is a natural fibre with a protein base. The plastic traps moisture leaving mildew and yellowing.
• When ironing place tissue paper under darts, folds and seam to avoid imprinting in garments.

• Wool breathes superbly making it comfortable to wear in the hot and cold.
• Woollen knits should be folded not hung. The weight of the knit stretches when hung and can cause the garment to not return to its original shape.
• Wool returns to its original shape and discards any wrinkles when hung on a shaped coat hanger and left for 24hrs.

Other tips

• V-necklines, the Queen Anne and the Empire necklines are best suited for those with short necks and/or round faces. These necklines open up your neck and face making you look slimmer.
• Boat neck or Sabrina necklines, the cowl and portrait necklines are great for those with elongated faces. It draws attention to your face making it look oval.
• Those with a more curvaceous body, the same applies to you as those with round faces. V-necks open up your face and make you look taller and slimmer.
• Sweetheart necklines are terrific for women who are less ample in the chest, it dips into the cleavage giving you a great décolletage.
• If you are trying to cover up the “problem area”, you should focus attention to detail closer to your face. I.e. Thighs “problem area”, wear a beautiful beaded trim along the neckline or necklace to draw attention up towards your face.

• When achieving a great high collar use some starch on the collar when ironing.
• Fantastic colours such as greens, purples, and blues are well suited to red heads.
• To hide any large areas, wear loose fitting clothes, tight clothes make you look heavier.

Floral prints, bright colours and light, trendy styles. These characteristics mark the onset of the summer season for Australia. For woman all over, full-fledged Spring and Summer are seasons to go all-out, fashion-wise. Throwing off thick winter coats and boots and donning bright colours and sexy designs are reason enough for a woman to get excited about the hot, sizzling months that are to come.

Designer labels have got their full range of Spring-Summer collection out in stores, and it’s no wonder women all over the world are flocking to get the latest, usually limited, designs and styles.

Chanel has big floral designs on their latest beach dresses. While at first glance, the frock seems more spring than summer, the bright patterns and loud colours are perfect for a day out in the sun – anywhere!

Dior is moving in the animal kingdom. One of their latest trench coat designs consists of a zebra-print style. This is a nice change from the standard leopard print designs common to animal-like designs. Trench coats are a perfect add-on to the cooler spring and early summer evenings.

Escada is, as usual, classy and sleek. Its latest designs made of pure silk satin are perfect for cooler and slinkier formal wear for summer. The lightness of the material makes it more comfortable for the warmer months, and the demure, understated designs allow for louder, funkier accessories.

Gucci has some beautiful pastel pieces in store. This year, pastel backgrounds with louder overlaying prints have become popular, and Gucci’s range of casual and semi formal wear does not disappoint. Lighter colours are perfect for sunny days because, as cliché as it may seem, black does attract heat!

d’Italia's products are imported directly from Italy and its designer fabrics come from the same manufacturing houses that provide for designer labels like Prada, Gucci, Escada and Armani. d’Italia boasts a range of material and fabric that are often used for the creation of uniquely tailored evening wear, bridal wear and professional wear. Custom dressmaking is available with our talented tailors.

Love is in the air! It’s wedding season in Australia as the days heat up. Hemlines are getting shorter and sleeves are disappearing as we approach the hot sizzling months of summer. The onset of this sunny season is always reason to celebrate love. Beautiful weddings, engagement parties and bridal receptions are what summer days are all about, and it’s time for women to dress the part in preparation for these important moments.

There are countless articles and advice columns on wedding dress styles and bridal wear. It’s undeniable how important the bride’s dressing and fashion sense is – the perfect veil, the accessories and of course, the wedding gown itself.

Dressing the bridal party is also important as they are important complements to the bride and groom. Finding the perfect bridesmaids dresses that fit the style and looks of each bridesmaid is crucial. For the mothers of the bride and groom, their dresses are important as well. Full of pride and joy, the mothers want to look their best as well!

And what about the guests? You may not be getting married this summer season, but chances are, you may be invited to at least one wedding in the next few months. Finding the perfect dress or gown for the wedding, the reception, the dinner party or even for engagement parties can be a daunting task. You don’t want to outshine the bride, but you do want to look your best for the special occasion.

d’Italia, a designer fabric store in Melbourne, is a leader in bridal wear fabric and design. d’Italia’s silk fabric is imported to Australia directly from Europe. It comes from the same manufacturers who produce for designer labels like Armani, Gucci and Escada. New fabric is imported every season, to ensure that the latest designs are available in store.

d’Italia’s French lace is exclusively from top French lines, and is made-to-order. It comes only in small 4-5m lengths. All products that are beaded are hand-made.

For a woman, her wedding day is often the moment when she feels the most beautiful, the most loved, and therefore the happiest. Many articles, advice columns, websites and magazines have been devoted to bridal fashion and wedding day tips to ensure that the bride-to-be is most informed about her vast number of options. Everything is done to secure her position as the most fashionable and beautiful woman of the day.

The wedding fashion industry is one that will continually boom. People will always get married, and on this special day, most are willing to go all out to make it the most beautiful and special. Wedding trends in bridal fashion are common, and do change from season to season and year to year.

Celebrity weddings also often set the scene for bridal fashion. In 2008, a number of well-known celebrities got hitched, and their wedding styles were quite different. Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives fame preferred her dress to be short and stylish. The dress was pink with ruffle trimming. Gwen Stefani, rocker chick, was seen in a stand-out Dior silk gown. It was pink and white in colour.

Bridal wear is generally made from silk satin, dupion, voiles, georgettes and chiffons. The season that the wedding is held in can make a difference to the best type of material to choose when tailoring a dress. Silk satins tend to be looser and airier, thus allowing ease of movement and temperature comfort.

Spring has finally arrived in Melbourne! This year, throw out the shopping centre buys, and spoil yourself with a few specially tailored dresses that match the season’s colours and styles. The procedure is as simple as 1-2-3.

1.    Choose a design and style!
Be prepared for the upcoming Spring Racing Carnival days, the evening dinner parties, and the warm summer beach holidays. Pick a pretty design for each occasion – the floral print dresses for races, metallic flavoured gowns for dinners, and bright-on-pastel shaded frocks for the beach.

2.    Pick the right fabric!
Polyester creations are no longer the fashionable thing to wear; instead, all-natural silks, linens and cotton are the way to go. Find a store which sells completely natural fabrics. One recommendation is d’Italia, a fabric store located in Malvern, Victoria. It boasts a selection of designer fabric that is directly imported from Italy. Its range of silks, chiffons, georgettes, cotton and wool are completely natural and pure.

3.    Accessorise!
Dresses and gowns are rarely made of just one type of material. The design is often interspersed with accessories like French beads, and layers of silk and lace. d’Italia has a range of pure French lace direct from Europe. Its beads are all hand-sewn by seamstresses who specialise in couture.

Tailored clothing, using the most natural fabrics, always lasts longer and feels better. So this spring and summer, look and feel your best with your customised wear.

See through clothing, shorter hem lines and contrasting colours. It’s all about fashion when we head into the hot sizzling season of summer here in Australia. The latest fashion trends and women’s seasonal styles are often defined by celebrities. And the fact of the matter is, celebrities are often dressed by renowned fashion designers.

So for the aspiring fashionistas who want to dress like the Kate Moss and Paris Hilton, perhaps it’s time to take a step back and see the bigger picture – the bigger picture of the entire fashion world. It’s all about taking ideas from the fashion designers and being unique and comfortable in your personal fashion sense.

Chanel is one of the best known and renowned fashion brands in the fashion and haute couture world. The brand started off with a no-nonsense approach to fashion. The designs were produced for women to feel comfortable and look dignified. This has since been transformed into a classic, tailored style. The trademark can be seen in Chanel’s read-to-wear range, where the tailored-at-the-waist cardigan jacket is most popular and most copied. The evening wear and formal collection of Chanel tends to have an understated sex appeal, not blatantly revealing, yet exudes luxury, feminism and delicateness.

Escada is known for its clean, sleek and sophisticated look. The Escada fashion collection, spearheaded by Margarethe Ley, is known for innovative fabric and colour combinations. This appeals to the slightly more daring and makes for unique fashion statements that stand out. Escada is all about creativity in fashion, and their use of the most updated technology in creating fashion is testament to that fact.

Prada wraps old-world Italian luxury into a new world fashion design. It is innovative yet classic, understated yet unique. Its upside down triangle symbol is now famous in the fashion circles and fashionistas sporting Prada accessories are indeed in a league of their own. Their fashion line for women have been created from a careful eye to detail and a deliberate study of fashion trends and styles.

d’Italia is a designer fabric store in Melbourne, Australia. The store’s products are imported directly from Italy and its fabrics come from the same manufacturing houses that provide for designer labels like Prada, Gucci, Escada and Armani. d’Italia boasts a range of material and fabric that are often used for the creation of uniquely tailored evening wear, bridal wear and professional wear.