Best way to store costumes?

[Surida]

I'm sure this has been on before - but I can't see it. What is the best way to store costumes? At first I hung my lycra costumes in the closet and then worried they would stretch. Now they are in plastic boxes with silica gel to keep moisture out but when I take out a lycra skirt it is all wrinkled.

Any ideas would be great! Help please

[Lesgemini_Zafirah]

I'm a new "bhuzzer" and I just got my first brand new costume (from Aziza). At the moment, it's just spread out on a bed in our guest room and my husband keeps giving "the stink eye" in general vicinity of the guest room (since I've also spread out all my jewelry on the bed to see what matches, and hipscarves are spread out all over the floor). I have a feeling that in the very near future I'm going to be required to store my "bling" somewhere and would like to do so with the most minimal disturbance to my costume material.

I'm afraid I'm even further behind you in the "storage knowledge" area. Hey, what is silica gel, what's it for, and how do I get some for my costume?

[mahira-michelle]

I keep mine in large plastic boxes. Much larger than the costume so it's not squished in the box. I take out the costume a day before I want to wear it and lat it flat on the guest bed and I've had good luck with that.

[Surida]

Originally Posted by Lesgemini_Zafirah

I'm a new "bhuzzer" and I just got my first brand new costume (from Aziza). At the moment, it's just spread out on a bed in our guest room and my husband keeps giving "the stink eye" in general vicinity of the guest room (since I've also spread out all my jewelry on the bed to see what matches, and hipscarves are spread out all over the floor). I have a feeling that in the very near future I'm going to be required to store my "bling" somewhere and would like to do so with the most minimal disturbance to my costume material.

I'm afraid I'm even further behind you in the "storage knowledge" area. Hey, what is silica gel, what's it for, and how do I get some for my costume?

I took over the guest room - it is now my sewing and dance room - absolutely no room left for any guests!

Silica gel comes in small little packets often with shoes that you buy. I haven't had to purchase any since I buy almost as many shoes as I do bellydance gear. I bet you can find it on ebay!

[Shadiyah_dances]

Hat boxes with silica gel packets or sachets of baking soda in the box are great! Pillow cases work well too as they allow air to circulate and reduce chances of mold & bacteria buildup. I've found plastic boxes, even with silica gel cause odor problems.

I learned from another dancer that actually hat boxes of various sizes work great for bedlahs and even lycra costumes. Never hang the lycra as it will stretch.

When I take multiple costumes to gigs, when I have to change, I wrap them in bath size towels, let them air a bit between sets, then wrap then back up to take home. This helps to absord the sweat. When I get home, everything comes out, gets sprayed down with a 50/50 solution of vodka/water to eliminate smells (hookahs) and kill bacteria. I hang them (lycra skirts folded in half on a heavy duty pants hanger) in the window of my studio/costume room with the windows open to air out for 1-2 days. Smells gone and helps prevent bacteria buildup. When they are all dry, then I carefully fold then back into the hat boxes and store them on a shelf. Wrinkling so far hasn't been a problem and I thought it would be too!

If your costume has it's own matching jewelry, you can store it in the box so it's really quick to grab a costume and go or keep it in the car for emergency subbing gigs!

Of to mention, full skirts and cover-ups are hung on a rolling rack... ;)

[tahiradancer]

I am getting an old fashioned wardrobe / armoire. Skirts, veils and cover ups are to be hung. Bedlah in a cotton bag made from an old pillow case or sheet goes in the kind of shoe or sweater organizer which attaches over the clothing bar. Odds and ends of things go into the drawer at the bottom. Lavendar sachets are sprinkled through out.

{{{HUGS}}}

[Adishakti]

Unbeaded costume items like galabeyas, chiffon or velvet skirts are all hanging on a rolling rack. (I've taken over the front porch with my soap stuff and costumes).

My more elaborate/beaded costumes like bedlahs and beaded bra/skirt sets are all stacked in clear plastic boxes. After each wear, I spray the insides with a vodka/water solution and lay them out to dry. The beaded skirts are neatly folded in the boxes too.

I have a garment bag that I pack with costumes before each show. It has all my dance things like an extra makeup bag, dance shoes, backup CD's, gold and silver jewelry, socks, underwear, etc, etc... I always gather my costumes & music, etc the day before each show, so the skirts and veils get hung in the open garment bag, and the bra in a fabric zippered bag in a pocket. Then, just as I'm heading out the door, I zipper it up and head out... usually wrinkle free!

All my shoes and other small accessories are hanging on the garment rack in one of those canvas shoe-rack thingies and I hang my veils on a rack that hangs on the back of the door. They do get a little wrinkled where they're hanging on the hook, but I just pass the iron over them quickly is all. A better alternative might be to hang them over a wooden hanger on the rolling rack... but I.. um... ran out of room. :-\

[severina]

We have precious little closet space in our house, so I bought this from Target and keep all my costume pieces in it. Bedlah stack nicely on the shelves and my skirts and veils hang in the hanging section. I stole this idea from someone on a thread on the old Bhuz...Galatea maybe?

[mahira-michelle]

I haven't had a problem with odor from storing my costumes in the boxes, but I usually leave them laid out on the guest bed for a few days before I put them in the boxes.
I've never heard of spraying them with a vodka/water solution. Where did you learn that? Is it 50/50? It doesn't stain or leave spots? Is that safe to do on all costumes? Lycra, velvet?

[tahiradancer]

mahira - she learned it here on Bhuz! I use a 2/1 water to vodka solution. Some people use 1/1 others use 3/1. The vodka acts as a disinfectant. I haven't had it stain as there is no oil or colour in it.

And for this you can use cheap vodka! Safe the Finlandia for the guests! ;-)

[[[hugs}}}

[ouroboros]

I store bedlah on hanging closet shoe racks (bra on one side, belt on the other). Velvet & lycra costumes get aired for a couple of days, then get stored in coloured fabric bags on a shelf.

[Surida]

Wow! Thank you all for your very helpful information, I will put it to good use as my collection is forever growing!

[Lesgemini_Zafirah]

Surida, I dove into my closet and started trolling all my shoe boxes for the silica gel packets-hehehe

[Surida]

Originally Posted by Lesgemini_Zafirah

Surida, I dove into my closet and started trolling all my shoe boxes for the silica gel packets-hehehe

So did you get lucky and realize that you just have to go buy more shoes?

[Lesgemini_Zafirah]

I'm not my husband's favorite person right now--he has no closet space, in our closet nor in the guest rooms! Plus, we just got our credit card bill
Luckily(?) my recent shoe purchases are not on this one yet...!
The thing is, I've already got an excuse to tell him: Being Filipino, have thousands of shoes is my heritage--it's called the "Imelda Complex."

[Lauren_]

Thank you all for the inspiration!

Mine had been in pillowcases in a cedar chest, but it was disorganized & hard to put things away/find things.

I moved a hanging sweater thingie into my cedar-lined wardrobe and put my bedlah on that, and hung my skirts beside it. I'm already running out of space in the wardrobe & don't have everything moved yet, but I'm REALLY enjoying opening the door & seeing all the sparklies!!!! And I feel so <stuttering> o...or...org..or...organized.

[Surida]

Originally Posted by Lesgemini_Zafirah

The thing is, I've already got an excuse to tell him: Being Filipino, have thousands of shoes is my heritage--it's called the "Imelda Complex."

So mixed in with all the new shoes I hope you found some silica gel!

[deelybopper]

Recent thread on this topic on old Bhuz is here:
http://ads.bhuz.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=25693

D

[Surida]

Originally Posted by deelybopper

Recent thread on this topic on old Bhuz is here:
http://ads.bhuz.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=25693

D

Thanks, I knew that there had been one but couldn't find it.