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About Our Eco Wedding Dresses and Formal Attire
Organic and sustainable fabrics: hemp, organic cotton, nuts and silk
What makes our eco wedding dresses so special?
Our gowns are created exclusively from sustainable fabrics, fair-trade cottons and reclaimed materials. Our hemp blends are grown without pesticides or herbicides and are colored with low-impact dyes. Even our thread is 100% certified organic cotton and/or reclaimed.
Our gowns are not only toxin-free, but are made in the USA in a non-smoking, pet allergen-free studio. This is especially good news to the very sensitive and allergy-sufferers among us, but let's face it: we all could benefit from a few less irritants in our environment!
The producers of all of our material sources are treated with respect and earn a fair living wage. No sweatshops allowed. Not only is this the kindest we can be to the earth, it's the kindest we can be to each other. We use hemp because we know are making a difference!
For those who love the look and feel of pure silk, we now offer reclaimed and vintage silk (raw silk and satin). By using reclaimed and vintage fabrics, we are not only saving materials from the landfill but we are saving future resources (and silkworms!) from needless consumption.
WE CAN NOW OFFER ECO-FRIENDLY BONING! Contact Us for details!
Our cottons are 3rd-party-certified by Control World Union Group, an independently operating organization that carries out inspections and issues certificates worldwide for sustainable production methods by supervising, testing, inspecting, assessing and certifying the products. Proof of certification is available upon request.
Our elastic is fully encased by certified organic cotton to address any possible allergies to natural rubber. The buttons we use are carved from tagua nuts and support the preservation of South American Rain Forests.
If you'd like to see our fabrics before ordering a dress, we invite you to request swatches of our eco-friendly fabrics.
Why Do We Use Exclusively Sustainable Fabrics?
Graceful wear and easy care
We know that how the bodice fits is the most critical part of any wedding gown, so each of our designs features our exclusive laced bodice closure. Not only does the lacing look fabulous and flattering, but it gives you a perfect fit with minimal alterations. It saves untold time, money and headache! Our bodices can be adjusted easily - especially helpful when toning up before the wedding! We include a removable modesty panel that can be taken out for a more revealing look. And unlike other laced panels we've seen, ours are made from 100% natural materials: no plastic, no metal pieces and no grommets. The lacing is anchored via loops of matching ribbon that we make entirely in-house.
How does the lacing work? We have a video to help you out:
How to Lace a Conscious Elegance Bodice
If you'd prefer to zip up, we can use reclaimed zipper closures too!
Bustling your gown is quick and easy. Hidden tagua nut buttons are sewn under the skirt with small elastic loops provided to hook up the train whenever you desire. We've made a (hugely successful!) video to make life that much easier:
How to Bustle a Conscious Elegance Gown
and you are always welcome to ring us for advice.
Since we use exclusively natural materials, our gowns are extremely comfortable to wear. Even better, they are hand or machine washable, unlike most synthetic wedding dresses. No expensive or toxic dry-cleaning required!
Eco-Friendly Cleaning
You should clean your gown as soon as possible after wearing. The longer you wait, the longer the stains will be allowed to set. If you use a washing machine, wash on gentle cycle in cold water with mild soap. We prefer castile soap, but fine washable laundry soap also works well. Never use chlorine bleach on silk or silk blends; it can yellow the fibers and may cause them to break down more quickly. Beware of using an alkaline shampoo or a soap that contains ingredients such as wax, petroleum, or their derivatives, as these products may leave a residue on your gown and cause "oil" spots. General Stain Removal Guides are available through many sources, including books or online searches such as Google. And here's a fabulous page of advice from Pure Natural Diva.
Hang the garment to drip-dry and iron on a high setting while damp if possible. This applies to all of our fabrics. Like our cottons, the hemp/silk blends are extremely durable, thanks to the addition of the hemp. Always try your iron out on a small, inconspicuous area first. If you wait until the gown is fully dry before pressing, you'll likely need extra steam and mist for best results. Very Important: Use only steam-distilled water in your iron. If you don't have a mist setting on your iron, then filling a clean spray bottle with water and misting the fabric as you iron it can make all the difference. It's also a good idea to press from the underside until you're sure of your iron.
We are glad to include sizable scraps of matching fabric along with your finished dress for experimentation, at no extra charge. Throw the scraps into the washing machine, hang them or press them to learn how best to care for your gown.
Storage: keeping your eco wedding gown beautiful
As with all fine natural fabrics, the best long-term storage methods are either in a cotton or muslin sheet (unbleached if possible), a cardboard box and tissue paper (acid-free most certainly) or otherwise natural wrapping. We invite you to re-use the packing materials sent with your dress; our tissue paper is preservation-grade and acid-free. There is a theory that exposure to the sun's radiation damages silk fibers, similar to the way that exposure to sunlight can damage hair. Hemp is resistant to ultra-violet light, even if silk is not; hemp increases the fabric's durability. Beware of plastic bags or boxes; they will prevent the fabric from 'breathing' and can emit fumes that lead to yellowing or mildew. While hemp is very durable, silk needs consistently dry, room-temperature air: 60-70F (15-21C). Basements may be too damp for long-term storage. You may wish to re-evaluate your storage methods every few years to be sure that your gown remains pristine.
While we know that moths will attack silk and wool, we haven't yet seen that they would be interested in hempsilk blends. That said, moth damage still might be possible. One natural (and good-smelling) moth-repelling method is to make little net or cotton bags and fill with lavender or cedarwood. Tie a ribbon at the bag's "neck" and attach it to the gown cover. We do not recommend hanging your gown for the long term; the weight might stretch the seams. However, if hanging is required then we recommend using padded hangers and suspending from the inner loops provided. 
Conscious Elegance is committed to excellence. Each dress is created with our hopes for the recipient's happiness and joy in the wearing. Some ancient teachings tell that a part of the heart is gifted in the items we create. We believe that this is true and we are honored to dedicate the gowns we create from our hearts to yours.
Namaste. |
