A knife-pleated chiffon dress is engineered, not just sewn. The pleats are heat-set, the chiffon is fine, and a little care keeps both looking exactly as they did the day they arrived. Here is how the atelier keeps a pleated dress — like the Aurelia — sharp for a lifetime.
Washing: cold, gentle, by hand
Hand-wash cold. Use a little gentle detergent in cool water, move the dress through the water without wringing, and rinse. Heat is the enemy of a heat-set pleat — never use warm or hot water, and never tumble-dry.
If you must machine-wash, use a mesh bag on the most delicate cold cycle. But hand-washing is always kinder to fine chiffon.
Drying: hang, never wring
Lift the dress out supporting its full weight, press (don't twist) excess water out with a towel, and hang it to dry on a padded hanger. The pleats will fall back into line as it dries.
Pressing: cool, on the reverse
Pleats rarely need ironing. If they do, use a cool iron on the reverse of the fabric, or a handheld steamer held a few centimeters away. Test on the inner seam first.
Storage & travel
Hang the dress rather than folding it for long-term storage. For travel, a heat-set knife pleat is remarkably forgiving — fold loosely, and a short hang (or a few minutes in a steamy bathroom) returns it to line.
Recycled chiffon is durable, but fine: keep it away from rough jewelry clasps and velcro.
Frequently Asked
- Can you machine-wash pleated chiffon?
- It's best hand-washed cold. If you machine-wash, use a mesh laundry bag on the most delicate cold cycle and never tumble-dry — heat relaxes the heat-set pleats.
- How do you get wrinkles out of a pleated dress?
- Hang it in a steamy bathroom, or use a handheld steamer held a few centimeters from the reverse of the fabric. If ironing, use a cool iron on the reverse and test on an inner seam first.
- Do heat-set pleats fall out over time?
- Properly cared for — washed cold, never tumble-dried, hung to dry — heat-set knife pleats hold their line for years. Heat is what relaxes them, so keep washing and drying cool.