Your wedding dress is likely to be the most ornate and expensive piece of clothing you’ll ever own. And, like most brides, you probably have no clue how the heck to look after this pricey cloth confection that will transform you into "the bride". Here then, are a few tips to storing your dress...

• If you have your dress less than six months before the wedding, place it on a padded hanger. Don't leave it on the plastic one given by the dress salon.

• Hang it out of sunlight without anything touching it, leaving a few feet of space on all sides.

• Cover it with breathable material, such as muslin or a white cotton sheet, to protect it from dust.

• Do not use plastic because it’s not porous and traps condensation, leading to musty smells and, worse, mildew. Also, the off-gases plastic produces can cause the material to deteriorate.

If you're storing your dress for more than six months, don't hang it, which can damage the shoulders and seams, but place in an acid-free dress box.

xoxo

Cortney Z

Dress by Monique lhuillier