Dan Eisen

enim looks are very big with some fashionable changes. The low-riding trend or hip hugging trend is now fashionable among jean manufacturers. The jeans trend has been spearheaded by celebrities such as Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and Beyonce Knowles. The low-riding trend brings the jeans below what is

considered your normal waistline. The seam between the crotch and the waist is called a rise. A normal rise in Lee jeans is about 11 inches. To create hip-hugging jeans, manufacturers such as Mark Jacobs and Jill Stuart are chopping down the jeans to a seven-inch rise. Some jeans carried by Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom have an even lower rise.

What does this mean to the cleaner? It means that the shrinkage potential in length, width and rise is critical for the fit of the jeans. In wetcleaning, jeans should be turned inside out and limited agitation should be used to avoid dye crocking.

Acid based cationic detergents are best for dye setting. When drying denims, they should be dried inside out to 90 percent dry.

What is 90 percent dry? It means that they are fairly dry except for the dampness of the seams. When finishing jeans, pull and stretch jeans by length and width, and stretch from the crotch to the waist to reduce shrinkage in the rise of the jeans.

Leather is very popular and includes numerous looks such as smooth, distressed, tooled or painted. My advice to cleaners is to send leathers out to a professional suede and leather cleaner. Professional suede and leather cleaners have a better ability to deal with leather and the potential problems.

The criteria for a completed leather garment by professional leather cleaners is far superior than cleaners can obtain by doing it themselves. I have known cleaners who, when the leather comes out of cleaning, view it as a completed garment. Professional leather cleaners will refinish leathers to improve the look and to cover defects in the skin.

Corduroy. Fine wales corduroy is fashionable in both pants and dresses. Ribs or cords observed in corduroy fabrics are referred to as wales. Fine wales differ from wide wales, which tend to shine when flattened. Fine wales in corduroy can withstand some head pressure in finishing without causing shine.

Quilted fabrics will be big in jackets and vests. The filler may be polyester or down. Polyester filled garments require low heat when drying. Wetcleaning is considered a safer process for quilted garments due to linings and coating that cannot withstand drycleaning solvent.

Matte jersey is fashionable, especially with a rayon fiber content. These garments are usually heavily sized and almost always cut on a bias. When spotting, spot in small areas to avoid sizing distortion. Do not wetclean rayon biased garments.

Lace will be used in halters under tailored jackets. Use net bags when cleaning lace to avoid snagging.

Fur Trimming. Fur collars, fur cuffs and fur-covered buttons are fashionable. When fur trimming becomes fashionable, we can expect that imitation fur will also be used. Fur collars and trimmings can be cleaned in a short run and dried at temperatures no higher than 140° F. Remove fur covered buttons for safety. Do not steam real or imitation fur trimming.

Embroidery. Detailing will be found on hemlines and cuffs. Ruffles will be found around the neckline. Watch out for wetside spotting that could produce bleeding on to the embroidery. Test before attempting wetside spotting.

Color. Black is the dominant fall and winter color. The runner up is chocolate brown. What this means is that your solvent will continue to be contaminated with dye. Clean all dark runs on a batch run and send the contaminated solvent to the still. When extracting also send the solvent to the still.

Prints are fashionable in polka dots and geometric circles. They can be surface or pigment prints which are readily affected by a long drycleaning run. Prints used for silk and rayons are usually affected by wetside chemicals. Test before spotting.

Wide stripes can be horizontal in a straight skirt or top and diagonal in a biased cut skirt. Distortion of the biased cut skirt will also cause distortion of the stripes. Inspect at the counter before processing.

Dan Eisen recently retired as chief garment analyst for the Neighborhood Cleaners Association after 33 years with that organization. He is available for seminars, consultations and independent garment analysis. He also has published a book, “The Art of Spotting,” which is an indexed compilation of articles he wrote for National Clothesline and NCA over the past three decades. He can be reached at (561) 340-0909. His address is 274 NW Toscane Trail, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986.