Clothing FAQS

How do I care for my Cotton clothing ?

How do I care for my Satin clothing?

How do I care for my Satin Twill clothing?

How do I tie up my Bustle skirt?

How do I clean my Steel Hoop Petticoat?

How do I measure myself for proper fit?

Why does my new garment sometimes have white marks on them?

Why does my new garment sometimes have a chemical smell?

How do I care for my COTTON clothing ?

Washing:
Most of our clothing is a blend of 97% cotton and 3% lycra spandex. It is strongly recommended that this garment should be washed in cold water with a mild detergent. If the garment is white, please use a color safe bleach or you may end up with a yellow or gray item instead!

Drying:
Because there is so much cotton in this garment, we strongly suggest that you hang the item to dry as it may shrink as much as 3 inches in the dryer. You could also dry it for a couple of minutes on low to get the majority of water out and then hang it. It is likely to shrink a tiny bit, but for some people, this may be desirable.

Spot Cleaning:
I have found that using something as simple as Hydrogen Peroxide applied with a Q-Tip on light colored clothing will take away a variety of stains without harming the material. I usually dip the Q-Tip into the Hydrogen Peroxide and rub it on the stain. Most of the time the stain will lighten up immediately. I then use a hand dryer on low in small circles to dry the spot so it won't leave a ring. This is a really good way to clean a spot when you need to wear (or are wearing!) the garment.

You can try this also on dark clothing, but test a little spot under the hem first to make sure that it won't lighten the material. If it does, Joann Fabrics, Michael's and just about any craft store will carry a fabric pen to re-darken the spot. These pens are EXCELLENT to have around anyway just in case you get a bleach drop on your favourite black shirt!

How do I care for my SATIN clothing ?

Washing:
Our Satin clothing is a 97% cotton & 3% polyester. The Men's Elegant long cravat shirt is now made of a 97% cotton and 3% rayon blend. It is strongly recommended that these garments should be washed in cold water by hand (or in a gentle cycle) with a mild detergent. If the garment is white, please use a color safe bleach or you may end up with a yellow or gray item instead!

Drying:
We strongly suggest that you hang the item to dry as it may shrink up to an inch in the dryer. You could also dry it for a couple of minutes on low to get the majority of water out and then hang it. DO NOT iron unless you cover the item with a cotton pillow case and iron over that on a low setting to protect your item.

Spot Cleaning:
Spot clean this material with a damp cloth and a mild detergent(if needed). The Hydrogen Peroxide method is also safe for light colored satin items.

How do I care for my SATIN TWILL clothing ?

Washing:
Our satin twill clothing is a 50% polyester 50% cotton blend. It is strongly recommended that this garment be dry cleaned ONLY!

Spot Cleaning:
Spot clean this material with a damp cloth and a mild detergent(if needed).

How do I tie up my BUSTLE skirt?

1. Lie the skirt down with the back facing up. If you have a double bustle skirt, you'll notice two pairs of strings and only one pair on the single bustle skirt.
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2. Take one pair of the strings in one hand and push the skirt up one of the strings with the other hand.

3. Once you've pushed the skirt as high as you want it, tie off the pair of strings in a bow. Double knot the bow to keep it in place. Untie the bustle for washing.

How do I clean my Steel Hoop Petticoat?:

While this may seem like a daunting task, once you get the first hoop out, it should be quite simple.

1. Start with the bottom hoop and feel around for where it overlaps. Very close to this area, there should be a small hole in the strip that holds the hoop in.

2. Pull the hoop completely apart while it is still encased in the fabric (there should be one end with a rubber cylinder and one plain end).

3. Once the ends are apart, you can remove the hoop from the petticoat through the hole you found. Set the hoop aside and do the same for the rest of the hoops. It may be a good idea to put them aside in order of size as the smaller hoops will be similar and you don't want to put them back in the wrong slots.

4. Hand wash the petticoat in cold soapy water and hang to dry. Please don't put it in the washer as it may shred it and the dryer may fry it!

5. Once the petticoat is dry, put the hoops back in the right order. Once the hoop is all the way back in it's slot, then you can slip the plain end into the rubber cylinder on the other end (this is also how you adjust the hoops to wear with different size skirts.

Why does my new garment sometimes have white marks on them?

Each piece of our Retroscope Fashions clothing is hand made. Occasionally the person sewing your garment may forget to completely wipe away all traces of the fabric chalk. The light marks are usually only noticable on cotton items. If this happens, you can wipe the spot with a damp cloth and it will come right off. If you wash the item before you wear it, all traces of this chalk will be easily washed away.

Why does my new clothing sometimes have a chemical smell?

Sometimes your dark cotton clothing may have a chemical smell to it. This is a treatment to keep the dark color from fading. It will go away right after the first washing.