Somewhere in the house, you know your dancer’s costumes are sitting in a dance bag. You have been thinking about getting them organized and properly put away. This is the nudge to finally do it.
It only takes an hour, and it is worth it. Whether you are planning to sell them, trade them, or keep them for memory’s sake, getting the costumes and their accessories sorted and stored somewhere safe will make everything easier down the road. Here is the order that works.
Step 1
Clean each costume the right way
Costumes come home with a little makeup, the odd deodorant mark, and the body oils that build up from being worn. Those oils are worth taking care of, because they are exactly what draws moths in storage. So every costume gets cleaned before it is put away, and how you clean it comes down to what it is made of.
Start with the care label. If the fabric is washable and the costume is not heavily embellished, go ahead and wash it, inside out, by hand in cool water, or on a gentle cycle if the label allows, with no wringing or twisting.
Heavily stoned, sequined, or delicate costumes are a different story, and most competition pieces fall into this group. They will not survive a wash without loosening the stones or damaging the fabric, so never machine wash, tumble dry, or dry clean them. Clean these by hand instead. Blot any marks, never rub, with a clean damp white cloth, lift stubborn spots with a gentle stain remover, and let the piece air out completely.
Either way, make sure the costume is fully dry before it goes into a bag.
Step 2
Fasten it up and smooth it out
Do up every hook, zipper, and snap before a costume goes away. Fastened closures keep the costume in its proper shape, and they stop loose hooks from snagging the fabric or the stones on whatever is stored next to it. Smooth the costume out so it is not folded against a hard crease.Step 3
Protect the rhinestones
Heat and stretching are what loosen the glue and start stones dropping off. Keep costumes out of hot cars, attics, and anywhere that bakes, and do not iron directly over stones. If a few have already popped off, fix them now while you are thinking about it. A dab of E6000 or Gem-Tac is all it takes to set them back in place for good.Step 4
Use the right bag, and let it breathe
A breathable garment bag is ideal. It keeps dust and light off the costume while still letting air move through, unlike a plastic dry cleaning bag, which traps moisture and yellows fabric over time. Look for a bag with clear vinyl panels so you can see which costume is inside without unzipping every one, and with pockets to hold the pieces that go with it.A heavily stoned or very stretchy costume is the exception. Do not leave it hanging for months, because the weight slowly pulls the fabric and it stretches out of shape for good. Fold those flat in a ventilated bin with a layer of acid-free tissue between the folds. Either way, keep bags and bins out of direct sunlight so the colors do not fade, and drop in a lavender sachet to keep moths away.
Step 5
Label it, and keep the little pieces together
Label the bag or bin with the dancer’s name, the season, the size, and the style of dance the costume was for, jazz, tap, lyrical, whatever it is. When you go looking later, that label tells you exactly what you are holding without opening a single bag.
Then round up the small pieces that always wander off, the gloves, hats, and hair pieces, and keep them with the costume they belong to. This is where a garment bag with pockets earns its keep, since every accessory has a clear spot and nothing goes missing.
Future you says thank you
Put them away right once and the job is done. Whether you end up selling them, passing them on, or keeping them for the memories, a costume that went into storage clean and cared for holds its value and still looks the part when that bag gets opened again. One hour now, and you are not staring down a pile of crumpled costumes later.
