Style by Dependable Is Couture Cleaning for Your Trickiest Wears

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Grid View

Expand

• Wine stain on white...ever been a victim of this trauma?
• After a thorough steaming, Style works on stains by tamping with a brush, never rubbing.
• Some more magic—seriously, it was like magic to watch this several minute long process—and voila...
• Stain busted!

Ever wonder what happens after you drop off blouses and cocktail dresses at the cleaner? Us too, which is why we went behind the scenes at one of the largest local cleaners, Dependable Cleaners—to dive into its Style couture service. No, the term doesn't define the accepted wardrobe items; rather, Style works on each delivered piece individually, giving difficult fabrics or tricky stains the attention they deserve.

We stopped by the chain's Dorchester spot, which serves as a hub for unique garments coming from its Brookline, Watertown, and two Newbury Street locations. This facility handles over 14,000 items weekly, whereas the Style sector of the business takes on about 200 items with five dedicated employees working on those red wine splashes and orange spray tan marks. A series of inspections from start to finish identifies the fiber content of your clothing, the best way to treat it, any alterations needed, and even sweater measurements to ensure they don't shrink up to a baby's size. Buttons come off (wouldn't want to hurt that genuine pearl or logo), gems are covered, and spot cleaning is plotted.

The five Style inspections contrast with three given to regular service items, and a four day average turnaround is required for hand-sewing every last button, hand-folding shirts, and painstakingly pressing each garment inside and out on a variety of machines. Whitening is labor intensive, with blemishes being treated through a series of steam blasts, pH treated cleaning solutions, brush tamping, and finished with a wisp of air—all before your clothing goes into the actual wash, where Style uses ten pound loads versus the seventy pound quantity found in traditional cleaning.

Dragging dresses be damned: Style places gowns in garment bags with handles and bottom closure. Breathable packaging keep apparel tidy when it comes home, offering the opportunity to store things properly long-term in your closet. Vintage restoration and home accessories (like fine linens) are additional specialties of the Style service, as well as bridal, leather, and fur care. True jetsetters can indulge in concierge service, with the Style team preparing any vacation wardrobe and shipping it to your far-flung destination. But for the majority of us, rest easy knowing that next time you ruin a champagne silk dress with a bubbly spill, Style will be there to make it better.
· Style by Dependable [Official Site]