With that type of garment, it's easy to "see" your dilemma. The fabric is probably too sheer to do an iron-on, stitching will show, a dart may look out of place, and if it's not close enough to a seam to taper, that just about takes care of all the "simple" options.

We suggest that you add a design or accent to the area. By doing this, you can stitch or bond and reinforce as you like. Whether you can affectively add a design to the area without drawing undo attention to the spot, is your call. But you could duplicate the same design or emblem across from it or in the general area to make it look like it belongs.

A good seamstress or designer with an imagination can do wonders, so think about consulting with one of ours.

We wish we had a simple "yes" to this question but it's usually a big "MAYBE" instead. Margaret's has a massive stock of beading and trim and has manufacture resources available too. In many cases if we cannot get an exact match the replacement will be so close that ONLY YOU will notice it. We are also able to "move" and redistribute beads or trim to cover the damaged areas.

Your drycleaner may have a wax stick that you can use to lubricate the zipper. If not, they could also replace it with a higher-quality zipper.

This is an age old problem with Velvet, with darker colors presenting the most challenge. You probably have sewing holes and matted velvet, where pressure flattened the fabric. Velvet is a pile fabric, so the nap is easily crushed — not just by old sewing machine holes and stitching, but also by alcohol and liquid spills, as well as perspiration. It is very hard to “lift” the nap of Velvet, even for professional drycleaners with the best equipment.

A drycleaner can open the seams, steam and brush the velvet, and remove many of the marks. Be very specific about your expectations, but the cleaner should be able to test the fabric and give you a prognosis.