The most expensive dress you'll probably ever buy is the one you'll wear just once: your wedding gown.

Still, you want to make sure it lasts, at least till your daughter is old enough to laugh uproariously when you suggest she wear it at her own wedding.

Have the gown cleaned professionally before you store it, the Soap and Detergent Association recommends. Stains that you can't see now may show up later. If the trim can't withstand dry cleaning, remove it beforehand and reattach it afterward.

Stuff the bodice with white, acid-free tissue paper to prevent wrinkles and creases, and remove fabric-covered buttons, pins, sponge padding and perspiration shields that could damage the fabric. Hang the gown on a hanger and wrap it in a white sheet or muslin, or wrap it in white, acid-free tissue paper and pack it in a box.

Store the gown in a cool, dry place, such as under a bed. Basements are usually too damp; attics, too hot.

© 2002, Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio).
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.