Spring wedding dress (and wedding party fashion) – tips from a dry cleaner.

Spring wedding season is a celebration of renewal, romance, and style. Blossoming flowers and soft breezes create a picture-perfect backdrop. This is the season of flowing fabrics, vintage lace, floral appliqués, and dresses that move like poetry.

But while the magic of a gown starts at the boutique, it truly comes to life in the final touches. As a couture dry cleaner, we specialize in luxury garment care for every step of the wedding journey. From first fittings to final preservation, we offer trusted, personalized services for the entire wedding party.

Pre-Wedding Services: From First Fitting to Final Steam

Your gown deserves to fit flawlessly—and so does every piece worn by your bridal party. Our pre-wedding services ensure that each garment is cleaned, pressed, tailored, and ready for the big day.

Alterations & Tailoring Hallak’s in-house tailors are experienced in couture craftsmanship. We specialize in delicate alterations, intricate beading, lace placement, and shaping garments. This same expertise extends to bridesmaids’ dresses, mothers’ gowns, and suiting for the groom and groomsmen.

Vintage & Heirloom Gown Care Planning to wear a treasured family gown? Our vintage gown restoration service revives older fabrics and removes discoloration. Preserve the beauty of your heirloom while making it wedding-ready. Interested in an estimate? Email bridal@hallak.com.

Sample Gown Cleaning Purchased your dress from a trunk show or sample sale? Sample gowns often need a fresh start. We clean and refresh the fabric, removing any showroom residue so your gown is ready for alterations or storage.

Pressing & Steaming Services The final step before the aisle is one of the most important: finishing. Our pressing and steaming services ensure that every gown, veil, tuxedo, and dress is wrinkle-free and ready to wear. We’ll coordinate timing for delivery or pickup so your wedding wardrobe arrives pristine.

Pre-Wedding Service Tips

• Schedule early fittings: Don’t wait until the last minute. If possible, book alterations and tailoring at least 6–8 weeks before your wedding.

• Clean after alterations: If you purchased a sample gown, we suggest cleaning after alterations. During the fittings, your gown is going to be handled a lot.

• Press just before the big day: Plan to have your gown and wedding party outfits professionally steamed or pressed prior to the big day.

Post -Wedding Services: Preserving the Moment

Once the celebration is over, your wedding garments deserve the same attention they received before the big day. Hallak Cleaners’ post-wedding services are designed to clean and preserve your memories.

Gown Cleaning Your wedding day is full of movement—dancing, walking, and celebrating can all leave invisible stains behind. Specialized cleaning targets everything from dirt at the hem to champagne spills, makeup, and sweat. Every gown is treated individually with techniques that protect the fabric’s integrity.

Gown Preservation We offer museum-quality preservation for wedding gowns, veils, and accessories. Using acid-free materials and archival packaging, we protect your dress from discoloration, moisture, and fabric breakdown. Whether you’re saving it for future generations or simply for the memory, your gown deserves a timeless resting place.

Accessory Care From embellished veils and custom gloves to belts, wraps, and detachable trains—we professionally clean and, when desired, preserve each item as part of your wedding ensemble.

Post-Wedding Service Tips

• Act fast on stains: Bring your gown in for cleaning as soon as possible—stains like champagne or makeup can set over time and become harder to remove.

• Preserve it properly: Store your gown in a climate-controlled space only after it’s been cleaned and preserved using acid-free materials. Avoid plastic covers or cardboard boxes.

Caring for the Entire Wedding Party

While the bride may take center stage, we offer expert garment care for everyone involved in your celebration. Our services extend to:

• Groom & groomsmen: Tailoring, shirt laundry, pressing, and cleaning of suits, tuxedos, and accessories

• Bridesmaids & mothers: Dress alterations, pressing, and delicate fabric handling

Our goal is to eliminate stress and ensure every garment is perfectly prepared for the big day.

Why Choose a Couture Dry Cleaner?

Your wedding wardrobe is not the place for shortcuts. We specialize in caring for high-end fashion, vintage fabrics, and delicate bridal wear that requires expert attention. As a family-owned couture cleaner with decades of experience, we understand both the emotional and practical value of your garments.

Our wedding services come with:

• Personalized consultations

• Detailed inspections and custom treatment plans

• Eco-conscious cleaning methods

• Free pick-up and delivery across Manhattan, Bergen County, Westchester, Greenwich, Short Hills, and the Hamptons (seasonally)

Your Wedding Wardrobe, Perfectly Cared For

Every dress, suit, and accessory carries a memory—and we’re here to help you protect it. From the first fitting to final preservation, our team is honored to be part of your wedding story. Let us take care of the details, so you can focus on what matters most: celebrating love.

Ready to begin? Schedule a pre-wedding consultation or post-event gown cleaning today.

This week,  we celebrate and remember Mr. Joseph Hallak, Sr.

Mr. Joseph Hallak, Sr., was a true visionary.  With his vision, dedication and strong work ethic, he created what you now know is Hallak Cleaners.  Today, Mr Hallak’s sons – John-Claude and Joseph Hallak, Jr. – continue to keep their father’s legacy alive.  Additionally their brother, Robert Hallak, is a master interior, suede, and leather specialist.  Together, these inspiring sons carry on their parents’  dream.

Most importantly, Hallak carries on the values of a true family-owned and operated business that values our clients and team. You can learn more about our history here.

And to you, thank you for your years of loyalty and taking time to remember Mr. Joseph Hallak, Sr. May his memory live on forever.

Interested in learning more about the Met Gala 2025 theme?​

Often hailed as fashion’s most prestigious night, the Met Gala is an annual fundraising event. It supports the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. The philanthropic moment provides necessary funding for exhibitions, acquisitions, and other improvements.

The star-studded affair draws celebrities, designers, and pop cultural icons. Fashion enthusiasts look forward to seeing each attendee. Wondering what interpretations we will see of the event’s unique annual theme. As you may know, the theme dictates the official dress code.

2025s Theme: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”

Dress Code: “Tailored for You”

Co-Sponsor: Louis Vuitton

This year’s Met Gala Co-Chairs: Pharrell Williams (LV’s Men’s Creative Director), Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, and Anna Wintour.

Honorary Co-Chair: LeBron James will serve as an honorary chair.

Peek at some of the Host Committee members: André 3000, Simone Biles, Jonathan Owens, Grace Wales Bonner, Jordan Casteel, Dapper Dan, Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, Edward Enninful, Rashid Johnson, Regina King, Spike Lee, Audra McDonald, Janelle Monáe, Angel Reese, Sha’Carri Richardson, Olivier Rousteing, USHER, Kara Walker, and more.

“Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” pays homage to Black dandyism. The event and Met Costume exhibition are inspired by Monica Miller’s book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. Professor Monica L. Miller (Barnard College) served as the Guest Curator for the exhibit featuring over 200 fashion items. The dress code has a strong focus on men’s tailoring, high-style menswear, and concept of Dandyism. We are interested to see the attendee’s personal style intertwine with such a deep-rooted exhibition theme. It has been twenty years since an exhibit exclusively focus on menswear and with such rich history behind it. Visit the museum from May 10 through October 26, 2025. Be sure to visit and explore meaningful conversations meant to be had.

History of the Met Gala

As a couture dry cleaner, we are right there with the rest of you come Met Gala season. First, it is the theme announcement. Trying to guess or imagine what the designers will think of next. They surely outdo themselves each and every year.

While we have seen many luxury items walk through our door, there are those extra special items. The Met Gala inspires fashion that goes beyond fashion’s runway. They are pieces of art that may be made of outrageous textiles in gravity-defying shapes.

Initially, the Met Gala was more known simply as a fundraising event for the Costume Institute. The gala evolved into a highly-anticipated and watched fashion event. Forever flocked by celebrities and designers. The who’s who of guest lists. And reminding us the power of style with each annual fashion exhibition. On the first Monday in May, the Met hosts the annual gala.

Today’s Met Gala pushes boundaries and challenges designers to create in a way much different than what they are presenting in the own fashion houses. It’s always exciting to see each designer’s individual take on a Met Gala theme. And after the excitement has passed, we are here to clean and preserve those artworks for years to come.

The Importance of This Annual Event

The Met Gala, also known as the Costume Institute Gala,  is one of the most high-profile events in the fashion industry. It is also one of the biggest nights of fashion each year. And every year, paparazzi and those at home wait to see what celebrities, fashion designers, and other famous people will be wearing. As soon as the high-profile guests start arriving, fashion magazines and bloggers begin their best dressed lists and who’s who of the evening.

Designers showcase their work on this special evening. Often, attendees are wearing works-of-art and custom-made garments. Many are designed specifically for this event. In addition to the art and excitement, all the exposure also puts a spotlight on these designers.

In addition, designers are also setting the tone for upcoming fashion trends. Breathtaking Met Gala dresses are used as inspiration for more scaled-down versions. If you’re a fan of the Met Gala, you’re aware of some of the stunning but impossible designs that have made their way up their steps. Most people would not have the luxury of people following us to carry our train on an evening out. (If we could, we would though. What a dramatic entrance!)

Rightfully so, the Met Gala has become a cultural phenomenon. Millions of people around the world tune in to see what A-lister attendees are wearing and how they interpret the theme of the event. This widespread interest in the Met Gala has made it an important event in popular culture. It truly an annual iconic fashion moment.

The Met Gala Theme

As a global event, the The Met Gala theme is actually known well-before any of the fashion graces our screen. It is chosen by the Costume Institute’s curator in collaboration with the museum’s staff and outside consultants (e.g. fashion designers, historians, and other experts).

Months before the event, designers and celebrities learn of the Met Gala theme. Then, fashion designers and attendees (mostly, celebrities) collaborate to create an outfit that reflects the theme in their own unique way. It truly is quite amazing what type of creations will be exhibited.

In 2023, the theme was “In Honor of Karl”. The Costume Institute’s Karl Lagerfeld exhibition showcases over 150 pieces of work. Known for his work at many luxury design houses, celebrities and designers paid tribute in their own way.

Like 2023, the themes are often tied to the Costume Institute’s exhibitions. These museum exhibits’ showcase extensive collections of fashion and costume history. Alternatively, a Met Gala themes can also be broader cultural or historical concepts. When deciding on the theme, the main goal is to provide a unifying concept that is also inspirational. After all, it is the memorable fashion that has as tuning in every year.

Past Met Gala Themes Included

• World of Balenciaga (1973)
• The Eighteenth Century Woman (1981)
• Haute Couture (1995)
• The House of Chanel (2005)
• Punk: Chaous to Couture (2013)
• Camp: Notes on Fashion (2019)

Iconic Dresses

They came for the fashion.  At Hallak, we are fortunate enough to see couture evening gowns regularly. But nothing quite compares to the outfits worn at the Met Gala. (Perhaps, a custom wedding gown that shows the same attention to detail and unique fabrics.)

Caring for these items also requires a unique process. Like any garment that comes through our door, the Hallak team examines from top to bottom. We are looking for signs of wear-and-tear, fabric condition, ornamentation, and the design itself. Depending on the item, a cleaning department expert will then determine the amount of spot cleaning, solvent(s) needed, and finishing required.

Fashion designers and their teams work tirelessly on these creations. So it’s important to take the necessary steps in providing the expert care needed to preserve them properly. Of course, we provide the same level of care for any garment that walks through our door.

2025s Classic Menswear Focus

With a focus on classic menswear staples, there is sure to be some well-fitted garments on this year’s red carpet. Curious fashion lovers such as ourselves can’t wait to see the creations that speak to the context of Dandyism. While it is fun to see celebrity outfits, this year is that much more special. It is a teachable moment for many.

Luxury puffer jackets are ideal for staying warm and stylish. They often become a staple in your winter wardrobe. By being your go-to outerwear, their care can often be neglected or pushed off.

Due to their unique materials and insulation, puffers and down jackets require special care. Proper cleaning helps maintain their appearance and functionality. So don’t toss your coat into the washing machine and get those tennis balls out just yet.

Puffer Jacket vs Down Coat

Puffers and down jackets share similarities, but they are not interchangeable. The key distinction lies in the insulation properties. Sometimes, it’s not about the jacket material but what’s inside that counts.

When we think of a puffer jacket. you immediately think of the quilted design. Typically, the jacket is filled with a synthetic insulation. Often, puffers are lightweight, breathable, and have water-resistant properties. From cropped to full length, there is a puffer for everyone. Bonus- they come in a rainbow of colors! (And some designers are offering full personalization such as Moncler.)

Down jackets are filled with the down from ducks and geese; there are fluffy clusters that are found underneath the feathers. This type of natural down is an excellent natural insulator. What makes it really special is that it provides warmth without being heavy. Due to the fluffiness, pockets of air get trapped and retain heat.

To keep it simple, all down jackets are puffers. All puffers are not down jackets because they may have a synthetic insulation. One is not necessarily better than the other. It is more about personal preference.

Can You Wash a Puffer Jacket or Down Coat?

Depending on your jacket, you may be able to machine wash at home. Before cleaning any item (especially luxury!), be sure to inspect the care label. Follow those instructions and consider speaking with your boutique’s sales team. They may be able to answer any additional questions you may have.

Hallak Cleaners has long-standing relationships with many of Manhattan’s boutiques. With our expertise and passionate customer service, we have become partners with many coveted designers.

Why Professional Care Matters

Puffer jackets are more complex than they seem. The delicate balance between the outer fabric, the filling, and the stitching requires expert handling. Improper washing can lead to clumping of the insulation, loss of loft, and damage to water-resistant coatings. A professional dry cleaner ensures:

• Proper Cleaning
• Fluff and Puff Preservation
• Longer Lifespan

From working closely with so many luxury puffer jackets (Canada Goose, Moncler, and more), our cleaning department are experts. They have seen pretty much every style possible. From standard parkas to jackets that light up (yes, light up!), Hallak is the answer. (We also offer cleaning for any hoods with fur.)

Professional Care & Repair

For many, their puffers and down jackets become a daily necessity or the weekend grab-and-go outerwear. Throughout the day, we are drinking, eating, leaning, and anything else that comes up. Stains are inevitable. Even simply wearing your jacket will result in wear-and-tear. Some of the most likely trouble areas are near the zipper, collar, and wrists. Before putting away your favorite puffer, it is important to inspect for signs of your day.

Spills, general wear-and-tear, and other trouble spots should be taken care of as soon as possible. If your puffer jacket has visible stains or has lost its fluffiness, it’s time for some TLC. Preventative cleaning removes dirt and oils from breaking down. With expert techniques and attention to detail, we’ll keep your luxury outerwear ready for every winter adventure.

Hallak Cleaners Expert Services

Hallak Cleaners offers nationwide professional cleaning and minor repairs. At times, we are also able to spot-clean an item. However, spot cleaning is not always advisable since it can leave an obvious ring on the outer shell fabric. When in doubt, bring in your jacket for an in-person consultation.

Our cleaning department has the proper cleaning solution for any fabric. Every jacket dry cleaning process is unique to its fabric, style, and dirty spots. There is also the science of different stain removers for different kinds of stains – oil-based or water-based.

In addition to cleaning, we also offer additional repairs and zipper replacement. You love your favorite jacket. We totally get it. That’s why we offer expert repairs to keep your beloved jacket in the rotation.

Hallak offers free pick-up and delivery in Manhattan, Bergen County, Westchester, and Greenwich.

Your Outerwear’s Journey

All garments and outerwear that come through our store are thoroughly inspected. From tears to a stuck zipper, our team catches it all. Troublesome spots. Bad stains. Ripped boudins. Next, your jacket receives spot treatment prior to the proper dry cleaning process. Once cleaned, your jacket will receive another inspection.

When summed up like this, it seems like a simple process. Of course, we skipped over the intricate details of determining a stain and the proper stain removal treatment. Or how to expertly repair a jacket tear so it’s hardly a blemish visible to the eye.

When it comes to insulated outerwear, it is important to stress that following your item’s cleaning instructions is vital. If the label says dry clean only, we advise you to follow the instructions. It’s not just because we are a dry cleaner. It’s we have met many upset people at our counter requesting us to ‘save’ their favorite jacket. Why not skip the stress and trust the professionals from the beginning?

Schedule Hallak’s dry cleaning service today.