Page 35 - Mothmageddon

JONATHAN BERLIAND & GRAHAM WARREN
Its growing popularity also owes something to major classic events as the Goodwood Revival and the rising popularity of films and tribute bands from the 60s to 80 and historical re-enactment groups.
The demand for vintage has grown to the point that it far outstrips supply. It really has gone through the roof.
There is a lurking problem however, and it’s one that if you don’t take adequate precautions is bad enough to wipe out your vintage investments in one foul swoop. That problem is moths.
So as much as you’re tempted to nab that gorgeous Lèger, Worth, Clark, Alaia or Chanel piece, it’s important to realise that it may carry more than a designer label. It may actually be harbouring something that will put all your clothes, fabrics, and carpets at home at risk – that is, the clothing moth, the enemy of all vintage fashionistas.
Rentokil revealed recently that the rising popularity of vintage clothing and the large number of people buying secondhand clothes has led to a sharp rise in the number of moth infestations being reported.
That’s because before vintage clothes appear on racks or shelves in shops or fairs or in online shops or auctions, they have often been stored in someone’s attic, loft, at the back of an old wardrobe or stuffed into a cardboard box. They are the same dark, warm places that clothing moths love to call ‘home’.
If the clothing was packed away before being cleaned, as is often the case, there’s a chance it will have attracted some attention from moths.
Clothes bought from charity shops or vintage warehouses are also at increased risk of moths because they come into contact with clothes from so many different places.
And while some vintage clothing traders would never sell any piece that hadn’t been hand-washed or dry-cleaned (not only to protect their customers and their reputation but also to protect the rest of their stock), others are not so fussy.
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