Brown Stain on 70's resortware dress: complicated fiber content - any hope?

[castanea_sue]

Hi folks,

I've got a beautiful skirt and top decorated with shells that I got from my godmother. I always thought it was in good shape, but as I got ready to photograph it today, I saw these brownish orangish stains. I can't believe I never saw them before and am very bummed as the dress is otherwise really nice with a great feel, elastic all super good, really nice fabric. I also wonder if they just "came out" from hanging in the living room with the woodstove for a few days.

The content is 58% Rayon, 28% Acrylic, 7% Cotton, 7% Wool.  The fabric is kind of a gauzy material. I have heard you can't use oxygen bleach on wool. Also, the care tag says Dry Clean. I've heard dry cleaning doesn't really take out stains, and I imagine it would be expensive.

I've attached a photo. Any thoughts?

[unknown-shopper]

That's a contemporary item or maybe since '00 or 90s. It's definitely not 70s. There is no way 70s clothing had % breakdowns which included wool with cotton, rayon and acrylic. Geez, we just got 'silky' polyester in the 70s, nevermind a complicated textured fabric like that. 

Did you try something like 91% rubbing alcohol on the stain? Or some spot lifter or stain remover? I wouldn't soak that in oxy but more because of the rayon and the weave. 7% wool is close to nothing. Oxy would break the wool fibers which may or may not make any difference (I don't think it would) but washing rayon can very easily be a total disaster and so can dealing with an open weave like that. 

[castanea_sue]

I've tried the alcohol. Also vinegar. What would you suggest in terms of spot lifter or stain remover? I'd really like to save this garment as it is so nice and otherwise in great shape.

As to age, take a look at the label. It is my understanding this version of Union Label changed in 1974.

[divwido]

Have you talked to a dry cleaner?  They might have more ideas.

[castanea_sue]

I haven't, actually. I had heard they weren't that good at taking out stains, and I thought it would be too expensive. I paid $20 to clean a newer wool jacket of mine, and there weren't any stains. That's a lot to recoup.

[unknown-shopper]

That black version of the label was used from '88 to '95. The blue one is the 70s stuff that changed to red/white/blue in '74 and then used till '95.

They don't cover it on the vfg website (which is not the be-it-end-all of vintage), but look at the chart #2 on the bottom left of the page - click on that and you'll see the black label stuff

https://vintagefashionguild.org/label-resource/ilgwu

[unusual_retail]

Maybe try a rust remover, it is kind of a last resort like OxyClean.

[graceanddisgracevintage]

You could try Vanish carpet stain remover foam but do try it on a hidden part of garment just in case.