Before treatment
Trousers
Chris Seydou
Mali
1992
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cotton
The is a pair of plain weave undyed cotton trousers designed by Chris Seydou. They have a side zip and button closure and center pleats on the front and back. They are capri length There is a paper label stapled on the front of the left leg.
Condition Before Treatment
The trousers are in structurally stable with no concerns. They were in fair to poor aesthetic condition with overall yellowing, as well as purple stains with harsh edges, possibly offset, and brown-yellow stains with harsh tidelines.
Affordable Colorimetry
Colorimetry was conducted using a Datacolor ColorReader EZ before and after bathing to quantify the color changes that occurred.
All of the test areas had visible color shifts (ΔE>3). All spots had increased L values, demonstrating overall lighting, as well as a decreased b value, demonstrating an overall reduction of the yellowing. The Datacolor ColorReader EZ produces digital swatches which match the reading locations and is an affordable alternative to advanced colorimeter that should be tested further.
Colorimetry swatches of the same stain before (L) and after (R) bathing
After treatment
Condition After Treatment
The trousers are in good aesthetic condition after bathing, with a brighter appearance overall. The purple staining is removed, and the yellow-brown staining is significantly reduced.
Images courtesy and copyright of the Victoria and Albert Museum