Hmmm. Well, the iron over paper trick did absolutely nothing, making me wonder if the marks are grease or something else entirely (white wine, possibly). A hand wash with Woolite did no harm to the dress, and seems to have faded the marks somewhat, though they’re still visible in a good light if you look closely. I think however, they’ve faded enough for me to get away with wearing the dress in Saturday (I’m going to a ball at the Savoy!) - the biggest one is no larger than a penny, and they’re not in an immediately noticable place. I may try Sir Doris’s suggestion and look for specialist advice after the event though.
I’ve used Goop™ Hand Cleaner. It’s designed to remove grease from your hands (or your man’s handsm as the case may be.) I’ve used it on washable silk many times with good results.
Just rub a little into the stain with a finger, when wash as usual.
If i’ve laundered a cotton shirt with a grease spot (on warm I think) but did not machine-dry it, is there any chance I can get the stain out now, or is it permanent?
Aaaaaaand…shampoo produced the best results so far, the marks are nigh invisible. As Crusoe put it: “Yes, you can still see them. But unless you plan on spending the evening standing under a bright light, with the skirt held out in front on of you, pointing at the marks and going: ‘look, just there! Can you see?’, I think you’ll get away with it”.