There are a lot of things labeled "dry clean only" that can be washed with care. A lot of companies label stuff "dry clean only" to protect themselves from liability. For example, a lot of silks and rayons can be washed with care. Another reason, ready-made clothing is "dry clean only" is that the trims, linings, or interfacings do not wash well -- one reason that I like to make my own jackets. I prewash all my fabrics and have been doing that for a long time, long before I was doing much quilting. I learned my lesson after sewing something that was too tight to wear after it was washed once. I figure if I prewash a rayon, for example, it should be okay to wash a garment made from it.
For fancy kids clothes, there are a lot of nice polyester satins, taffetas, and velvets that wash beautifully. When my daughter was in high school I made a couple prom dresses from polyester taffeta. When I finished one of them, I noticed a few oily stains from the oils on my skin. It went into the washer and dryer before she ever wore it and came out looking great. I paid a bit more for the poly taffetas, but saving the cost of one dry cleaning more than made up for that. We also used a poly satin for the bridesmaids' dresses for her wedding; I made sure all the linings and underlinings were washable. I figured if they wanted to wear the dresses again, at least they could clean them easily.
Julia > Along the same lines but without the adorable kids....my husband, who