How to get a Sustainable Wedding Dress
Photo by Leonardo Miranda on Unsplash
Another summer of world-breaking records when it comes to the number of weddings coming closer. After two years of the pandemic, the summer of 2022 was intense and the summer of 2023 seems to be just the same. But how can we think sustainably when it comes to weddings? Well, location for sustainable travels, plant- and organic food options, up-cycled or second-hand decorations and so on, are just a few of the areas one can look into.
But this post goes to all of you out there who are looking for a magical dress to wear on your special day. A wedding dress is probably one of the most unsustainable garments. And we are not saying this to make you feel bad, but to give you some perspectives and aspirations to put some extra effort to make a better choice, not only for the environment but also for you.
Have you heard about the Cost Per Wear? If you buy a wedding dress for 2000 euro but only wear it once, then that was a very expensive day! So price-wise we want to make a good choice, but of course, without compromising what we feel beautiful in. What is most important is that you are happy with your choice and here we need to allow differences. For some, the wedding dress matters a lot, for others it doesn’t.
Here are our tips on where to look:
Photo: Elsa Billgren
Rental
A very good idea is to rent your dress. If you are only going to wear it once it makes perfect sense to rent one. Make sure you check for one several months before your wedding day since rentals do get rented for special weekends but you might also be lucky. Can be hard to find the style you like but many rental places also have nisch. Elsa Billgren in Stockholm for example is heaven for those of you seeking a vintage dress from the 40s, 50s or 60s.
Photo: Stillwhite
Second-hand/vintage
There is one place to go for all of you who like high-end bohemian brands, and dresses that are just as magical as they are expensive and that is Stillwhite. The international second-hand platform for wedding dresses basically has all brands in all sizes with a safe system for you to purchase (maybe not everything but a lot). If you can’t find your dress in a second-hand store where you live, you will probably find it here. And for those of you who are worried about fitting, the measurements are there and you can definitely ask a lot of questions to make sure it will fit right. Another platform would be Once Wed, which is also an online second-hand platform. For Swedes, you can check out Bröllopsbruket which has stores (you can also sell your dress here) in several larger cities in Sweden such as Stockholm, Malmö, Göteborg and Umeå.
Photo: Katherine Feiel
Costume made
One way to get the dress that you want but keep the process more transparent and socially sustainable is to have a designer or a tailor make your own dress. As long as you know what you want, have the material available and have enough time to make it happen. This is a good choice since you know who the garment worker is right? But you can also buy material second-hand (old curtains or blankets) and in that way also be environmentally more sustainable. Might take a little bit more time, but will also be a lovely story to share on your wedding day. Ask around for good recommendations!
Photo: Katherine Feiel
Sustainably made dresses
Of course, the last option is if you have visited second-hand stores, search online and tried out those rental dresses you can also buy a new one. And there are better options out there. Of course, the price will reflect the responsibility, but you can also sell your garment again and it can be sold after that customer again.
To mention a few brands whose sustainability profiles you can look into: Katherine Feiel, Leila Hafzi, Christy Dawn and Tara Lynn Bridal.
We hope this guide will help and inspire you! We wish you all the luck in the world with your marriage.