re-using wedding dress-opinions?

s4aRainyDay

The idea of spending so much money on a dress to wear once really hurts, my budget is £200 (obviously if i find a bargain on e-bay then I'll save loads, but you can't count on that).

What is people opinions of buying a dress and maybe getting it altered and dyed after the wedding? and does anyone know if silk dyes well? I keep looking at dresses and trying to imaging them in white and then in pink!

lindaatno9

Silk dyes beautifully but just be careful of embelishments.
Perhaps a corset type top which you could wear again? You could also opt for chiffon and have it dyed and shortened after?
I just wonder if you would really want to use your dress again. Mine is still in my wardrobe!
Had you thought about wearing a colour or do you want to be specifically married in white/ivory?

cuthbert_the_octopus

You could buy something from Debenhams or Monsoon, these can easily be worn again..... or you can sell on ebay.

s4aRainyDay

I will think carefully before making my mind up, but it just seems like such a waste of money. My mum kept her wedding dress and i remember playing with it as a child but otherwise it just sat around in the wardrobe.
I think I would like to be married in white/ivory maybe with a bit of colour, but if I want to wear it as an evening dress later I would like it to not be so obvious that I'm wearing my wedding dress again. I do think it would be kind of fun to get to wear my dress loads of times

lindaatno9

s4aRainyDay wrote: »

I will think carefully before making my mind up, but it just seems like such a waste of money. My mum kept her wedding dress and i remember playing with it as a child but otherwise it just sat around in the wardrobe.
I think I would like to be married in white/ivory maybe with a bit of colour, but if I want to wear it as an evening dress later I would like it to not be so obvious that I'm wearing my wedding dress again. I do think it would be kind of fun to get to wear my dress loads of times

There are some wonderful strapless chiffon styles at the moment as there are 2 piece. If you are tinking of 100% pure silk, you'll need to consider this will be quite a bit more than synthetic. But, lets say for example you chose to buy something from the Debenhams range like this http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10001_81649_530485_-1
This could be cut off and possibly dyed. You would need to ask the specialist dye companies.

Then there is this option. http://www.bhs.co.uk/mall/productpage.cfm/bhsstore/651880/91594

Again, you would need to check with the specialist company to see if the fabric is suitable for colouring.

In silk, as an example of the above. I could make this 2 piece in 100% silk dupion for around £250. This would be a very basic finish. No interlining etc.
HTH

shelovestobuystuff

I am having a silk suit type jacket made to match the reversible corset so I can wear it afterwards and get more outfits out of it.
A 2 piece makes sense so you can wear at least part of the outfit again.Or sell it on and buy something else.

Horace

I got married in 1985:eek: and wanted a dress that I could wear again, so I got something that looked fab as a wedding dress but was also dressy enough for posh nights out - I have worn it about 70 times since and I haven't dyed it either but then it is a lovely ivory material with satin sleeves and a satin tie at the waist. Try looking in a boutique shop as you can find good quality dresses that you can wear over and over again.

s4aRainyDay

great ideas thanks, never thought about a 2 piece but I will now

dante92

I'm planning on dying mine black afterwards!

Elizabeth_739

I'm a 50-something and because I couldn't find anything suitable to wear for my wedding last August, had a beautiful mid calf silk chiffon dress made in ivory with a little guipure lace jacket. It cost me £800 and just sits in the wardrobe. If dying it black is an option, it could make a fabulous evening dress. Otherwise, any middle aged brides out there that might be interested? I wouldn't consider selling it on ebay as it was made to measure by a lady trained by Elizabeth Emanuel, not something you could expect to fit like a standard size.

Would be interested to know more about the dyeing process!!

lindaatno9

I would try your local dry cleaners as a first to see if they know of anyone who dyes.
I have a supplier who dyes fabric but I'm not sure if they dye items as they use looms to carry the fabric.