Thoughts on consignment/worn dress?

OnionBreath

My parents have noooo money and wanted to pay for my wedding (taking a loan against the house or pulling from retirement)...and I can't let them do that but I agreed to let them buy the dress.

I'm trying to be mindful of $ though, and i keep thinking of used dresses. They will be cheaper and they've only been worn once. Do you think this will be fine? Is it taboo?

misshart00

I think it's fine. And a great way to save if you find a dress you love. Also, it's only been worn once (if at all) so the only problems might be some staining on the underside.

OnionBreath

Dry clean it?

CMGragain

It would be new to you, won't it?  My dress was a sample gown from a previous season that had been tried on by who knows how many girls.  I loved it, and it was affordable.
An alternative is to order a gown that you love (not David's Bridal or Maggie Sottero) from Pearl's Place in Mettarrie, LA.  They don't like to sell you a dress if you haven't tried it on somewhere in person, though.  We saved about 40%.  All sales are final.  You telephone them to ask prices and to place an order.  Not a knock-off site!

http://www.pearlsplace.com/.

OnionBreath

That's a good way to think about it! Thank you for this website. I will look at it!

[Deleted User]

Look around for bridal consignment shops in your area- not all of the dresses they have are previously worn, some are from brides who changed their mind, some are samples etc...that's how I found my gown and I love it...bonus: they tend to have the samples and styles that weren't worn by a million brides so you can find some unique styles too. Hope this helps!

ElcaB

I almost bought a consignment dress. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, as long as you know exactly what you're getting. I spent hours emailing with sellers confirming the details --- whether or not the dress had been altered, if it had any imperfections, etc. 

Check out preownedweddingdresses.com & Tradesy Weddings. 

You may also have luck purchasing a sample dress. That's what I ended up doing and I scored a dress for 53% off it's original price. Good luck!

MrandMrsMongoose

I got my dress (brand new never worn) from preownedweddingdresses.com. I got the dress I fell in love with at the store for 53% off what it retailed. I think that is a big win. 

atlastmrsg

I'm hoping to sell my gown.  I kept all receipts, took photos of the alterations, and am letting the buyer pick where the gown is cleaned (a $200 value).  Not all sellers are out to offload a bad/soiled/etc. dress.  Just ask a lot of questions.

OnionBreath

did you all go to the store to try it on first?

JasperandOpal

I bought a used, vintage dress. I love it. I bought it through Etsy (through a seller in the US after having a few conversations with them about the dress). I did not have a chance to try it on before I bought it but I am really conscious of my body and know what works with my proportions. 

My suggestion is that if you aren't sure about what looks good on you, you should try to find somewhere you can try the dress on. If you can't do that, at least try on a dress that is similar (book into a bridal shop and try on a few different styles).

CMGragain

How was your shopping trip?

theexactlee

Craigslist, Tradesy, Preownedweddingsdresses, Ebay...the list goes on

OnionBreath

My shopping trip started out interesting. My mom found HER dress from 1978 and offered it to me. It's horrible, cheezy, and about 4 sizes too small. I don't think she thought I was seriously going to wear it and it seemed like she was content with me saying it was too small. I think she was just trying to make it a fun start to the day but with all the drama i was a little weary at first !! Haha. We had fun the whole day.

We went to 8 places including 2 consignment shops. I liked one dress at a consignment shop, it was only $200 but it needs to be let out and I'm not sure it can be or how much it would cost to do the alterations because if it's going to be $300 for the alterations, I'll just buy a $500 dress.... though then those might need alterations too. My mom suggested maybe we  offer to leave a credit card as collateral as we take it to a seamstress for evaluation but I'm holding off.

I found that I'm not very proportionate. They told me I'm a 16  for my hips (though I normally wear 12 pants...?) and that I'd need to take it in A LOT in the chest.  But some  14s fit me. I was a little overwhelmed by that part. I was told I don't have time to order most lines which is weirding me out a little because there aren't many 16s in stock either. 

This so far was the dress that made me tear up: http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/Bridal-Collection/2450/     ill try finding it at those places that were mentioned.

We tried to go to David's but I was sent away because I didn't have an appointment.

CMGragain

That's where the OP was headed.  I love Pearl's Place, and they do carry AA.

OnionBreath

Yes, I'm calling a number of places this week.

CMGragain

Just make sure that none of them are Chinese knock off sites!

princessleia22

I had searched and hoped to find my dream dress used to save money. I ended up buying it new though. I now plan to sell or donate it, so someone else can benefit by getting it for a good price. I don't think there is anything wrong with wearing a used dress. Usually they will be in good shape and most places will clean them first. If you find one that was worn by someone that was similar size to you, it can save a lot on alterations too. Generally, any new dress is going to need alterations, unless you are 6' tall with perfect dimensions. But, new or used, you should plan on some alterations for any dress you buy. And alteration prices can vary by location and store, so shop around. In reference to your other comment, dress sizes are not even close to street sizes and vary by designer. So, don't get freaked out if you need a size 16 dress when you normally wear a size 12. I wear a size 6 jean and my dress was size 10. My hips measured at a size 12, but it was A-line dress that was looser in the hips and the sample was size 10, so we could tell that the 10 fit okay. Also, to save on alterations costs, you may want to look at corset back dresses, since they don't need to fit quite as exact. With mine, I was able to get away with just altering the length and doing the bustle, so alteration cost wasn't too bad.