Would you (or did you) buy a second hand wedding dress?

Hello,

Talking only as a prospective buyer, not seller (I will be starting to look at buying dresses soon).....

I would definitely go to a second hand shop to look for wedding dresses - it makes more economical and environmental sense. Especially if the shop were boutique-y in feel, like a good bridal shop should be.

But I also think that you shouldn't rule out taking in vintage dresses, you could have a vintage section. I personally would be interested in buying a real 1950's wedding dress, so I think that there is a good market for them also.

x

Thanks for that OLL! Thats definately the feel I would be going for - upmarket boutiquy. Vintage would be soo cool. No idea where I'd source those from but yes it would be a good selling point.

Do most usual bridal shops have a second hand option? I'm just wondering what outlets people tend to use at the moment for getting rid of their wedding dresses or if most people hand onto them.

Definitely - I bought my dress ex display from Debenhams and had no qualms about it .... I did have to get it dry cleaned first obviously but it was lovely ?

I'm not too sure, as I haven't started dress shopping yet.....but I'd really be interested in buying a second hand or vintage dress (so let me know ?). I think that there are a few wedding dress sites, where you can buy second hand dresses, also eBay....ohh and I know that Oxfam has a (or even a few) bridal shops. So these would be the sort of places that I'd go to look for a dress. Having said that, if I knew that there was a shop I could visit, and feel like I was in a regular bridal store and try on beautiful second hand dresses, then that'd be my first option.

x

Absolutely! My dress budget is teeny so it will be 2nd hand, High St or rookie dressmaker for me. Or a combination of 3 and 1 or 2! Our overall budget is quite 'normal' sized but I'd rather spend more on booze or something TBH.

I'd start looking online but unless I was 100% about what I was buying I would need to see it first.

I'm not sure about selling it on but I would like it to have a second or third life in some form!

That's the thing - it would be so much nicer to go to a proper dress shop and have the same advice that you'd get in a bridal store rather than trying to buy one off eBay, that night not even suit you! (You in general - not you as in YOU, Amethyst! lol)

x

I'm currently trying to sell my dress through a shop that does this, no luck yet but fingers crossed.

The main thing I would say is that your suggested cut is too high. The shop I'm using take 35% and I've only grudgingly accepted that because it saves me a lot of hassle trying to sell the dress myself. There's no way I'd have used them had their cut been any higher.

What a fab idea! As others have said it environmentally makes sense, but i think your main customer base would be brides wanting a "bridal shop" experience with trying on dresses etc but not having the budget to try on expensive dresses in bridal boutiques!

Thank you guys! Yes I think buying online is a risk - I mean you can't actuallly see the state of the dress and you can't try it on, its a big ask to buy the biggest dress of your life without trying it on first. If you were in a shop that was like a 'normal' bridal shop you could try it on etc and get a real feel for it. I guess the only downside is there would only be one dress in one size so if it didn't fit then we couldn't get another size.

Regards the cut I didn't think that was too bad. I've sold clothes in shops before and the cut is usually 50/50? Will have to look into it but thanks for the heads up!

I don't know, it might be, just saying that I personally think it's too high and wouldn't pay it. It's probably worth you checking out how much other similar shops charge, like I said, the one I'm using takes 35%.

It's a good idea though, especially if there isn't one in your area.

As A future dress purchaser

Yes I would definately consider second hand dress especially if I could go to a botiquey type shop to view them.

Post wedding

I am definately considering selling my dress, While I hope to find a perfect dress once my wedding is done I hate the idea of it sitting in a box unused I would rather someone else gets the opportunity to enjoy it as well.

In terms of splitting the cost of the dress I think I would like a little more than 50% (but it would probably depnd on the inital coat of the dress and if I had paid for professional cleaning prior to taking it to the shop.

I bought my wedding dress from a 2nd hand & designer sample dress shop. It was fab. My dress had only ever been worn for a photo-shoot and should have cost £1800, I got it for £600.

I'm a wedding co-ordinator and always recommend the shop to my brides as they were so helpful and friendly.

A couple of things which were great about the shop were that they recommended a speialist dry-cleaners to me as my dress did need a clean before I wore it. I got a preferrential rate too as the shop had a deal with them as they sent so much business their way. They also had a seamstress at the shop who would have done the alterations for me. It would have cost a bit extra on top of the dress, but that was ok. As it happened I ended up having it fitted by someone I knew who lived closer to home but it was great to have the option.

The shop also did a line of ballgowns you could hire and bridesmaid dresses (2nd hand and designer samples) to hire or buy. Perhaps you could think about that too.

Forgot to mention... There is a 2nd hand designer clothes shop near me where I have bought & sold stuff before. They take 40% of the sale price. It is great though because you can pick up barely worn Karen Millen (for example) for around 1/3 of the price of the new stuff.

They vary their stock a lot too which I think is important. You're much more likely to have sucess at this if you can guarentee a regular turn over of dresses. That way if your clients can't find what they want the first time, they will come back if you can say you're getting new stock every 4 weeks or so.

Could you offer a 'dress-finder' service? Some brides know exactly which dress they want so if you had some way of finding their dream dress at a 2nd hand price, that would be brilliant. Perhaps you could get yourself on some local venue's supplier lists so that brides would have your details after the wedding day to contact if they wanted to sell their dress? Or perhaps have a stash of cards in the local dry-cleaning shops?

I did!! I bought a second hand Maggie on ebay, didn't intend getting one as fancy as that but I saw it at a wedding fair and just fell in love but we were on a strict wedding budget so got it on ebay from a wonderful woman who took great care of it before me. One day I'll pass it on but I don't know when... but I would have much preferred to go into a shop to try it on etc before buying. It was perfect luckily but could have been such a disappointment.

As it turned out, apart from my underwear, my whole outfit was second hand!! Veil, shoes, tiara etc... everything. Wouldn't know it to look would you? (any excuse to show photos!!)

Where are you? My friend's going to start looking for dresses around Christmas and likes the idea of second hand. Maybe we could be your first customers??

Claire xx

Thanks guys that's great info.

I will have to check if the 3 shops in my town offer second hand dresses. Are there second hand only wedding dress shops out there? Are they fairly common?

Rosencratz do you know where that shop gets the designer samples from? I would deffo be interested in doing those too.

I'm in Derbyshire btw!

Pleeeeease let me know how you get on, as I'm in Leicestershire, and I'd be very interested in visiting you when you're set up (I'll be wedding dress shopping in a year or two).

x

Wow would you really travel that far? That's interesting to know!! Will keep you posted :-)

Yup!

Especially if I could try on a Jenny Packham or a Claire Pettibone! lol

x

There's a few places that do this, the one I'm using is based in Reading.

I think this is a great idea - I agree with Rosencratz about the alteration though. I think that it would be vital for you to have a seamstress on staff to talk to the brides about alterations they may want to have done. Perhaps extend it to 'bring your Mum's old dress and we'll modern it up for you' kind of thing?

With only one dress available the majority of which will have already had alterations done to it brides would want to know what can be done to make it perfect for them...

WEES especially OLL. I would definitely go for it.

I bought my dress 2nd hand from a vintage evening gown boutique in Glasgow. Not specifically wedding dresses as such (although they do have some). It cost a grand total of £35. There is definitely a market out there for vintage.

x

WSS!

i would have certainly looked at a second hand boutique, especially if you stocked more designer brands like jenny packham etc.

I was engaged before and I sold my dress (completely unworn, still in wrapping from the shop) at a "second hand" boutique. I hated getting rid of it, but knew I could never wear it. There was a surprising lack of places to sell second hand, or even unworn dresses. The shop I bought it from wouldn't take it off me, even though it had never left their shop! I ended up getting £300 for it, and the seconed hand shop took £100, which was reasonable, but still, as it was brand new I think whoever bought it got a bargain! The shop's max price for dresses was £400. I think there are a lot of brides out there who might have changed their minds about their dress, and can't sell it (ebay is flooded with dresses, and you probably won't get a good price as so many are from China etc at rock bottom prices, plus you can't try them on). Good luck with your store. I'm sure it'll do very well!

I'm in the hunt for a 2nd hand dress and I would love to go to a boutique to try it on. I'm looking on ebay but others have said, it's flooded with dresses from China and I also don't know what I'm getting. If I could see the dress and get it fitted properly, I would be at the shop ASAP! Unfortunately I don't think there's one in my area. Scratch that! Just found a place - sweet!!!

I'm afraid I don't know Hugo, but here's the link to the shop https://thewhitewardrobe.co.uk/

The lady who runs it is super lovely and I am sure she'd be happy to chat to you if you give her a call. Its not like you'll be direct competition as she's based in Hitchin.

Good luck ?

There is a distinct lack of that kind of shop in the North East, I too have a dress I'll never wear (and so has my sister) and we would love to sell them to a dress shop of this type, both are unworn and unaltered. I don't want to sell on ebay for reasons previously mentioned and I can't remember the design number, which means I'll have to unpack it! It's not that old and not out of date in any way really! I think a 50/50 split would be a bit much though.

HB - there is a reason why there aren't many shops of this kind - there is so little money to be made on it! Bridal is a very small market anyway so to reduce it even further by eliminating all those brides that wouldn't consider your product (and many brides wouldn't) you are reducing your potential market even further.

BWC makes a good point when she says she bought hers from a vintage shop - mainly evening but a few bridal - most vintage shops wouldn't survive on bridal alone.

And if you do the maths - most people looking at second hand wouldn't want to pay more than £300 - £400, so (assuming 50:50 split) you need to sell an awful lot at a profit to you of £150 to make it viable.

If you do think of any great ideas to sell off old sample gowns (the garages of most bridal shop owners are full of the things!) then please do let me know.

Hi Sarahjl thank you for your reply. Yes I see what you are saying about the market, it would certainly be a niche. Can I ask you a few questions via pm/email as I take it you are in the know (a shop owner?)?

Thank you ?

I bought one last July ! My dress still cost a consideral sum but half of the RRP -- it is Maggie Sottero Philippa and it is beautiful and I bought from preloved

My experience buying 2nd hand was a good one and I would throughly reccomend it to anyone

HB - no problem - yes you can, and yes I am. ?

I think you are mad if you have the finance to start a shop i would look at new dresses only

the type of customer you would prob get would have a very small budget

take into account

rent

rates

water rates

electricity

gas

accountant fees

advertising fixtures and fittings etc

i am trying to run through my head what goes out every month before u start to make any money

by the time these overheads go out every month you would need to sell at least 10 dresses with a clear profit of a couple of hundred on each dress and more, loads of people think this is a fab idea but it never works and they either go into main stream bridal or end up closing down. why would smeone buy 2nd hand when there are sale rails in ever shop with brand new dresses on that havent been altered to fit someone else and only been tried on a few times [thats another mine field in itself ] and also ones that can be ordered in brand new for as little as £300

you can pm me too if you want but i will prob only be saying the same as sarah lol