Sep
30
Question by wilderness: What did you do with your bridesmaid dress after the wedding?
It’s a $ 200 two-piece dress. Seems like a waste to just let it sit in my closet, but I don’t think I could really sell it because I had it hemmed, and I’m pretty short. Any ideas? If you have been a bridesmaid in the past, what did you do with your dress?
Best answer:
Answer by muzz81
You can try selling it, because really i dont think you’re the only short person out there, give it a go!
I bought my bridesmaids dresses that they could wear again, cause it seemed silly to buy over the top dresses that the girls would only wear once.
What do you think? Answer below!
I refused to be a bridesmaid for exactly that reason (well, there are others). I ended up cutting up my bridesmaid dress and using the fabric to make clothing for bears which were then sold at auction to benefit the local hospital. One bridal party gave all their dresses to this one elderly lady who crocheted them into rugs to sell at a craft fair (they looked pretty snazzy).
I won’t be having any attendants, but if I were, I’d select something that they could actually wear again. I know some dresses are pretty nice and the gals wear them to other weddings maybe with a bolero sweater to change it a little.
I saved it with the other three I had ,And when I had daughters , they got old enough to play dress up in them. I wasn’t going to wear them again, but I couldn’t get rid of them so my daughters played with them. And now my granddaughters play with them.
First I hope that the bride picked a dress that I can wear again. (This would be my top priority in choose bridesmaid dresses)
When I realize she didn’t and I have nowhere to wear a ballgown, I try putting it up on Ebay or selling it somewhere else. It’s alright if it’s hemmed, chanes are that somebody who needs a dress would need it hemmed anyway! Give it a go, you’ll never know until you try.
If you can’t sell it, there are alot of organizations that take in donated special occasion dresses to give to girls who are less fortunate and can’t afford to buy their own dress for prom. You could really help somebody out and make them feel beautiful for a night.
I have mine all the way in the back of my closet. I have the same problem, i am 5’1. I would like to sell it, it was a $ 300 dress, I haven’t tried selling it, but thought about taking to a consignment shop, I just know I am not going to get much and that is why it hangs in my closet. Good luck with yours.
I pretended to myself I would wear it again. I never did. Today they make more versatile dresses, if your bride isn’t a total sadist. Also you could sell it on eBay. As long as you give the measurements, buyers will be out there and happy to get it…for a lot less, but something!
you can sell it
you can donate it–there are charities that take formal wear for underprivileged students to wear to prom and other formal dances.
The Cinderella Project of Albany, NY is one of these charities
http://www.cinderellaproject.net/
link to similar charities outside of Albany
http://www.cinderellaproject.net/outside_albany.htm
Check your area for something similar or you can donate to Salvation Army or Goodwill clothing stores or take it to a high end consignment used clothing shop.
well you can seel it to a dwarf
I have 3 identical dresses in 3 different sizes hanging in our closet right now (have been for 5 yrs) – my 3 daughters were in their cousin’s wedding. Dresses are light purple with dark purple trim, $ 200 each and we all knew they’d never wear them ever again for anything. Have no clue what to do with them, but we could outfit another wedding party with them! My daughter just added to this a smurf blue gown that she recently wore as a bridesmaid to a wedding she was in. (I’m sure there are more to come). It was a really pretty dress style but being smurf blue just screams bridesmaid. WHY!!
(Add to those all the prom and dance dresses for 3 daughters throughout high school – I really need to do something with all those dresses!)
My daughter is currently planning her wedding and is very intent that the bridesmaids dresses will be something the girls like, in a style and color that they’ll have no trouble wearing again or wanting to wear again.
Sorry – no help at all to your question, just venting I guess! I’ll sure be looking for suggestions.
Miss Anne,
I totally feel your pain! I have 3 girls and a boat load of old formals, bridesmaid dresses, even wedding dresses and a homecoming dress!
We actually sold some in a garage sale, but kept the others, loan them out sometimes, but mostly just shove them to the back of the closet.
Right now all 3 of the bridesmaid dresses I’ve worn are hanging in the closet. One of these days I should do something with them.
Options: Selling on eBay or another auction site would get you some financial return, although you likely wouldn’t recoup your financial cost for the dress. You could also consider donating it to a local charity, the Salvation Army, or a second-hand clothing store. You can feel good about helping someone out who may need a bridesmaid dress or at least a special occasion dress, plus you can get documentation from the place you donate to and write the donation off on your taxes. The fact that it’s hemmed shouldn’t be a problem – a talented seamstress should be able to fix the skirt to be an attractive tea-length for a taller person.
I used mine for a Halloween costume. It was great! Then I donated it to Good Will.
I donated one that I knew I would never wear again (to one of those charities that gives formal dresses to young underprivileged women for prom).
Well you might be able to wear the top, if you like it with dressy jeans when you go out. I think that is the theory behind those two-piece bridesmaids outfits. If you don’t think you will wear it again, there is no harm in trying to sell it. Either that or you could alter it into something you’d like to wear/could use around the house.
Good Luck!
It depends on how “bridesmaid-y” it is. If it’s a 2 piece and the fabric isn’t too shiny, you could have the skirt hemmed to the knee and wear it out to a nice dinner. You could wear the top out dancing with some nice jeans and heels.
If it’s too formal to “dress down” for everyday wear, you could wear it to a holiday party.
Other than that, you could try to sell it at a wedding consignment shop. Check the yellow pages under weddings or under apparel-women’s-consignment.
You could also donate it. There is an organization that collects formal gowns for girls who can’t afford a dress for their high school prom, homecoming, etc. I’m not personally familiar with it, but I’ve heard about it on other wedding boards. I did a quick search and found the link to the article below.
I plan to wear mine again at a Christmas party this year (my company holds formal-attire parties at a country club, lol without the dress I wouldn’t have much to wear) and also I graduate this year, I plan to wear it at my grad party.
Do you sew? You could alter it yourself or if you like the fabric you could make something else out of it. Might seem like a waste to make throw pillows out of that fabric, but if you can’t sell the dress and KNOW you will not wear it again, you might just want to do that.
Or keep it in your closet for the memories.
I’ve been a bridesmaid twice. The first time, the bride chose dresses that were versatile enough to be worn again, but I haven’t worn it in years (probably because that marriage ended in divorce, but I don’t know why I haven’t given it away). The second one was really formal and it was too small. The bride found these dresses on a clearance rack, so the sizes were limited and I had to squeeze into it for the day. It didn’t look like it was too small for me, but it was small enough for me to not wear again. I think I still have that one too. I think they will eventually end up in a thrift store. I mean, after keeping them all these years, what’s the point?
If you have limited space, try to sell the dress or give it away. If you have plenty of space and you feel guilty giving the dress away, keep it. You never know. The opportunity to wear it again might come along.
You can try selling it, or bring it to a consignment store (prom time is a good time)
You can have it altered to something youd wear again maybe