Rules for Buying a Vintage Wedding Dress

If you want a one-of-a-kind look for your walk down the aisle, consider vintage.  Vintage wedding dresses not only have amazing character and history, but are also a great earth-friendly option because you are reusing instead of buying new. Here are my top five rules for buying a vintage wedding dress.

 Create a budget and stick to it. This is the number one rule for any wedding gown shopping. This way, you can avoid falling in love with something that is beyond your means. Or talking yourself into something that you really can’t afford.

 Do your research. Just like shopping for any wedding dress, do your research before you start to shop. Know what era, style, fabric, etc you are really interested in and begin the hunt. I promise you will be much more successful if you have a clear picture of the type of dress you are interested in -- not just that you want something old. Be able to clearly and concisely articulate what you are looking for. This will make things easier when talking to people at vintage fairs, or typing Internet searches.

 Steer clear of dresses that need repairs or are stained. It will almost always be next to impossible and/or ridiculously expensive to extensively mend or clean vintage clothes. You know how hard it is to get that coffee stain out of your favorite shirt once its set for a few hours. Now imagine a stain that’s been sitting for 50 years. Yikes. I know. Often if a dress was not properly cleaned after wearing, it now has yellow perspiration/sweat stains that will not come out. You have been warned.

  Forget about your dress size. Never rely on sizes when shopping vintage. Please, please get specific measurements from the seller. Sizes mean nothing because, not only have people generally gotten fatter, the clothing industry has been adjusting sizes downward. If you're buying a dress online, promise me that you will carefully take your measurements and ask the seller to provide you with exact measurements as well.

  Know where to shop. Locally: thrift stores, consignment shops, estate sales, vintage fashion auctions and fairs. Online: eBay, The Frock, Vintage Wedding, and Posh Girl Vintage.