How to Buy a Vintage Wedding Dress

Your wedding will be an event you will always remember--an important piece of personal history for you and your spouse. You can add to the romance and historical impact of this event by wearing a bit of the past when you walk down the aisle. Vintage wedding dresses provide you with the opportunity to wear something unique, with a history of its own.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Measurements
• Budget

Figure Out Your Style

1. Show your appreciation for historical garments when you purchase a white-on-white embroidered cotton gown from 1900 to 1910.
2. Choose a dress from the 1920s if you prefer the sheath-like chiffon look of the flapper era.
3. Pick a vintage 1930s dress if your style runs towards the glamorous bias-cut gowns of this era.
4. Buy a 1950s gown if you love the wasp-like waist and full skirts introduced by Christian Dior as the Corolle Line or "New Look" in 1947.

Shop the Vintage Market

5. Get a grip on your dress budget before you even begin shopping. Vintage gowns tend to be more expensive than regular, off-the-rack wedding dresses, and keeping your budget in mind will keep you from spending too much.
6. Expect to wear a larger size vintage dress than you would wear in a modern-day creation. The fashion industry has changed the way in which sizes are graded, making a size 10 of the 1950s more like a size 6 of today.
7. Remember that older is not necessarily better when it comes to vintage wedding dresses. Fabric treatments used before the turn of the 20th century, such as metal salts and other substances, tend to weaken older fabrics, making them more likely to split or fray when worn.
8. Don't buy a stained dress. Depending on the type of stain on the fabric, it may be extremely difficult or nearly impossible to remove it without damaging the dress or the fabric.
9. Leave vintage dresses with holes or other areas of damage on the rack. Because vintage fabric is difficult to match, repairs to older gowns can be quite expensive.
10. Buy the vintage dress you love, even if it is damaged, if you have the budget to pay for a talented seamstress to recreate the dress for you. You can also find dresses with a vintage look at many bridal stores.

Tips & Warnings

• Talk to a textile conservator about packing your dress away after your big event. Now that you own a vintage piece, it is your responsibility to make sure that it is properly cared for and maintained so that future generations may enjoy it.