Traditionally, a wedding dress was a precious item that you wore for one day only, before putting it back in its box—safely stowing it away in the attic for future generations (you’d hope). Nowadays, though, the mindset around wear-it-once bridal gowns is slowly changing, amid rising concerns around sustainability and the sheer wastefulness of the industry.
It’s why a growing number of brides (myself included) are finding ways to rewear their wedding dresses beyond their big day. I decided to dye my Gabriela Hearst slip dress a deep blue colour, with the help of natural dyer Cavan Jayne, in order to give it a new lease of life—although I’m still waiting for the perfect moment to rewear it. Stylist Gemma Sort Chilvers decided to do the same, turning her minimalist Own Studio dress a baby-pink shade, inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow’s 1999 Oscars gown—which she then wore to a friend’s nuptials the following summer. “As I was trying it on, I was like, ‘This is the kind of dress I could rewear,’” the bride told Vogue. “I already had it in mind that this wasn’t going to be a one-off dress.”
Then there are those brides who are upcycling their wedding dresses. Fashion campaigner Venetia La Manna, for example, decided to have her slip dress shortened, so she could wear it day to day. “Now it’s a firm part of my wardrobe and I get to wear it all the time,” she says. “I’m trying to extend its lifespan, but also add as many memories to it as possible.”
Meanwhile, there’s also a new wave of brides who are opting out of the traditional white dress altogether, instead going for something more rewearable from the outset. Fashion editor Rebecca Jane Hill, for example, picked out a floral printed Simone Rocha dress for her London wedding back in 2021. “I never wanted a traditional bridal gown—I always knew I would wear something from a contemporary designer who I really loved and admired,” she explains. “The idea of buying something to only wear once, especially at that price point, felt silly and also quite outdated.”
While she didn’t have a firm idea of where or when she’d rewear it, Hill decided to bring it back out for the red carpet at this year’s Fashion Awards. “It felt really special to be able to wear it at such a high-profile event and give it the attention it deserves,” she says. “It was also fun to style it slightly differently to how I did on the day—I can see myself doing that again, with trainers or flats for more of a daywear look.”
Artist Rose Electra Harris also decided to choose two dresses she could wear again: a pale pink Simone Rocha dress for her civil ceremony in London and a red tulle Molly Goddard confection for her second wedding in Wiltshire. “I love color and knew if I wore white, I would never wear it again,” the bride explains. “It makes me sad thinking of a wedding dress just hanging in your cupboard forever, and never wearing it.”
