What to Do With Your Old Wedding Dress
Renew, re-design or up-cycle?
I’m writing a book at the moment called “What to do with your old wedding dress”, hoping to inspire brides with some fresh ideas. I thought this was going to be a book about sustainability, and to a degree it is – there’s lots in there about repurposing, restyling, dyeing and giving the dress a second life, which I hope you’ll LOVE, and be inspired by.
But during my research (which is in progress, so do get in touch if you’d like to participate!), I’ve discovered the most beautiful love stories, and a strong sense of wanting to keep the dress, with no agenda or plan… just a desire to retain the romance and memories intrinsic to the gown and the wedding day it represents.
I think the decluttering culture we live in can almost make us feel embarassed at holding onto something without a “good” explanation. I hope the book will be some assurance that if you feel you want to keep it, then you’re not alone, and I’ll give you some tips on keeping it safely so it doesn’t perish.
I would LOVE to brainstorm your ideas with you if you would like to transform your dress. We can look at turning it into separates, dyeing it, appliqué, silk painting, dissecting it to use the fabric for completely new pieces. Do get in touch so we can start chatting about your ideas
Environmentally friendly inspiration
Think about what garments you wear most. It may be that you have a favourite dress which we could take apart to extract a paper pattern, and use this to re-create it, using your dress fabric, dyed to a new colour? Or perhaps you have a red carpet event or special wedding to go to, for which you’d like a really special outfit created for you.
Let’s get creative and turn your languishing old dress into a stunning, meaningful piece you can enjoy. In turn, you’ll be doing something environmentally-friendly, cleaning out your wardrobe, and maybe inspiring others who may follow in your sustainable footsteps.
BRIDES magazine “… designers are waking up to a whole new world of ethical brides, sustainable, re-cycled and eco-friendly bridal design in the 2020s feels less about specific trends, and more about making a difference…”
GRAZIA magazine “…what makes it special is the memories that are sewn in too : of seeing my then boyfriend, through a crowded church for the first time. Now it’s been re-worked, I can’t wait to layer more memories on top…” Real bride Jess Salter, featured in GRAZIA, whose dress was re-modelled by designer Tessa Cox Birch.
Contact Caroline
I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line with your thoughts and questions – I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!
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