The Green Wedding Series: Attire
Sustainable wedding style
Bad news - your wedding dress is pretty much the most unsustainable piece of clothing you’ll ever buy. It is a one-wear item traditionally made from synthetic fabrics like chiffon, lace, satin, and tulle which include plastic fibres, or silk, which is made by silkworms who are killed in order to harvest the silk - not so great right? But wedding fashion is changing. There has been a significant shake up in the world of bridal fashion - different fabrics, new designers, online stores and new eco expectations have paved the way for a wedding dress revolution.
Good news - being eco-minded about what you, your other half and your wedding party wear on the day has never been easier, you just have to know where to look. If you want wedding day fashion that’s kind to the planet there are a few routes you can go down. This chapter will primarily look at wedding dresses but also touch upon suits and bridesmaid fashion as well.
Secondhand/vintage looks
Image: Maxeen Kim
Literally the most eco friendly way of approaching your wedding attire is to wear something that has already been worn. This could be a vintage dress, a secondhand suit or preloved accessories. Nothing else is going into production for your day if you re-wear what already exists. You’re no longer just confined to your local charity shop on the high street, there are a wealth of physical and online stores offering not just secondhand bridal outfits but also other looks as well.
Not sure where to start? This is just a smattering of gorgeous gowns that deserve a second outing
Bridal Reloved specialises in sample and pre-owned high end designer wedding dresses. They have several stores, private sellers and bridesmaids dresses as well
Brides do Good is an ethical and sustainable bridal brand that sells new and preloved dresses. For every £3 they make, £1 is invested in charity projects that empower women and work to end child marriage.
Bride2Bride is a wedding dress marketplace, it’s a huge treasure trove of dresses which you can search for by designer, size, style etc…
Stillwhite is a global marketplace and so offers an even bigger range of options
Rock My Wedding has recently launched Recycle My Wedding, its own marketplace platform for eco conscious brides
And of course, it’s always worth checking out the usual suspects like ebay, Depop and Vinted.
Bride Magazine spoke to World of Worn founder, Annie Barker, who said: "A key thing to look out for when buying preloved fashion pieces is quality, one of the main reasons shopping sustainable vintage is on the rise is heavily based on the fact that 'they just don't make them like they used to'. Additionally, if you are buying a designer vintage piece at a higher price, be sure to check that it’s 100% authentic, if not, vintage brands will often state the item as a ‘bootleg’. Finally, be sure to look out for the brand's mission and outlook on sustainability, is it a big part of what they do or is it just a buzzword used to drive sales?"
Ethical Designers
Image: Xander and Thea
There is a growing number of new designers with ethical creds, and existing designers embracing a more eco-conscious ethos for particular collections. Below is a list of some options to consider but you can cast your net far and wide with this one. If you like a particular designer, see what fabrics they’re using, do they talk about sustainability or support any community projects? Do a bit of digging to find out if their values fit yours.
Indiebride London specialise in made to order dresses using natural materials
Rolling in Roses create made to order conscious bridal-wear
Mother of Pearl is a sustainable fashion brand that also offers made to order wedding dresses
Reformation is fashion brand selling bridal wear, it even includes the sustainability footprint in the product details
Leila Hafzi has been a leading voice in sustainable fashion since 1997
Sabina Motasem has released The Green Collection, a range of ultra-modern, luxe dresses, kind to the planet and the pocket
Hire vs buy?
Yep, hiring your wedding dress is definitely a thing, and one of the most affordable ways to wear high end designer dresses. Try My Wardrobe HQ and The Bridal Gallery. Hiring is also a great option for suits or kilts if your other half is unlikely to get any further wear out of them. This is relatively easy to find and can vary from well known menswear brands like Slaters to High Street brands like Burtons, where you can build your outfit online, to the Saville Row inspired Yardsmen, who also have an ex hire line for purchases.
There is an argument for investing in a tailored suit that will stand the test of time. Let’s face it, you’re more likely to wear a suit/kilt again than a wedding dress, so if its an item of clothing that is going to get multiple wears then it loses the unsustainable tag and is worth the purchase.
If you are choosing to buy your bridal outfit, it’s also worth considering separates that can be worn again as part of different outfits so its not just a one wear purchase.
When it comes to the rest of your wedding party it depends how prescriptive you want to get. Secondhand/vintage bridal stores often have bridesmaid options, as do the online marketplaces, or if you are more relaxed about your colour palette/style you could opt for designer dress hire from Girl Meets Dress or Hire the Catwalk.
If you really want to address the fashion footprint of your wedding you can ask all guests to wear something they already own, to buy secondhand or to hire an outfit for the day, because let’s face it, it’s not just the key players in a wedding that purchase a new outfit for the day. However, even if keeping it green is important to you as a couple, not all guests may get on board with this in quite the same way so if you do go down this route we always advise treading softly and wording it as a suggestion rather than a prerequisite.
What you and your nearest and dearest choose to wear is always personal, but as you can see, there are plenty of eco options out there. Take some time to look at what’s available in your budget. Hiring is likely to be the cheapest option followed by secondhand/vintage and then working with an ethical designer.
