Traditionally, a wedding dress was seen as a once-in-a-lifetime purchase—something worn for a single day and then tucked away in a box or stored in the attic for safekeeping. However, as sustainability becomes more of a priority and concerns about the wastefulness of the fashion industry grow, an increasing number of brides are deciding to rewear their wedding dresses, making them a part of their regular wardrobe.
This shift is being embraced by more and more women who are finding creative ways to give their wedding dresses a second life. From changing the color of their dresses to upcycling them for everyday wear, many brides are breaking with tradition. I’m one such bride, having dyed my Gabriela Hearst slip dress a deep blue, with the help of natural dyer Cavan Jayne, in an effort to make the gown wearable again in a new form. While I’m still waiting for the perfect moment to rewear it, I’m excited by the potential for this once-sacred piece of clothing to serve a greater purpose.
Stylist Gemma Sort Chilvers shared a similar experience when she decided to turn her minimalist Own Studio wedding dress into a baby-pink shade—an homage to Gwyneth Paltrow’s famous 1999 Oscars gown. She had already known that her wedding dress wouldn’t just be a one-off garment. “As I was trying it on, I was like, ‘This is the kind of dress I could rewear,’” Chilvers said. “I already had it in mind that this wasn’t going to be a one-off dress.”
Upcycling wedding dresses is another growing trend. Fashion campaigner Venetia La Manna took her slip dress and had it shortened so she could incorporate it into her day-to-day wardrobe. “Now it’s a firm part of my wardrobe and I get to wear it all the time,” she said. “I’m trying to extend its lifespan, but also add as many memories to it as possible.”
Another way brides are opting for more rewearable wedding attire is by selecting non-traditional pieces from the start. Fashion editor Rebecca Jane Hill, for example, chose a floral-print Simone Rocha dress for her 2021 London wedding. “I never wanted a traditional bridal gown—I always knew I would wear something from a contemporary designer I loved,” Hill said. “The idea of buying something to only wear once, especially at that price point, felt silly and also quite outdated.” Hill didn’t have a concrete idea of where she’d wear the dress again, but she soon brought it back out for the red carpet at the 2022 Fashion Awards. “It was really special to wear it at such a high-profile event,” she said. “It was also fun to style it differently, and I can see myself doing that again with trainers or flats for a daywear look.”
Artist Rose Electra Harris followed a similar route, choosing two dresses she could rewear. A pale pink Simone Rocha dress for her civil ceremony in London and a red tulle Molly Goddard creation for her second wedding in Wiltshire. “I love colour and knew if I wore white, I would never wear it again,” she explained. “It makes me sad thinking of a wedding dress just hanging in your cupboard forever, and never wearing it.” Since her weddings, Harris has already worn the Molly Goddard dress again for her birthday, pairing it with an oversized knit sweater, and she plans to wear the Simone Rocha dress again over the Christmas period.
The growing movement to rewear wedding dresses highlights a broader shift in bridal fashion, with more brides opting for sustainability and practicality over tradition. Wedding dresses, once seen as a one-time use garment, are now being embraced as versatile, beautiful pieces that deserve more than a single outing. Whether by altering the color, upcycling the fabric, or selecting a dress with rewearing potential from the start, modern brides are ensuring that their wedding dresses continue to bring joy long after the big day.
As the culture around weddings evolves, it’s clear that the era of the wear-it-once wedding dress is coming to an end. After all, if a dress is special enough for your wedding day, surely it deserves a second chance to shine.
