10 Reasons to Wear an Upcycled Wedding Dress

Thought you might enjoy this guest blog post by Lori over at Conscious Elegance, Ltd. Read on!

We've all heard about recycling, how we're supposed to do it. And we do what we can, sometimes a little guiltily. It's all about making a better world, right?

But have you heard of 'upcycling'? That is, taking something not so useful and giving it a new life by making it fabulous?

You can upcycle just about anything - an old lamp that turns into a gorgeous piece when you add a lampshade or paint or glitter. Or a pair of jeans that's gotten holes - you can add pretty patches, make them chic and fun, and everyone will want to know where you got them.
What about wedding dresses? Can they be upcycled? Of course. And there's tons of reasons to do it:

10 REASONS TO WEAR AN UPCYCLED WEDDING DRESS:
1) First and foremost? You can save a ton of money. Cast-off or vintage dresses aren't going to cost nearly what most new wedding gowns cost (at least, the decent ones) and the upcycling can cost nothing or very little.

2) With an upcycled dress, your frock can be tailored for you and you alone. It'll fit the way you want it, even if you're tall or petite or have interesting proportions from fiddle-playing or whatever.

3) Upcycling a dress that has sentimental value means that you can wear your mother's dress (or your Aunt's or your Grandma's) and it can actually look stylish. You don't have to tell your mom that her beloved dress just isn't your style - you can make it yours!

4) Upcycling means that you can wear a gorgeous silk for *much* cheaper than buying something new. There are so many old dresses with yards and yards of silk, just sitting in closets. Find a talented friend or seamstress and all that silk can be a whole new dress. It can take on a whole new life with *you* in it!

5) Of course, upcycling a dress is a sustainable way to have a gorgeous new gown without taking up lots of new resources. No new silkworms harmed, for those who care about silkworms (and I do!). Never underestimate the Smug Factor. You can boost your green cred and preen about how your wedding dress isn't depleting the Earth. Your guests will Ooo and Ahh and your parents will be proud.

6) Vintage looks are IN and CHIC and sometimes it doesn't take much to take an old dress and tweak it jeeest a bit in the right places. Love Big Band? Mad Men? You could center an entire theme wedding around your dress and let everyone get in on the fun!

7) Upcycled wedding dresses are never 'off the rack' and are always one of a kind.

8) Vintage and older dresses can have amazing fabrics and details that you might not see these days. The materials and construction are often better quality than the new cheap made-in-China dresses of today.

9) If you're crafty, you get to make your own. If you're not, you get to give a crafty friend something really special to do. A wedding dress made just for you? Can you think of a better wedding gift?

10) It's just COOL on every level. Creative, crafty, thrifty, original, fabulous. What better way to make a statement on your Big Day?

Lori Del Genis put a thriving medical career on hold to design dresses and she's never looked back. Now she's saving the world, one upcycled wedding dress at a time. She lives simply and sustainably with her spouse and spends her time creating the Perfect Custom Wedding Gown for clients who want to look gorgeous without robbing the earth or their pocketbook. Find her work at ConsciousElegance.com