How To Find The Ultimate Thrifted Wedding Dress

Ahead of the Vogue Vintage Sale on 29 March, co-hosted by Jorja Smith and Iris Law and presented by eBay, Vogue is celebrating all things pre-loved. Not all vintage treasures are rare designer pieces loaded with fashion lore: from a perfectly worn leather jacket uncovered in a thrift store to a slogan tee sourced online, pre-loved items can (and should) be a key player in every modern wardrobe.

It’s never easy finding the ultimate wedding look. I know this because, before I got married last year, I kept buying new shirts until my entire closet was crammed with various shirts, none of them quite right (in the end, I opted for a white Praying bikini; fitting for Ibiza). Add financial limits, time constraints and the general discomfort of bridal shopping into the mix, and you’ve got a one-way ticket to stressville.

But shopping for a wedding dress – or outfit – doesn’t have to be headache-inducing. In fact, if you’re going vintage or second-hand, it can actually be quite fun. I spoke to a lot of people for this piece – all of whom thrifted their wedding looks – and very quickly a theme began to emerge. They found their outfit when they least expected it, or when they were open-minded about what it might be. There was a lot of joy and serendipity behind their choices – they discovered the perfect dress “crumpled in a ball on the floor” at a vintage store, or on eBay weeks before they got engaged.

There are plenty of reasons to go second-hand – sustainability, a smaller budget, the style and history of a garment. And if you want an insider’s map – the wheres, hows and whos – then read our detailed guide to vintage bridal shopping. But for the backstory and some first-hand advice, here are five couples on how they thrifted the ultimate wedding look.

Lauren & Daniel

Jillian Mitchell

Congrats! Where did your wedding take place?

Lauren: This past November, we celebrated at The Montauk Club, a Brooklyn landmark we’ve always admired in our neighbourhood, Park Slope. It’s a 15-minute walk from our apartment and just a stone’s throw from Daniel’s old apartment, where we first fell in love. The Venetian Gothic architecture is full of old-world charm, especially the stunning stained glass windows that framed our ceremony.

Can you tell me a bit about how you found the dress?

I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram when Lauren Lepire, the founder of Timeless Vixen, a vintage boutique in Beverly Hills, posted a video of the dreamiest 1950s strapless ballgown in lustrous ivory silk taffeta. I was instantly drawn to the scalloped bodice, bow at the back, and graceful, swan-like shape as it floated through the room. I was even more thrilled when I learned that Lepire had acquired the dress from The Museum at FIT. It was designed by New York couturier Rosalie Macrini and heavily influenced by Dior’s New Look, which is such an iconic moment in fashion history. So, I took a chance and bought it right away!

When I finally tried it on a month later, it fit nearly perfectly. I loved every detail even more in person. It felt like pure serendipity! I also paired my dress with other thrifted accessories sourced from Etsy, including a pearl choker and glass beaded bag, with a gold charm holding a picture of my grandparents on their wedding day.

Jillian Mitchell

Jillian Mitchell

What’s your advice for those who want to thrift their wedding look?

Stay committed to the thrill of the hunt! I know I was very fortunate to find my dress right away, but I know if I hadn’t, the search would have been half the fun (as with all things vintage!). Not to mention, there are so many iconic eras of bridal fashion to trawl through, from the bias-cut liquid satin dresses of the ’20s and ’30s to the soft, flowing bohemian styles of the ’70s. I almost wish I could have explored more for the fun of it!