Wedding dresses have a cultural and emotional weight that goes far beyond their physical appearance: for many brides, choosing the dress they are going to get married in represents a symbolic milestone in the transition from partner to wife. And the experience of choosing a dress is also part of this transition.
is growing rapidly, but the majority of brides, even those who care about sustainability, still choose to say “I do” with a new wedding dress.
It’s a clear contradiction. Wedding dresses are expensive and require a lot of resources to produce. Large volumes of fabric and water are needed to create a piece that, in most cases, is only used once.
And, although many couples increasingly reflect on the environmental impact of your celebrations, second-hand wedding dresses continue to be the exception and not the rule.
One recently conducted among brides in the United Kingdom by researchers Lauren Thomas, Charles Hancock e Rosy Boardman helps you understand why so many continue to resist the growing trend of second-hand fashion when it comes time to get married.
In an article on , the three researchers explain that they discovered that wedding dresses have a cultural and emotional weight that goes far beyond their physical appearance: for many brides, choosing the dress they are going to get married in represents a symbolic frame in the transition from partner to wife.
It is an instant that often involves family and close friends, tears and the collective recognition of having found “the one”. In this cultural script, the wedding dress is seen as the sign of the beginning of a new identity.
In their study, researchers interviewed 18 brides. Many felt that the second-hand options interrupt this narrativeand revealed that wearing an already worn dress It would be like stepping into someone else’s storymaking it harder to imagine your own story.
Most brides they spoke to cared about the environment and I liked the idea of making more ecological and sustainable choices, but sustainability rarely determined the final decision.
Brides often found themselves weighing their personal values against a emotional scriptdeeply rooted since childhood, about what marriage should be like and who they wanted to be on that day.
The dress took on a central role in this transition of identity. Brides used it to express their version of themselves they wanted to present when they became wives, relying on cut, adjustments and style to build that image. Therefore, control became especially important.
Many felt that second-hand options limited their ability to shape the dress to your identity. There were concerns about alterations, the condition of the piece and whether a previously worn dress could actually have personal meaning that they idealized.
A experience of choosing the dress is also part of this transition. Many brides imagined themselves having an appointment in a boutique, accompanied by family or friends, where they could try on different versions of themselves and choose “the one”. This moment helped them confirm the role they were about to assume.
Buy second hand rarely provides this experience. Charity shops can feel too informal or lack privacy, and online platforms don’t allow you to feel the fabric or judge the fit. Without a space to transport the emotional weight of choicethe brides interviewed felt that the transition was interrupted.
As practical questions added even more pressure. Second-hand dresses They are unique pieces, which limits control over size and styleand its condition can be difficult to assess. These obstacles diminished brides’ sense of control over how they looked and felt on the big day.
Misconceptions reinforced this reluctance. Many of the brides interviewed They just didn’t know there were second-hand options or how they could exploit them. Some assumed that the dresses would be old-fashioned, damaged or little hygienic.
Without clear guidelines or visibility, most never seriously considered the second hand, even though they appreciated the idea in theory.
The fashion for second-hand clothes will only be able to prevail at weddings if support this emotional transitionthe study authors conclude.
More visibility, greater emotional weight and a shopping experience that helps brides feel like the dress is really yours they will be able to encourage more people to opt for the second hand, without losing the meaning they attribute to becoming wives.
