The long and the SHORT of it

 

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Many brides shudder when the words “two-dress bride” are brought up in conversation.  It’s usually applied to cases where a decision was too hastily made on that first dress and/or the shopping continued.  (By the way, just… don’t.  You’ll always find another dress if you keep shopping!!!)  However, one reasonable exception does exist… when it refers to a more practical option to back up the full-length gown.  In fact, we can’t think of any reason NOT to have a second, short dress!  By the way, we have a lot.  Yes, a lot.

Top reasons to buy a short dress at The Brides’ Project:

They’re inexpensive.  Short dresses at The Brides’ Project range in price from $100 to $500, with the average about $200.

Help fight cancer.  All profits from the purchase of your short dress are sent directly to cancer charities.  While you might not have found your ceremony gown here, let us help with your party dress! Click here to find out about the wonderful organizations we support!

They’re zero-waste.  All our dresses are donated… and either saved from hiding in the back of someone’s closet, or destined for some other untimely demise.  Many are redesigned from longer gowns and given a newer, fresh look.

Show off your shoes!  Not all bridal shoes are plain off-white pumps.  We’ve seen some pretty spectacular footwear – whether colourful or sparkly or both.  Let them shine.

Bust a groove all night long.  There’s a certain elegance to the full length bridal gown that can’t be replaced.  And it has its place, and its time.  Like all good things, that time comes to an end… and marks the beginning of Twirl, Spin, repeat!

Pop-up Wedding/Destination Wedding/Shower/Bachelorette.  You still want to look like a bride, or a bride to be… but not in an uber-formal way.  Or you’re having an outdoor or destination wedding.  A short dress is the PERFECT solution!!

Make an appointment and come on in to find your perfect short dress.

Is it Vintage, or just old?

Well, I’m doing the ‘happy dance’ today.  I just realized that according to our criteria at The Brides’ Project, I’m not just ‘old’… I can actually be considered vintage (that is, pre-1970).  Sure sounds better, doesn’t it!

We have a great collection of vintage wedding dresses that are from the ’20s to late 60’s.  I should let you know, however, that many of them are very small – humans seemed to have become a larger species in the intervening decades!  So, for the most part, these fabulous dresses from days gone by are sizes 00 to 4 (which loosely translates to 2-8 in bridal sizing) and there are a few that are in sizes 6/8.   The icing on the cake is that the average price is $150-200, so you can easily spoil yourself and even make this a second dress for the big day!  If vintage is your aesthetic, make an appointment and pay us a visit.  We’d love to see these gowns enjoyed again.  Your purchase not only saves a dress from landfill (zero-waste!) but also helps us raise money to fight cancer.  That’s what I call a win-win!

 

Also keep in mind, that if you buy a vintage dress, have your mother’s dress or another family treasure… there are plenty of resources to get that dress ready to go down the aisle.  Often a first step is to have it professionally cleaned and/or restored.  Fabrics tend to discolour over time, and many vintage pieces need a bit of love.  We sent several of our pieces to Grace Gown Care since they are THE place to go for any wedding gown work and have over 30 years experience in restoring vintage gowns.  Your newly restored gown will probably need a few alterations to fit like a glove and don’t forget that you can also add a little bit of modern flair – just consult with one of the seamstresses on our list who would be happy to help!  Click here.

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Dresses freshly restored from Grace Gown Care.