Why Wearing Pre-Loved Dresses is The Latest Fashion Trend
And it’s a fashion trend that isn’t going away anytime soon.
Tired of using the sentence "Well, I wasted that outfit" or just worried about wearing an outfit you put so much effort into choosing and spent so much money on more than once? Why not just make things easier on yourself (and on your monthly budget) and normalize outfit repeating? Not only is this method a much more affordable and sustainable way to live, it's also the fashion trend of the future.
Investing in quality clothing items, whether it be a sustainably-made t-shirt or a pre-loved designer bridal gown, means that you are buying items which are meant to be worn a number of times. Recycling or re-wearing outfits gives these garments more character and a story to go with them (and we all love a good story), which is just one of the reasons why this trend of repeat fashion is one that just keeps on giving!
In this post, we'll address the beauty of outfit repeating (or wearing pre-loved, however you want to call it) and how this is the ultimate sustainable fashion trend that will lead us into the future. We'll also highlight some celebrities over the past few years who haven't been afraid to re-wear their ball gowns or even stunningly sport a vintage number for their big day, as well as note the pros when it comes to buying secondhand wedding dresses.
Make the ultimate fashion statement by wearing a pre-loved gown to your wedding!
Is it okay to wear the same dress again?
We hope you're not really Googling this question, but if you are no worries, we're not here to judge. All the societal pressure that many of us face to always look our best or just keep up with the hottest fashion trends can make the simple act of getting dressed super stressful.
The dawning of fast fashion has unfortunately played a huge part in amplifying this pressure in many parts of the world, as the fast fashion industry has made it more accessible than ever to buy garments so cheap that it's feasible to wear them just a few times. And this results in masses of clothing waste every year (like MASSES!). According to the Global Fashion Agenda non-profit organization, 80% of clothing produced around the world ends up in landfills or is incinerated. Not to mention the fact that garment production is projected to increase by 63% by 2030.
The U.S. is also the 2nd biggest producer of textile waste in the world, which is just one of the reasons why we think we need more local businesses and organizations built with the motivation to tackle some of this problem.
So, the fact of the matter is that YES! It is more than okay to repeat outfits and wear the same dress more than once. At Hand-Me-Gowns Bridal, we like to think that the concept of throwaway outfits made trendy by fast fashion has already peaked, and what's left is a space where we can all normalize recycling outfits over and over again.
In 2024 more articles than ever have covered the topic of outfit repeating, so from the looks of things, this fashion trend won't be going away anytime soon. In fact, it's an old trend that's making a comeback in a big way.
Sustainable fashion includes bridal fashion
Wearing pre-loved: the sustainable fashion trend making a comeback
Did you know that the average American woman in 1930 owned only 9 outfits? Pretty crazy, right? Now, less than 100 years later, the average is about 30 outfits per woman. No wonder textile waste is only projected to increase by the hundreds of millions of tons in a few years. Take a look in your closet - how many dresses and/or outfits do you have?
Up until the last century, articles of clothing used to be worn again and again and again (and again) by people all around the world. And one of the reasons this was more feasible and fashionable was because our clothes were made with better quality materials, so they could last much longer. Let’s take the example of the upper class.
Back in the day, society's elite would buy quality-made garments and wear them to the nines. From embroidered silks to the highest-quality velvet for their ball gowns, people wore the best materials and dressed for the season.
And this luxurious way of living was actually more sustainable. When clothes are well-made, they are also more durable than the garments produced from a fast fashion company. Which also means that the clothes are more easily repaired, and thus can be worn for years.
Vintage style and bridal fashion in 2024
So when it comes to becoming a sustainable fashion trendsetter, opting for good-quality garments is one of the best ways to start. This goes for what “sustainable fashion” means in 2024 and beyond, and for sustainable bridal fashion, too.
To keep ourselves out of those fast fashion statistics, going with pre-loved bridal dresses is one of the best ways to cut back on our fashion and wedding waste.
Plus, it gives a well-made wedding dress all the love and attention that it deserves.
Did you hear? Vintage wear is back in style in a big way.
Celebrities helping to make re-wearing dresses trendy in 2024
Are you a proud outfit repeater? If so, you know you're not alone in this eco-friendly feat. These gals are bringing wearing pre-loved to the limelight.
Choosing to wear these gorgeous gowns more than once – whether it's on the red carpet, for an interview, or even an SNL hosting gig – all play a part in helping to bring this important fashion trend to light. Will their advocacy help this sustainable fashion trend trickle down to the masses? Let's take a look at some celebrities who've worn a dress more than once for millions to see.
Tiffany Haddish
When actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish began gracing mainstream audiences with her presence in 2017, she also started famously wearing her now-iconic white halter Alexander McQueen gown to lots of big events and appearances.
During this monumental time in her career, Haddish made her Alexander McQueen dress pretty much follow her everywhere. She wore it to the premiere of her record-breaking movie Girls Trip, when she hosted SNL (another record breaker) in November 2017, a few months later at the Oscars, while hosting the MTV TV and Movie Awards in 2018, and a bunch more times. The actress even confirmed to People Magazine in 2021 that she'd worn the dress to 8 major appearances over the years.
Tiffany Haddish was one of the first big names in these modern times who said it so boldly: “I spent so much money, and every time I wear it, it’s like another huge moment!" She wasn't shy to call out the affordability and practical factor of re-wearing an expensive dress more than once. And by doing that, Haddish gave her gown a story while becoming a bit of an advocate for sustainable living!
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst stretched the lasting power of a beautiful lace mini-dress over 13 years when she re-wore the gown to an event in 2017. It was one that the Marie Antoinette star rocked back in 2004 for Vanity Fair's Oscar Party, and it looked just as good on her, of course. We love how she un-earthed this gorgeous gown over a decade later!
One of the things that we think is the most ground-breaking about this sustainable fashion trend is that it shows just how timeless a piece can be.
Jane Fonda
Sustainability and climate advocate/Queen always does us proud. Jane Fonda has shared with the world that she's vowed never to buy a new item of clothing ever again, so that means re-wearing some gorgeous gowns for her red carpet appearances. One of her most famous outfit repeats was arguably a sparkly red Elie Saab gown that she so stunningly sported at the 2020 Oscars, recycling it from its first appearance in 2014 at the Cannes Film Fest.
From the looks of it, Jane Fonda's third act is becoming her best yet and we love how she's using it to rep for sustainable and mindful living, and that includes ditching fast fashion (woo-hoo!).
Kat Dennings
While it’s not technically outfit repeating, we’d like to highlight one celebrity trendsetter who brought wearing vintage on your wedding day back in style.
When Kat Dennings and Andrew WK tied the knot at the end of last year, Dennings so elegantly sported a vintage Alexander McQueen gown. And she looked stunning in it, of course.
On top of these fabulous ladies there's a ton of other celebrity outfit repeaters nowadays, from big-timers like Susan Sarandon, Rita Moreno, and Sophia Loren to royals like Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton. As they all grace the world stages wearing the same gown more than once – sometimes with little tweaks to show the dress' timelessness – we all see that recycling dresses is an amazing fashion statement.
Pros of purchasing a secondhand wedding dress
Believe it or not, this now-trendy topic of recycling outfits also translates in the bridal fashion world.
The decision of whether or not to wear a secondhand gown for your wedding day can be similar reasoning as with your other fashion choices. Whether your priority is supporting vintage wear, sustainability, minimalism, the increased cost of a wedding dress, or just cutting back on your wedding waste and creating a more eco-friendly event, then you’ll be happy to know that the secondhand wedding dress option has never been easier in 2024.
At our small-town bridal shop, we sell exclusively designer bridal gowns. We are proud to say that our gorgeous selection of over 300 secondhand wedding dresses (and in some cases, never worn gowns) are high-quality garments – all well-made pieces that are meant to be worn more than once.
We also have high standards as to what we accept for consignment, so all of the dresses that we put up for sale have been inspected, cleaned, steamed, and ready to try on by our brides. Remember that you aren't sacrificing quality - you're just buying something that’s pre-loved.