Vintage wedding dress, from the past with love: complete guide to second hand purchase for the most beautiful day of life

When the Princess Beatrice of York he wore A vintage wedding dress To get married to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020, he surprised everyone.

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The dress in question was one Creation of the British stylist Norman Hartnellworn by her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, to the premiere of the film Lawrence of Arabia In 1962 A sustainable choice.

For those who do not have a Norman Hartnell dress at hand, do not panic: since the brides are increasing that pay particular attention to the environment, The trend of the vintage purchase has been soaring for several years, becoming an increasingly popular choice even in the wedding field. Let’s talk about Unique models from DNA Planet friendly: They come from the past but, in the message they bring, they prove to be very contemporary.

According to statistics, The searches of the term “vintage wedding dress” has increased 297% in the 48 hours immediately following the wedding of Beatrice of York, while the “60s wedding dress” keyword increased by 80%. After five years, in 2025, The Bridal world is still fascinated by the vintage And so, a wedding dress Inspired by past eras, through precious fabrics, tailored details and iconic silhouettes, it becomes a choice for many. A dress with a flavor backgives an aura of exclusivity and romanceintertwines the past with the present and creates an elegance that exceeds passenger fashions.

If the new wedding fashion proposals are inspired by the style of the past decades why not wear directly An original wedding dress from the 1930s, ’40, 1950, ’70? The brides who wish to travel this road have never had so much choice. Second -hand specialists such as Vestiaire Collective, Farfetch Pre-Owned Mon Vintage, Etsy (which has an entire section dedicated exclusively to vintage clothes), Re-sex, angel or Vintachic (which proposes a selection of Vintage Wedding Dress Authentic from 1880 to 1980) make online shopping easier than ever.

If you don’t know where to start, Here is a practical guide to easily buy a perfect vintage wedding dress.

Identify a precise style will help Certainly to find the perfect vintage dress. First of all you have to understand the decade of interest, Maybe taking a look at Pinterest or looking for the hashtag #vintageWedDingess On Instagram. As with a new dress, the silhouette is the starting point. Currently, the clothes of the late 1950s and 60s are revealed particularly popular among the brides, a trend that will undoubtedly continue. But many also aim at the most relaxed silhouettes of the 70s and the styles are in vogue minimal of the 90s to Carolyn Bessette.

If we are looking for online, it is useful to do a search on designer or maison Famous of the decade on which we decided to aim as Gene Shelley, James Galanos and Pauline Trigère for the late 1950s and early 1960s, while, for the 1970s style we study Ossie Clark and Halston. But if you want to head, instead, towards a more relaxed and minimal look, the names to be watched are Max Mara, Jil Sander and Armani.

We set up a budget in advance so we will narrow the search and go more secure in the choice of the dress. Of vintage clothes there are all the price ranges, from a few hundred euros to several thousand that include designer models including Oscar de la Renta, Yves Saint Laurent or Azzedine Alaïa.

A vintage wedding dress, in most cases, It will require changes to get a perfect fit. The advice is to take it an extra size as those of the past generally dress smaller than those of today, depending on the decade. Then it is necessary to rely on a good tailor for the appropriate changes, remembering that, in any case, you should not fear it to customize it to transform it into dreams wedding dress. Princess Beatrice, for example, compared to the original model added the puff sleeves and removed the subgonne and the balloon rim, replacing them with a silk edge.

Photo IPA.

Steve Parsons / IPa-Agecy.net

When buying in person, it is easier to evaluate the quality of the fabric and the invoice of the dress. But it is much more difficult when buying online, therefore It is important to collect as many information as possible. Many descriptions speak of organza or chiffon clothes which then proves to be polyester. It is necessary to make sure with the seller that it is, in the specific case of silk chiffon and not of polyester as well as having greater News on the fit and conditions. It is also important to make sure to verify the return policy, since most of the online sales of vintage wedding dresses do not contemplate the return.

Just because you are hunting for a vintage wedding dress, it doesn’t mean you can’tMpilia the research outside the marriage sector To find the right one. Studying different eras and finding out which styles likes can help to be more successful, rather than looking for too much specifically “vintage wedding dress”. Looking for key terms relating to what might affect as a crochet, lace, romantic 70s -style dresses are all excellent ways to discover models that are not necessarily designed for weddings, but that can work (even the wedding dress labeled by Anthony Marantino “of no one” who wears Carrie Bradshaw to marry the Mr. Big Municipality is actually a Christian Dior model of the Cruise 2008 collection).

Also, we also suggest Do not look for signed garments only, but also handmade. Until the 80s and the advent of prêt-à-porter, Many people cooked the dress alone or collaborated with the tailors to create unique looks, with high quality fabrics. You could really find rare beauty pearls.