The Fashionably Eco-friendly Future of The Wedding Gown: Buying Used
A quick fact: Fast fashion is the second-largest polluter in the world.
Another quick fact: Not even the sacred can be saved from fast fashion. Yes, that’s right, the wasteful practice has wrapped its unrecyclable arms around weddings – till death do us part.
Before going any further, we’d like to apologize in advance. We prefer to bind weddings to love, hope, and prosperity in our minds, not landfills and a burning planet. But after we perform a dive into the topic, we promise to resurface with a more cheerful solution.
But first, let’s crunch some uncomfortable numbers:
In 2020, the global market for Bridal Wear was estimated at US$59.1 Billion. This already lofty figure is projected to reach a revised size of US$79.8 Billion by 2027. That’s a lot of money, and it’s also a lot of dollar-bill-sized reasons to encourage brides to buy new.
Of course, we’re all familiar with the stigma and market-driven expectations. A bride must have a gown that’s entirely her own and never worn before aside from in dressing rooms. Once she’s dazzled everyone on her big day, the dress is carefully perched in her wardrobe for safe-keeping, only to be marveled at on sentimental occasions.
Other times, the wedding dress is handed a one-way ticket to the landfill where its petroleum, plasticky composition slowly degrades, releasing noxious gas into the environment – not idyllic.
A Revelation
It wasn’t too long ago that we discovered the secret trail of waste being left behind by gorgeous weddings. To see such elegance and beauty related to damage was next to heartbreaking. We knew we had to take action for not only brides, but the planet itself.
And our world-saving plan here at Astraea Bridal? It’s simple: upcycling, recycling, and making second-hand wedding dresses as good as new. In our vision, no bride should have to sacrifice her dreams for the sake of eco-friendliness. Instead, we make both possible through diligence, years of shared experience, creativity, attention to detail, and a healthy sprinkling of love for all things wedding!
Here’s why you should consider joining their growing ranks
Limit Demand
As a bride, your wish is everyone’s command. If you want a new dress, you will get a new dress. And thus raises the encouragement for manufacturers to damage the planet further by producing difficult to recycle materials such as polyester, the very tuff of wedding dresses.
Unfortunately, most wedding gowns are not made with environmental and ethical practices in mind. Polyester or some other synthetic materials are the order of most wedding dresses. As a petroleum-based material, polyester is a carbon-intensive non-renewable resource with harmful chemicals and carcinogens – not exactly romantic.
However, suppose you buy a dress that’s already in circulation. In that case, that’s one less lucrative incentive for bridal gown manufacturers to continue making more.
Fewer carbon emissions
Did you know that clothing production contributes to 10% of global carbon emissions? And yes, that’s including wedding dresses. Buying used means you contribute toward keeping our air clean and global warming at bay.
On top of that, Astraea Bridal contributes to the National Forest Foundation where a tree is planted for every dress that is sold!
Reinvest money
Weddings are pretty occasions that cost a pretty penny. When you buy used, you always save the difference. What money’s left on the table can be redistributed to other aspects of the wedding for your and your guest’s enjoyment. Moreover, consignment recycles money back into the community, which is exactly where we want it!
A gown with a story
When you buy new, you tell the story of all the dresses you tried before finding the one. When you buy used, you have a tale that impacts the world. Your eco-conscious, sustainable choice could influence other brides-to-be in the same direction. It’s a brave choice that adds layers of depth and awareness to your big day. Moreover, for all this in return, you don’t have to sacrifice on beauty or desire – your sustainable wedding dress will look as enchanting as any other.
Finally …
Here at Astraea Bridal, we’re a consignment shop dedicated to keeping wedding wear sustainable. Our passion is keeping the joy of weddings alive and free from wasteful or harmful connotations. We want to spread the word about what can be done to heal the bridal gown industry while ensuring that brides never have to sacrifice style or their wedding day dreams. Take a peak at our Instagram to see what we are up to and get inspiration for your special day!
article by Hustroe