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Reader Question / Non-Traditional Wedding Dresses

Q. Do you have any suggestions for where to find a “non wedding” wedding dress? – Loni

A. At good vintage stores, you can find gorgeous vintage nightgowns incorporating lace and chiffon that look very much like gowns (top one with a beaded or feathered bolero if you feel too bare, and make sure to wear excellent undergarments since there likely won’t be a ton of support). But of course vintage stores can be hit-or-miss, and there are tons of options that work at your local department stores.

Below, some suggestions (my personal favorites are starred):

Romantic

**Halston Heritage Long Pleated Dress** ($895); Aqua Chiffon One-Shoulder Dress ($173.60); BCBG Max Azria Marley Tiered Taffeta Dress ($938)

Minimalist

**Halston Double Crepe Petal Dress** ($2,385); Stella McCartney Sleeveless Crepe Shift ($1,295); BCBG Max Azria Belted Silk Column Gown ($348)

Short/Casual

BCBG Max Azria Scalloped Cutout Dress ($448); Acne Dophin-Draped Silk Wrap Dress ($660); **Lily Pulitzer Shayna Lace Dress** ($368)

Cocktail/Retro

**Yves St Laurent Strapless Dress** ($2390); Zac Posen Illusion Long-Sleeve Dress ($1,590); Priscilla of Boston Silk Taffeta ($2500-3000) [UPDATE: Jenny Yoo, recommended by Colleen below, also has some gorgeous - and affordable - cocktail-length dresses.]

Coffee & Cream

**Tadashi Off-Shoulder Lace Gown** ($408); Rachel Pally Long Cutout Dress ($238); Zac Posen Pleated Mermaid Gown ($3,690)



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February 2nd, 2011 | Posted by Jordan | Style | 16 Comments »
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  • Colleen

    I got my dress from Jenny Yoo’s wedding alternatives line. They’re simple, casual and fairly inexpensive!

  • Anonymous

    this cocktail-length dress is gorgeous! http://www.jennyyoo.com/bridal-cocktail-03.html

  • rachel

    Jordan,

    Thanks so much for this post! Your timing is impeccable, because this is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Here’s the funny thing: I’ve tried on a lot of those dresses!

    I’m actually trying to stay below $500 (sssh, don’t tell the wedding industry), so it’s a little tough, because that doesn’t mean $300 for a dress at a sample sale and then $1,000 for alterations. It means literally, under $500.

    BCBG was the best spot to go. A friend recommended it, and I almost didn’t believe them, but they had so many options. I haven’t picked one yet… but I got very close to falling in love with a PURPLE dress! It’s my favorite color, and since I’m so pale, light purple looks much better on me than white. What do you think about that?

  • Anonymous

    bcbg has SO many amazing options, mostly in the $300-$400 range – it’s an absolute bride-on-a-budget godsend. i think that there’s no reason whatsoever not to wear light purple – the whole point is for you to feel beautiful, and if you can do that while staying on-budget…go for it! maybe with some rose-gold jewelry?

  • rachel

    We were thinking it might be cool if we reversed the color tradition. So, purple dress, but holding long white flowers, and white flower in my hair?

    But just to show you how my styles ranges across the universe, I am so in love with this dress: http://www.fashionablebride.com/assets/galleries/706/v_1124716355clairePB273.jpg
    and really, really want to find a copy of it somewhere, that is NOT $3,000. :-)

  • loni

    Agreed.

    I do wish the above dresses were more affordable too.

  • loni

    Does anyone know quality vintage stores in NYC?

  • Julia
  • http://www.alwaysorderdessert.com/ Alejandra Ramos

    I love Jenny Yoo!! My bridesmaids’ dresses were from there. Gorgeous fabrics and styles.

  • http://www.etcetcblog.com Jennifer Olmstead

    I definitely agree with the BCBG rec and would also suggest J.Crew and Anthropologie (the current “Cloud Art” dress would be gorgeous with with some killer shoes. The latter has an actual bridal line coming this spring, so I’m sure there will be a multitude of non-wedding-y dresses available then!

    But mostly, I want the dress (the light blue one with the red / orange shoes!) in the ideeli advertisement! Too bad it’s nowhere to be found on their website. SIGH.

  • Anonymous

    me too – i’d love that ysl for non-wedding occasions. for more options, i’d look at bridesmaids’ dress collections – they often have lots of cocktail and tea-length options in the $200-$300 range.

  • Anonymous

    can’t WAIT to see the anthro wedding line!

  • Anonymous

    gorgeous. for my junior & senior years of high school, i designed my own prom dresses and hired a tailor in the garment district to make them for between $150 and $200 (not bad for a custom dress, right??), and the one i wore senior year looked a lot like that.

  • Anonymous

    did you see my post on the vera wang for david’s bridal line? you might be able to find something similar…http://ramshackleglam.com/blog/2011/01/white-by-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal/

  • Anonymous

    i like what goes around comes around and cheap jack’s for higher-quality pieces.

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