2009-04-20 13:54:48 by SMARTBRIDE
What To Look For When Buying A Used Wedding Dress
Congratulations on deciding to buy a used wedding dress! Just wait until you see how much money you'll save - generally, gently used wedding dresses sell for about 50% of their original retail price. You should also feel good about lessening the impact of your wedding on the environment by reducing shipping and emissions and reusing the host of materials that go into making a wedding gown.
We hope you'll find the following tips useful when starting your search for a wedding dress on SmartBride Boutique. We should also mention that not all of the dresses on our site are used. You'll also find dresses new with tags and sample dresses. What ever the case, it's best to inspect a dress (new or used) in person to avoid any surprises.
Let's get started!
1) Go to the Store
You'll save a ton of time by going to a large bridal boutique and trying on several colours, silhouettes and necklines. This allows you to narrow down the styles of gowns that suit you, and in turn help to focus your searches on-line. Make sure you remember record the exact designer, style name or number and size of the dresses you like.
2) Record Your Measurements
It's good to know your exact measurements as used dresses have typically been altered. Take your bust, waist and hip measurements along with your height in heels for comparison against those provided by sellers. They may be selling a size 10, but if they've had substantial and irreversible alterations done, it may be a waste of your time to try on the dress.
3) Look for Dresses that have Been Dry Cleaned.
The best option is to find a dress was dry cleaned quickly after the wedding day. This ensures that stains do not set in. When buying a dress that has not been cleaned, you run the risk of not being able to remove stains before your wedding day. *Budget Tip - sellers who have paid to have the dress preserved or boxed may try to pass that cost along. It's best to look for dresses that have been cleaned, but not preserved or to put on your negotiating hat!
4) Deal locally
Avoid nasty surprises by searching for a dress in your local city. Ensure you can see the dress in person before buying it. Try it on and inspect it closely for damages and stains in proper lighting.
5) Ask the Seller for the Information of their Seamstress
The seamstress who originally altered the dress will have the best working knowledge of which alterations are reversible. They will know whether they have physically cut material from the dress (in the case of hemming) or if they have used simple darts. You may wish to contact them before purchasing the dress.
6) Take A Friend
Just as you would in a bridal boutique, take your mom, maid of honor, or a friend with you. Their opinion will be invaluable. We always recommend that sellers allow a potential buyer to try on the dress near a mirror, but just in case - have your friend take pictures from all angles to help you make a decision.
7) Know your Prices
Do your pricing research before you go. You should know whether the dress is still available in stores and if so, the current retail price. You can also compare prices for the same dress online. Remember, some sellers will have many interested buyers. If you fall in love with the dress, be ready to negotiate there and then. Make arrangements to pay in cash on the spot if needed.
As a general rule of thumb, sellers will start with a price of 50% off the retail cost they paid for their dress and adjust for any minor damages to the dress, and the age of the dress. Dresses more than 2-3 years old or have not been cleaned should be discounted. Dresses that were never worn, or are new with tags may sell for more than 50% of the original price.
