Alice Bolster, a 30-year-old graphic designer from London, has demonstrated significant savings in wedding attire by embracing secondhand fashion. Alice, who has been a proponent of pre-loved clothing for most of her life, discovered her 'dream' Vivienne Westwood wedding gown on the resale app Vinted, ultimately purchasing it for £2,500—down from its original retail price of £6,000.
Having always envisioned a secondhand dress for her nuptials, she invested considerable time curating a Pinterest board filled with vintage and antique styles. Married to George Bolster in June 2023, Alice began her wedding planning journey with a budget set between £2,500 and £3,000 but faced challenges finding a dress under £4,000. She previously bought a £700 Charlie Brear dress from a charity bridal store, but her search continued.
In January, six months prior to her wedding, Alice found the Vivienne Westwood gown listed at £2,800. "I thought, 'Oh my god, I love it so much'," she recalled. After negotiating with the seller, Alice secured the gown for £2,500—leading to a remarkable £3,500 discount. "It was meant to be," she added, expressing her delight at how well the dress fit.
Alice's upbringing significantly influenced her shopping habits; she was raised by her mother, Ruth Darby, who consistently encouraged the pursuit of secondhand and vintage fashion. Alice noted, "She'd be grumpy with me if I had an ASOS order arrive," referring to a popular fast-fashion retailer.
To extend her commitment to sustainability, Alice allocated £30 to each of her bridesmaids to purchase secondhand outfits, enabling them to also shop through Vinted. On the day of the wedding, her mother donned a vintage blouse and green satin trousers, while her father wore a suit from the 1990s. Alice reflected positively on her wedding day, stating, "It just felt like it was the one - the one I dreamed of," emphasising how special and beautiful the gown made her feel.
Following the wedding, Alice is considering options for renting her dress, allowing others the opportunity to wear it. The advantages of platforms like Vinted extend beyond personal savings; they also provide opportunities for individuals to sell their own clothes, as evidenced by Chloe Chandler, a popular Vinted user, who has successfully made £4,415.34 through buying and selling on the platform. She advises users to ensure that their accounts are reputable before engaging in transactions, emphasising the importance of “account vetting.”
Hannah Bevington, another proficient Vinted seller with earnings reaching £6,000, encourages users to price items according to their true value, as underpricing can lead to suboptimal sales. She commented, "Stop selling things for £10 on Vinted," stressing that potential buyers may undervalue items simply because of their low listing price.
The growing trend towards pre-loved fashion not only reflects individual cost-saving measures but also highlights a broader cultural shift towards sustainability in fashion. Vinted emerges as a significant player in this space, facilitating affordable access to high-quality garments while enabling users to earn from their own secondhand items.
Source: Noah Wire Services