How To Reuse Bridesmaid Dresses

Bridesmaid dresses aren’t cheap by any means! Do you currently have any friends in the wedding phase yet and are getting married soon? If you are like me you might have already been in a wedding before or will at some point this year. Despite all the fun and celebration revolving around the big day, there is a bit of an expense when it comes to weddings. If you happen to find yourself part of a bridal party this year, shopping for a bridesmaid dress could be the biggest purchase required of you. If you’re lucky, the bride-to-be will hopefully choose colors that not only flatter you but doesn’t cost a whole heck of a lot of money either.

In reality, some of us aren’t’ so lucky and have known a few bridezillas in our time. If you are like me, you may already have a growing collection of bridesmaid dresses that you may be contemplating getting rid of. Don’t toss out those expensive ensembles just yet, reuse them! There are many ways to ensure that your money spent on a bridesmaid dress won’t go down the toilet. Read on for helpful suggestions to reuse and repurpose bridesmaid dresses that you swore would never see the light of day again.

Take it to a tailor for a tighter fit

Bridesmaids dresses come in all shapes and sizes. Typically the bridesmaid dresses we see advertised and repined on Pinterest are long, flowy, A-line dresses. Take it to a tailor to have the dress tailored to fit your body to your liking. Whether that’s getting rid of the sleeves, adding straps, or removing extra material on the dress itself, you will be more likely to re-wear it if it’s actually something you like. As a bridesmaid, you don’t have much say over the dress selection in the beginning so this is now your opportunity to make it your own.

Find another occasion to wear it

Heck, you can even wear old bridesmaid dresses to another wedding. If the dress code is formal, it would be a perfect opportunity to re-wear those floor length bridesmaid dresses! Just make sure to find out if your dress is the same color as the bridal party or things can get awkward fast.

You can even wear old bridesmaid dresses at a formal event that your university or sorority might host. Depending upon the color, you can even ring in the New Year wearing it at a party where everyone is dressed to the nines.

Hem it

You probably won’t get much wear out of a full-length bridesmaid dress but you can always get it hemmed to be able to wear it to other formal events. Heming the dress will instantly transform a formal bridesmaid dress into a more casual style. A shorter bridesmaid dresses can easily be layered under a jean jacket for an easy date-night outfit or be converted into a romper for the summer.

Upcycle it into a cool skirt

If you are into DIY projects you can upcycle some bridesmaid dresses and transform them into skirts. Some floor-length bridesmaid dresses would be more wearable as one. That way you can dress the old gown up or down depending on your mood. You wouldn’t be limited to just formal events to get the most use out of it.

Dye your dress a different color

A great way to reuse an old bridesmaid dress is to simply change the color! You might think, easier said than done but the process is actually not so difficult. If you shop around at craft stores, there are plenty of fabric dyes in a wide range of colors that you can use at home. Or take the dress to a cleaner and have it professional dyed by experienced hands.

If your old bridesmaid dresses are light in material and color consider going darker in shades like navy or olive green. The more neutral the color is the easier it will fit in with the rest of your wardrobe which will make you want to wear it often.

Create a DIY project

What makes bridesmaid dresses so expensive is often the material. You can upcycle an old bridesmaid dress and turn into pretty much anything. A blanket, a throw pillow, purse, or even a blouse are just a few ideas you can use to re-invent old bridesmaid dresses.

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Dress it down

If you don’t have time or the talent to conquer an upcycling project, you can simply dress down an old bridesmaid dress with the right accessories. Try a cute cardigan or casual jacket with the dress. Put on a chunky belt and casual sandal wedges. Even gorgeous gowns can be worn during a shopping spree at the mall with the right accessorizing.

Donate your bridesmaid dress

Chances are you won’t find another reason to re-wear your bridesmaid dresses and that’s okay  just donate them! The Salvation Army is a great place to donate to or even local thrift stores in your city, like Savers. If you’re lucky, some thrift stores will even pay you for your donated items. You might not get back top dollar for what you originally paid for but some cash is better than nothing.

Becca’s closet is another great place to donate old bridesmaid dresses. With each donation, you will, in fact, be helping teenage girls go to prom. There are many awesome programs like Becca’s closet that you can donate to and support. It takes just a quick search and you can get connected with a variety of programs that are more than willing to accept your old dresses and to give them to someone in need.

There are so many creative ways to re-wear and reuse old bridesmaid dresses. Just don’t be so quick to get rid of them! You could be just one simple step away from transforming an old bridesmaid dress into a staple piece you will wear again and again. Do you have any bridesmaid dresses currently laying around? We would like to hear about how you plan to reinvent them. Leave us a comment below!

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