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Boom in second hand dresses 2209 views
Charity shop chain Oxfam are appealing for donations of wedding dresses after experiencing a boom in second-hand sales of bridal gowns.
In line with the current trend for eco-friendly weddings, sales are booming and the Eastbourne Oxfam bridal shop even has a month-long waiting list for appointments.
A survey carried out by the charity has found a wealth of wedding dresses languishing in wardrobes around the country, with 82 per cent of brides hanging on to their dresses after their weddings, 75 per cent having never put their dress on since their wedding day, and 77 per cent thinking that they probably won't ever wear their wedding dress again.
In 2005 there were 283,730 weddings in the UK and Oxfam say that if even half of these brides donated their dresses to one of their nine bridal outlets around the country, this could raise a staggering £35 million for the charity - enough to fund their emergency programme work in Chad and Darfur for three years.
The survey also found that 15 per cent of couples feel that having an ethical slant to their wedding is important, and this trend has seen a growth in the number off brides heading to Oxfam's bridal outlets.
Barbara Walmsley, Oxfam bridal coordinator, said:
I started selling wedding dresses for Oxfam in 1985, now we've got a business that is booming. It's great that so many brides are coming to us for their dresses, but we are desperate for donations to meet this growing demand.
If a donated dress sells for £250, this can provide 100 people with clean water, build two toilets, train one midwife and feed a family for a month - its an easy and very special way to give to charity.
The typical selling price of an Oxfam wedding dress is around £250 - a huge saving on the £826 estimated to be the price of the average wedding dress - and many of the dresses are brand new.
Story taken from Wedding Professional, June/July issue
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