Rediscover Timeless Beauty: Recreate Your Vintage Wedding Dress in NYC

Anna had a unique vision for her wedding dress - to upcycle her great aunt's 1930s wedding dress. She wanted to make sure that the dress was not only beautiful but also meaningful and memorable. As a bride in New York City, she contacted me to inquire about my services in helping her make this dream come true.

I knew that using Anna's heirloom dress as the starting point could be the perfect way for her to honor her family while having a one-of-a-kind gown for the most special day of her life. So she came to my studio for our consultation and tried the dress. Although she loved the shiny liquid satin material, there were several tiny holes throughout the train, and the bias cut was a little too slim around the hips. In addition, the dress had yellowed, and she hoped it could be restored to its original soft ivory color.

I was excited to take on this challenge. As you probably know, I love working with vintage pieces and finding ways to make them modern while maintaining their original charm. I was confident I could turn Anna's vision into reality, so we began discussing how best to approach the project.

After we had settled on the final design, I got started! I began by carefully hand-washing the dress. After being restored to a lovely ivory color, I could source a deadstock heavy-weight charmeuse, which I found at NYC’s Mood Fabrics. After carefully unseaming the dress and working with my patternmaker, we used Anna’s measurements to create the updated silhouette of her dreams.

Through revamping, you can transform (or upcycle) a heritage dress into something unique and special. From updating fabric choices to adding subtle embellishments, there are many ways to make vintage wedding dresses look new and fresh for today’s brides. Please view our selection of upcycled vintage dresses ready to wear or schedule a free 30-minute consultation to discuss creating a unique look that will make your special day more memorable.