Category Archives: Vintage

Recently here on Sparkle & Swish we took a look at vintage wedding dresses available from Etsy, and I thought it would be great to follow it up with some advice on choosing your own vintage dress.  Since I don’t know very much about vintage clothing myself, I knew I’d have to go to a pro for some help, so I’m delighted to tell you that Kathy from Dublin’s Dirty Fabulous vintage clothing shop has kindly shared some tips for brides to be!

Kathy and Caroline have plenty of experience with vintage clothing through their shop Dirty Fabulous, so I know they’re a trustworthy source!  I hope these tips will make your first steps less daunting, and give you a thorough idea of what to look out for.  If you have any more questions after this post then don’t be too shy to get in touch!

- Be open to trying on lots of different styles.  Vintage dresses are tailored very differently to modern dresses so often a bride-to-be may pass a dress on a hanger that looks totally amazing when worn.  Certain tucks and pleats will skim the curves beautifully whilst other fabrics will drape deliciously to the floor!

- Vintage dresses tend to be smaller in size especially dresses from the 1920′s through to 1940′s.  This is because not only did most women get married very young (most still in their teens), but also diets were completely different (processed and convenience foods were non-existent!). It’s easiest to find dresses in sizes 4-8, there are also a lot of 10′s and 12′s.

If you are looking for a particular style of wedding dress in a size 14 or 16 you might just have to spend a little longer on your search.  These sizes are available and look gorgeous on, but they are harder to find and so popular that they don’t hang around long.  It is also usually possible to alter a dress a few sizes up or down.  Unfortunately it’s extremely rare to find earlier vintage dresses above a size 16.

- When dealing with vintage dresses remember that these are pieces of historical beauty ranging in age from 30 to 100 years old.  They are completely unique and if the life they led before you found it has left a little mark, then cherish it.  Sometimes vintage wedding dresses have minor flaws but these only serve to enhance their character.  If you need a more flawless appearance to your dress then it’s possible to cover marks with jewels, pleats or lace.

- Most vintage wedding dresses would have been made to fit one person so some alteration could be needed.  This could be something as simple as taking a hem line up, shortening a sleeve length or adding a corset panel to the back to make a dress bigger.  Don’t be afraid to tweak a dress to give it a more contemporary or personal look. A good alterations place will be able to explain what they can do and how much it will cost.

- Don’t be afraid of vintage! Brides today want a dress that is personal to them on their big day and not necessarily a current trend.  There are so many different eras, styles and fabrics available for vintage wedding dresses that there will always be a special dress out there.  Explore your possibilities and have fun.  We always encourage our customers to have fun trying on dresses, it shouldn’t be a stressful experience!

Thanks very much to Kathy for sharing her words of wisdom, I know they’ll be of help to brides who’d like to start looking for their very own vintage dress.  If you’d like to get in touch with the girls at Dirty Fabulous here’s all their details:

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Photography by Paul Marconi and Pauline Dennigan.

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