With two upcoming weddings this Summer amongst the Ian Drummond studio staff, we were all in the mood for this collection!
Vintage bridal wear is the most sustainable way to shop for your big day. Maybe you're an eco-conscious bride planning to have an ethical wedding event? According to the Green Bride Guide, the average wedding can produce 62 tons of CO2! A vintage wedding gown can help you reduce those emissions. In 2020, Beatrice of York got married in a gown worn by Queen Elizabeth to the state opening of parliament in 1967. Beatrice was the first ever royal bride to opt for a second-hand gown! And many more people are following suit.
Above L-R: Princess Elizabeth's wedding, Princess Beatrice's wedding and Queen Elizabeth in 1967.
Choosing a pre-loved gown for your wedding day is one of the many ways you can make your event more environmentally friendly. Vintage gowns can also leave a lasting impression to make your day extra special and memorable.
One advantage of vintage gowns over conventional wedding dresses is that many of them never go out of style, particularly classic and elegant dresses from the earlier decades. They can also present better quality construction for a more affordable price when compared to modern gowns. Why not opt for a vintage dress with a modest price tag instead of paying the same amount on a new off-the-rack dress of poorer quality? Don't let small imperfections put you off! A lot of problems are very solvable and worth the effort.
With so many decades of designs to choose from, a bride can easily find a style and shape that suits her, and she'll know that other brides won't be wearing her dress; It will be all her own.
Maybe you're having a themed wedding specific to a particular era? We got you!
There have been so many incredible gowns throughout the decades, from celebrity weddings to iconic movie brides, we are provided with endless inspiration.
Some of these dresses are versatile enough to be worn again to other events on multiple occasions. Others are just dying for their chance to be let out in the sun again!
As well as dresses, we have headpieces, gloves, bags, lingerie, lace fabric, sewing patterns and even a beaded bouquet!
Take a look through what we have and see if we can match you with your dream dress! (Click on the images of our dresses to be taken to the listing or follow the link at the bottom of the page to view the full collection.)
Above from L-R: Elizabeth Taylor's dress from her first wedding in 1950, a 50s satin wedding gown available in our store, Elizabeth Taylor in Father of The Bride (1950). All of these dresses are in a similar style, made of satin with long sleeves, nipped waists, full skirts, and wide imitation necklines before extending with a sheer panel to a high-neck collar.
The Father of The Bride dress was designed by Helen Rose, MGM'S chief designer, who went on to make the iconic wedding dress for Grace Kelly in 1956. She also designed Liz's real life wedding gown to Nicky Hilton the same year Father of the Bride came out. Liz was pop culture's chief bride of the era and these dresses perfectly encapsulate everything that was fashionable at the time.
Above L-R: Shirley Temple getting married in 1945, Angelina Jolie as Margaret Russell in The Good Shepherd (2006)- set in 1940, designed by Ann Roth.
Above: Vintage 1940s liquid satin wedding gown available in the store.
All of these dresses encapsulate the 1940s love of that dreamy, luxurious liquid satin. Angelina's dress has very similar waist panelling and bust ruching to our dress.
Above L-R: Priscilla and Elvis Presley in 1967, Hillary and Bill Clinton 1975. The long sleeves and more casual/understated styles continued from the 60s into the 70s. Hillary bought her dress at the mall the night before the wedding for $53. It was a Gunne Sax; a label now synonymous with 70s bohemian formal wear and currently undergoing a revival amongst vintage enthusiasts, wrapped up in the trendy 'cottagecore' aesthetic. Priscilla's dress was bought at a department store.
Above: 70s Edwardian style Gunne Sax dress available in the store.
Above: A 70s long-sleeve cotton maxi sheath gown from the store.
Above: A 70s Léron long-sleeve wool dress from the store. Perfect for a Winter bride!
Above L-R: Virginia McKenna in 1954, 50s lace gown available in the store, Jane O'Neil in 1953. All lace dresses featuring long sleeves and full skirts.
Above L-R: Joan Collins in 1963, June Haver in 1954, Nancy Kwan in 1962.
Above: Mia Farrow wedding suit 1966
Above: Juliette Lewis as Carla Tate In The Other Sister (1999) wearing a wedding suit with cropped jacket and short skirt, proving that some looks never go out of style.
Above: 60s brocade wedding suit available in the store showcasing many of the elements seen in the previous images; cropped jackets with 3/4 length sleeves, round necklines and A-line skirts.
Above L-R: Joan Collins in 1952, ivory brocade dress in the shop, Moira Shearer in 1950. Beautiful luxurious brocade dresses.
Above: Video of Moira Shearer's wedding day in 1950.
Above L-R: Arlene Dahl in 1951, 50s short lace wedding dress in the shop, June Carter in 1968, 80s lace dress for sale in the shop. These highlight shorter wedding dresses in lace throughout the decades.
Above L-R: Yoko Ono (1969) in a casual ruffled miniskirt dress, Liz Taylor (1964) in an Irene Sharaff chiffon babydoll mini dress, Jane Fonda (1965) in an A-line mod shift dress, Audrey Hepburn (1969) in a Givenchy long-sleeve funnel neck minidress. All simple 60s mini dresses for a paired-back look, very much of the time period.
Above L-R: 1980s Albert Nipon embroidered dress, 50s/60s Jonathan Logan cotton dress, 90s Laura Ashley silk beaded dress. All simple and understated short dresses throughout the decades that could be worn not just for the big day, but for many occasions thereafter.
Above: Edwardian wedding showing white cotton embroidered dresses ( credit to: https://rednicnz.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/an-edwardian-wedding/ )
Above: Three Edwardian cotton embroidered gowns available in the store.
Above: Edwardian ladies in formal wear, possibly a wedding. Source unknown.
Above: An Edwardian silk gown available in our store. Note flower decal at waist and draping from the shoulders, similar to previous reference photo.
Above L-R: Bianca Jagger in 1971, Wallis Simpson in 1937. Bianca wears a YSL bias-cut skirt and smoking jacket. Wallis stuns in a crepe dress and jacket ensemble. Both brides chose to wear unconventional wedding attire for the time period.
Above L-R: 1960s lace two-piece skirt and top set, 1980s lace belted skirt suit. Take a leaf out of these stylish women's books and opt for a wedding suit or two-piece set and really stand out! Not only are separates very popular right now but you can also mix and match these pieces at a later date, which makes this option even more viable in the long term.
Click the link to go to our full bridal collection: