Sustainable wedding dresses – reuse, outlet and the environment

Honest answers about materials, recycling and what the outlet principle means for the environment.

How sustainable are wedding dresses really?

Wedding dresses are not very sustainable if you look at the material: most are made of polyester, tulle and satin, which are plastic, and they are worn for one day. What really makes a difference is not the fabric, but how many times the dress is worn, and whether it was made specially for you at all. A dress that hung in a warehouse and would otherwise not have been sold adds no extra burden. See our wedding dresses on sale.

Is it more sustainable to buy a second-hand wedding dress or an outlet dress?

Both a second-hand wedding dress and an outlet dress are more sustainable than a dress sewn for you that would otherwise not have been made. A second-hand dress has already been worn once, and an outlet dress is new but was in a warehouse where it would otherwise have stayed. The difference is small, so let the fit decide: a second-hand dress taken in for someone else can rarely be let out again. See our new outlet wedding dresses.

What happens to the wedding dresses you do not sell?

Wedding dresses we do not sell stay hanging in the shop until they are sold, or they go into a sample sale at a lower price. We buy each model in a single piece, so there is no stock that has to be cleared every six months. That is exactly why an outlet exists: the dresses come from other companies' stock, where they would otherwise have stayed or been discarded. Read more about us and our outlet.

Does the wedding dress come in a plastic bag, or can I have it without?

The wedding dress comes with a bag, because it needs protecting from dust on the way home and until the day. If you would rather have the dress without a bag, tell us. For long-term storage you should in any case switch to a cotton bag or a box with acid-free paper, because plastic traps moisture and can make the fabric turn yellow. Read more about care in our questions about the time after the wedding.

Is it more sustainable to buy the wedding dress in a Danish shop than online from abroad?

Yes, it is more sustainable to buy the wedding dress in a Danish shop, in two ways. You try on the dress before you buy, so no parcel is sent halfway around the world and back because the size was wrong. And the dress is already in the country, so there is no extra shipping on top. On top of that you have a tailor close by, so the dress can be altered instead of replaced. Read more about shopping Danish.