Real Brides

A second life for wedding dresses

Most women wear their wedding dress only once, after which the garment may disappear into a box, closet or attic space somewhere for the rest of its life. The same is often true for gala dresses. This is a great shame for a dress that has cost a lot of money (and resources), especially when you consider how many new dresses are sold every day. 

With this project, Real Brides asbl would like to find a sustainable solution to that problem. So we started a bridal shop where people can donate their wedding dress or evening gown, after which we sell it at more democratic prices. 

We have three objectives. First, we want to offer wedding dresses and evening gowns a second (or even third) life for ecological reasons. Secondly, we want to offer women who cannot afford a dress a chance to still find that one dress this way. Thirdly, we want to further support women in difficulty, which is why we donate 60% of our proceeds to Think Pink, ANBN, Cherut and Mothers for Mothers. 

Specifically, our organisation works as follows: we receive a dress in the form of a donation, with the donor choosing the charity that will receive a share of the proceeds. We then have the dress cleaned and offer it for sale through our webshop. We also have a self-appointed boutique where people can try on dresses.