06/26/2026
I am so in love with this vintage wedding gown upcycle I finished from my personal collection! The dress was originally worn in 1958, then again in 1990.
There's something about vintage silhouettes that make me feel so pretty. So this dress is retired from getting married and will live in my regular wardrobe, where it can get shown off, instead of staying neatly folded in a box. ❤️
Seamstress' notes if you're interested:
I don't have many rules on what I would try or not try to wear as "regular clothes." Being dressed is one of my hobbies. However, especially being in the wedding industry, I do have one rule- I don't wear bridal-looking stuff.
But I do actually wear a lot of bridal fabrics, without looking like a bride. For that reason, I wanted to give some color to the ivory. Also, trim back the train.
I really wanted to keep those sleeves! However, the fabric was pretty fragile, making actual wear difficult. Taking off the top gave me my range of motion back, without my elbows ripping through anything.
Without the top holding it up, the sides needed to be taken in to hug the torso better, and boning needed to be added for rigidity.
Bra cups were added too, because vintage linings aren't fooling anyone.
I wanted to keep the skirt as in-tact and as close to the original version as possible, relative to what I'm doing. I gave it a high-low hem by bringing the bottom up to the hip, off-center, and called it a day.
A very special thank you to Sue B. for letting me be a part of this story.
Text/Call Stephanie at (608)636-5447 for your custom sewing inquiries