Tailoring Your Consignment Bridal Gown

Oftentimes, purchasing a pre-loved bridal gown means the dress has already undergone some alterations and tailoring to fit the first owner of the dress. This might sound difficult to manage, but don't be discouraged! Selecting and then tailoring your consignment couldn't be easier. You just need to know what to expect.

Photos from Pinterest.

Common Alterations Made to Consignment Bridal Gowns

The most common alterations made to bridal gowns are the one's you'd expect, and, for the most part, they're rather non-invasive. This is great for shops like us and for brides like you, because it means there's still a good deal of leeway in perfectly fitting your pre-loved gown to your unique figure.

Generally, the most common alterations include:

• hemming the length of the gown
• taking in, or letting out, the bust
• taking in, or letting out, the waist and hips

Of these, each can pose unique issues if not enough fabric remains to "reverse" the alterations. If you need a consignment gown taken in further, this is an easy fix—the issues arise where you might need a gown let out, or a hem lengthened. But at La Laurel, we know our gowns inside and out—meaning you'll know just what to expect from each dress and how it can fit. 

Featuring photography by Marieke Bosma, courtesy of Tess van Zalinge; and photos from Pinterest.

Shop Consignment Like You'd Shop New

Just like looking for brand new wedding gowns, you should visit every consignment shop prepared to shop in your size. However, you might be surprised at how certain garments fit. This is normal, and to be expected! Naturally, your figure will differ from the person that owned the dress originally—don't be discouraged by an odd fit or a confusing length off the bat. Most often, these issues can be fixed without too much trouble by a good seamstress, and, you'll always be guided in the right direction by our wonderful team of expert consultants.

Sound familiar? Yep—shopping consignment is just like buying new, except it's way better for the environment, and the timeline is way shorter! No waiting ten weeks for production—you get to take your gown home on the day. 

Featuring our showroom, and our lace bodice bridal gown. 

Consignment Gowns Are Top Quality

We are extremely picky with the gowns we choose to take on, because we want the best for all of our consignment brides. This means, generally, that the gowns we bring into the salon are not only in excellent shape, absolutely spotless, and with very little wear, they're also flexible and easily alterable for the next bride who wears it. 

There's no reason not to have extremely high standards for your consignment gown. After all, the point of buying pre-loved is not to settle for a second-tier gown; it's to find your perfect dream dress while supporting economically and environmentally circular systems. 

So even if your appointment with us is your first ever bridal appointment, don't worry. Just like buying brand new, we're here to guide you through the process. Bring your shoes, seamless undergarments, and let's get to work finding your perfect bridal gown.