Even if you have a wardrobe full of beautiful formal dresses or ball gowns, the possibility of wearing any one of them again is slim to none. Unfortunately, once a beautiful dress is showcased for all to see, that is the last time it will be paraded in all its glory. Either you don’t want to be seen twice in it, another suitable occasion doesn’t occur for some time, or you want to preserve it forever like the memory in your mind.
In addition to this, fashion trends tend to change and evolve at an increasingly rapid rate. It is also near impossible to stay the same size and shape as your wedding day and even looking at that miniscule piece of fabric dangling from the coat hanger is enough to make us depressed. Therefore, an often expensive and glamorous garment remains untouched, much to our disappointment and dismay.
However, that dress you only wear once doesn’t have to be an elegant wardrobe accessory. We are often oblivious that our old clothes hold enormous potential, whether it is by retaining and modifying them in a certain way, or reaping the reward from finally saying goodbye.
- Visit a dressmaker or seamstress. Even if you become quite attached to a particular dress, sometimes forgetting the past and being ruthless has its benefit. A dressmaker or seamstress can transform a dress into something completely different to your own requirements. Turn that formal gown into a cute party dress, summer frock or smart work garment.
- Add accessories. With just a few minor alterations, an old dress can become a whole new item of clothing. Try decorating the neckline, hemline, waistline or sleeves by sewing on lace, ribbon or beads. Gems, jewels or studs can also be glued on.
- Customise. Fabric paint or colourful materials can be used to add a new design to the dress. While this may not work on expensive ball gown material, you’re bound to have a dress that is screaming out for a colour block design or flower detail.
- Clothing recycling. Recycling website musicmagpie.co.uk believes that the average woman owns £204 worth of clothes they’ve only worn once and 70 per cent of people in the UK have bought a piece of apparel in the last year only for it not to have left the wardrobe. With this in mind, recycling that unworn item of beauty is not only a great way of clearing space; it also enables somebody else to reap the benefits of a beautifully crafted dress. You may even earn some much-needed cash too.
The feeling you get from wearing that one perfect dress is often irreplaceable and however long you hold on to that item of clothing, one is unlikely to replicate that moment in time. However, the dress you only wear once doesn’t have to remain purposeless forever.
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