HOW TO UPCYCLE YOUR GOWN

On a cost-per-wear basis, wedding dresses traditionally rank as highly unsustainable. But that was then and this is now. Considering the sentimental value and cost, not to mention sweat and tears, that went into finding ‘the one’, doesn’t it feel rather unromantic to let The Dress spend the rest of its days languishing in your wardrobe?

Plenty of brides are now upcycling their wedding dress. Bridalwear label Katya Katya has a restyling service for customers that starts at £250. ‘More and more brides feel that wearing a gown for just one occasion is wasteful and not environmentally friendly,’ says co-founder Marina Kvasova, who says changing the style of the skirt, removing the train, shortening it and adding or removing sleeves are common restyles. ‘Being so sentimental and special, it’s a shame to only wear it once,’ she adds.

If it’s not an option to take it back to the designer or shop, you can go for a less drastic update at your local dry-cleaner. Some offer a dyeing service, so you could turn your white slip dress into a blush, pistachio or apricot number for summer. (Test their service or seek recommendations before signing over your dress because some fabrics take to dye better than others.) Shortening your dress to ‘midaxi’ length, where the hem hits that sweet spot between the mid-calf and ankle, is also a relatively straightforward and elegant fix.

Neither of these is drastic, so if you really want to challenge yourself, why not take a sewing course where the emphasis is on upcycling? Then you’ll be able to remove a waist bow, shorten a sleeve, change buttons or even, a popular option on Pinterest, turn your wedding dress into a christening gown for your little one. Ambitious? Yes. Impossible? By no means.