What is a Sample Gown?

If you’re looking for bargains, bridal sample and resale boutiques are a budget-minded bride’s paradise.

These retail shops offer the personal service you’d expect from standard bridal shops, but offer dresses that have been previously owned—not always worn by another bride.

These gowns often come from manufacturers as over-runs or dresses used in fashion shows, from would-be brides who never married, or from retailers who have gone out of business. Most of the dresses are one-half to one-third the cost of the original retail price. Alterations are not usually included in the price.

Resale boutiques, also known as consignment stores, may have wedding dresses or dresses appropriate as wedding fashions. These dresses have been gently used, most likely worn once, or maybe not at all due to a wedding that was called off. The prices can run from 1/3 to1/2 off the original retail price. Consignment stores can also be a great place to find accessories like shoes and jewelry at a fraction of their full retail price.

If you’ve searched high and low for a wedding dress, but you just haven’t found one to suit your tastes, consider altering a designer sample gown, a used gown from a consignment store, or a borrowed dress from your mother, grandmother, aunt, sister or friend. If you choose this option, examine the dress carefully for insect damage, discoloration, weak seams, missing buttons and stains. Consult a trusted dry cleaner to discover if spots or stains can be removed. Find an expert seamstress to help you with advice on what alterations you will need and how they will look on you. If the dress is given to you as a gift, consider using it as a base, and perhaps altering the look of just part of the dress like the length of the skirt.

The last option, is to find a seamstress you trust and create a dress all your own from scratch. Bring some ideas of what you would like to her to begin the process and let her show you some drawings of what she can create for you. You will have much more leeway with styles and fabrics that aren’t always available with mass-produced wedding gowns.