Wearing Green

Ideas & Inspiration

"Zolotova" dress of reclaimed scrap silk from Wai-Ching Studio in Pioneer Square.

Wearing Green

Of all that a wedding dress must be and do, above all it should make a bride feel perfectly herself on her wedding day. For many a Northwest bride, that naturally means considering the environment, even when it comes to her dress. Not surprisingly, our region has a wealth of local options, from repurposed vintage dresses and textiles to organic fabrics, all of which—and here’s the surprise—can cost less than a traditional wedding gown.

At Isadora’s in downtown Seattle, 1930s-inspired bias-cut gowns ($975 to $2,000) are crafted in-house from incredibly soft pesticide- and chemical-free silk. In addition, brides appreciate Isadora’s one-of-a-kind collection of vintage jewelry and accessories, such as a “piano shawl” ($475) or a pair of Victorian steel-cut earrings ($775), and reuse beautiful resources when accessorizing.

Pioneer Square–based Wai-Ching Studio offers body-hugging dresses locally made with organic “peace silk” (silk harvested without harming the silkworm), hemp and hemp-silk blends (starting as low as $375 and averaging just $700). “Hemp is not only one of our planet’s most sustainable fibers,” says designer Chrissy Wai-Ching, it blends beautifully with silk to produce a light and luxurious fabric that feels just as posh as the mass-produced silk we’re more accustomed to. Honoring the tenets of reuse and recycle, Wai-Ching also custom-designs special-order dresses from scraps of silk that would otherwise go into a landfill ($1,989).

More hemp dresses can be found at Blue Sky Bridal, a Co-op America–certified green bridal boutique in the University District and Seattle’s only seller of Conscious Clothing organic dresses ($800 to $1,300). Blue Sky also carries about 150 pre-owned dresses (starting at $100) and can meet myriad special requests to connect brides with green options, such as finding the aforementioned peace-silk gowns for vegan clients.

In La Conner, Something Blue Bridal Boutique features “Benefit” ($1,280), one-of-a-kind gowns by San Francisco-based Amy Kuschel that are made from discarded strips of duchesse silk satin. Something Blue carries Kuschel’s dresses ($1,200 to $5,000), all of which are made in the U.S. and can include repurposed strips of fabric.

Yet another option for brides is wearing—or borrowing—a pre-owned gown. Pre-owned dresses, many of which have never been worn, usually average about 50 percent less than the gown’s original price.

At Belltown Bride, designer samples used in fashion shoots, overstock or past-season designs range from $700 to $2,000. Various online resources, including the “Buy, Borrow or Share” program at A Grand Wedding.com, connect brides-to-be to former brides selling their pre-owned dresses, accessories and other wedding items for less than $1,000.

Vintage dresses may need to be updated or tailored, and our region is flush with designers and tailors willing to alter garments to a bride’s taste. For example, Tukwila-based Atelie Couture can perform alterations for as little as $20 or as much as $200 to $400, as well as custom-design dresses ($1,500 to $5,000). Another option is to purchase eco-fabrics such as bamboo ($10.25 to $35 per yard) or dye-free polyester duchesse satin ( $12 per yard), at Queen Anne–based Nancy’s Sewing Basket, and commission a local dressmaker to make an original dress.

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