Where some people may not only get married one time, it is a (sad) fact that you can only wear your wedding dress once. When your celebratory event is done, some people hang on to it while others simply don’t know what to do with the dress.
On the other hand, there are those that long for the bridal gown of their dreams but find the prices extortionate and beyond their budgets. What’s more is that brides within the Gulf region often opt to shop in the West for bridal gowns due to there being more options and designers dedicated to bridal dresses.
Eva Hachem
Combatting both those dilemmas is a new online marketplace, dresscometrue.com, which provides a platform for women in the Middle East to sell their pre-loved wedding outfits. Co-founder, Dubai based entrepreneur Eva Hachem, teamed up with her husband to create Dress Come True, where brides can possibly find a pre-loved gown at up to 70% off its RRP.
Eva told Arab News of her struggles when it came to purchasing a wedding dress that didn’t break the bank, in a style she would love, “I got married in Dubai and… I struggled to find my dream dress. I found that the prices were unreasonable and I either had to compromise on the selection or on the price. After the wedding, I wanted to sell the dress so I picked up the phone and called boutiques and I said ‘okay, all the brides who buy from you, where do they re-sell their dress?’ They said, ‘We wish (we knew), all the brides ask us.”
It was at that moment Hachem took it upon herself to set up a platform that could aid all brides looking to sell their dresses, whilst catering to brides-to-be who are looking for their dream dress. There are 3 options for sellers to choose from when looking to sell their pre-loved wedding gowns for an on-time payment: the first option is $22 to list the gown, but the seller must organize the delivery. For the second option at $35, Dress Come True will arrange the delivery and for the third option at just $41, the sellers can leave the entire process up to the online platform.
Some women choose to hold on to their wedding dresses, and often find it difficult to part with such a sentimental aspect of their big day, but Hachem also explained what one of the women who approached her to sell her beloved dress said, “Yesterday we talked to a bride who said something very interesting. She said, ‘I have had my dress for two years and I cherish it, but I don’t want to keep it. I never had the heart to list it next to any other item… So, when I saw the (website) and how the dresses are valued, it felt like the right place to list my dress. It has sentimental value, but you are not going to wear it again.’”
Not only is a Dress Come True, a truly wonderful concept, it is also ethical. Bridal gowns take hours to embroider, make and cut, not to mention the costs of the luxury fabrics used to make every bride feel like a princess. To pass it on to someone else that will love it really comes as a gift, especially when fashion conversations in our present day revolve around being ethical and sustainable.
