Sometimes, the wedding dress industry befuddles me. Just kidding...it's all the time.
Sure, they're out to make money just like everybody else, I get that. But with all the chatter and well-deserved hype concerning recessionista bridal, they need to open their freaking eyes and see this green-saving message: YOU HELP US, WE'LL HELP YOU.
Let's take J.Crew bridal for instance. I understand that for a lot of J.Crew-wearing brides, money is no object and they get the dress because they genuinely like it and they are quite possibly J.Crew-aholics. But in my case, I was introduced to this line because of two important words: AFFORDABLE and PRETTY.
But let's look at some of the 40 dresses on the J.Crew wedding site right now:
(click the photo to check out the listing)
Meet Analisa, the most expensive gown on the site at $2,995. Coincidentally, it looks like it would add 2,995 pounds to the lucky bride wearing it on her wedding day. All of those horizontal ruffles? Let's just say I'm no size 0...even if I was, look at what it does to the size 0 model in this photo.
Style aside, I do think I can speak for other truly budgeted brides when I say this price is so not in our vocabulary.
How about the least expensive, hmm?
(click the photo to check out the listing)
Here's sweet Sophia at $295. It's simple, which is right up my alley, but considering how popular (and expensive) Pnina Tornai gowns are right now, it might just be too simple for other gals' tastes.
With 75% of the J.Crew dresses priced at over $500 (and almost half of them over $1,000), I've changed my mind about their role in budget-friendly weddings. But it doesn't mean that a new store isn't gonna swoop in and take that crown...
'Tis true, dear readers: The Limited will be launching a bridal collection online this June with wedding dresses under $300! Take a gander at the gowns for yourself:
(photo source: Luckymag)
And don't forget the cheeky short gown for all you tradition-shunning brides:
Thank you, Limited, for catering to the limited-budget (har, har) brides out there. You have taken the place of faux-thrifty J.Crew in my heart, and I can't wait to see the collection on June 3.
Do you have other sources for cheapy-cheap finds? Any exciting wedding deals this weekend?
Stay thrifty,
Hollie
Follow us on Twitter: @ThriftyinWhite
Amen, sister.
I recently blogged about a J.Crew dress I've been in love with for a few years: http://www.bigdayfor10k.com/page/6/
...$2500 - which, as you can guess, there's no way in hell I'm paying anything near that for a wedding dress. I hadn't heard about Limited's line but that's so awesomely exciting, can't wait!
Posted by: W. Thrifty | 05/24/2010 at 01:22 PM