Woman Takes Risk on $25 Thrift Store Wedding Gown-Turns It Into Dream Dress
Bridal gowns often come with hefty price tags, but Adrian Bradley from Berkeley, California, found her dream wedding dress for just $25 in a thrift store.
Bradley, who had already settled on another wedding dress, felt an urge to wait before purchasing it. While visiting her family in Dallas, Texas, she went thrifting with her sister-in-law, who was preparing for her own wedding. What began as a fun, casual outing turned into an unforgettable moment when Bradley stumbled upon a gown that caught her eye.
"We were just messing around in the dresses without any serious thought when I spotted it," Bradley told Newsweek. "The drop waist was just everything I had been looking for. My sister-in-law immediately made me try it on."
Bradley knew the dress was the one the instant she put it on. "It gave me the excitement that none of the other 60 dresses I tried on did," she said. Though her mother and fiancé were skeptical at first, Bradley was unwavering. "I just loved that it had history and I knew I could give it another life."
The dress needed some redesigning to restore its full glory, and Bradley decided to tackle the transformation herself.
"I am not a dress designer, so it was very intimidating. I had sketched up a few different options and went to a couple fabric stores," she said. "I don't think I ever really decided on a design until it was done."
She spent five months revamping the gown, sourcing fabric and lace from San Francisco, and finding a delicate pearl drop on eBay.
"I had to lean into the original bones of the dress to truly showcase its beauty," Bradley said.
Though redesigning the dress felt daunting, the result was exactly what she had envisioned.
Bradley has since shared the amazing discovery and dress transformation on TikTok , where the video has been viewed over 270,000 times. People were amazed by the way the dress came together.
"Ugh the 100 percent silk is the reason to buy it alone!!" said viewer while said, "This turned out SO WELL!! What a lucky find and you have incredible creative vision."
"The bodice is giving Vivienne Westwood, so pretty and classic," TikToker Aly wrote.
Since going viral on TikTok, Bradley shared this week another video asking the internet "Could this thrifted wedding dress be yours?"
Sharing pictures of the dress and details about where in Dallas she found it, Bradley hopes she might be able to find the original owner of her beloved wedding dress.
This story was originally published September 22, 2024, 1:00 PM.
