We are all familiar with the age-old tradition of wearing ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, a sixpence in your shoe’. A sentiment that a lot of brides still incorporate in some element, in today’s weddings. Interestingly, the oldest written record of this rhyme dates back to a magazine written in 1871 in Lancashire, its words suggesting practices to aid the bride in having a successful marriage.
This 150-year-old rhyme set this early trend that the bride-to-be should borrow a special item to wear on her wedding day. Originally this tended to be a special piece of jewellery or hairpiece, with the sentiment being that borrowing this item from a happily married woman would pass on the same good luck and fortune to the new bride. In more recent years, brides have found many ways to incorporate this romantic narrative – wearing a second-hand wedding dress from their mother, borrowing a cover up or veil from a friend, or creating a bouquet made of vintage brooches.
So, for many years, brides have been wearing something borrowed or something old to participate in this beautiful idea of passing on and sharing happiness. We love this idea and really feel it is something every bride should incorporate into her day, in her own way.
History of Re-Wearing and Sharing
Outside of bridal-wear, re-wearing and sharing clothes and accessories is not a new trend. Throughout the ages, when a particular fashion trend high spot has occurred, people have found ways to keep their wardrobes up to date whilst being thrifty. Swap shops and parties between friends were a common feature from the sixties through to the eighties, where friends would bring their unwanted items and swap them with a friend’s, to freshen up their wardrobe. Not only did this mean you had a new dress to wear to that party, but it also meant that clothes were loved and treasured, seen as valuable items not throwaway commodities.
Even prior to these heady days of dressing to illustrate your personality and likes, the make do and mend attitude of the post-World War II era empowered those who could not afford new clothing to salvage their current items, but also attend swap meets, often anonymously so as to not cause embarrassment at one’s economical situation.
Through past years, people have had to consider their use of clothing for many reasons, but mainly due to financial difficulties. Whether it has been through hand me downs, clothes swaps or salvaging with a mend, the value of clothing was recognised by all. Garments were not something you wore once and threw away or put out for recycling, they were integral to living, they were a part of your identity and most of all they were loved.
Fast Fashion is Born
As we move past the early 21st Century, the world of clothing was changing - enter fast fashion and mass manufacture, a world of consumerism arrived on our doorstep (quite literally). The days of only buying something when you needed it, wearing a garment until it no longer was fit for purpose and cherishing a smaller collection of clothes in your wardrobe, were fading fast. With consumerism came our demand for convenience, and with this a thirst for the new, the next trend.
The growth of high street, mall and online shopping enabled large retailers to mass produce items at an extraordinary low-cost, offering consumers the option to always be on trend within their budget. Quantity over quality became the driver for these retailers, encouraging buyers to buy cheap, but ultimately buy regularly. Buying an item to wear once, then throw away has sadly become the norm, the possibility of passing on diminished by the lack of quality in the material and design, plus the fact that people do not need to borrow, make do and mend or re-wear as they can simply buy their own at a staggeringly cheap price. In addition, the constant change in trends means that we are also less likely to look after our clothes as we understand they will soon be out of fashion, ultimately reducing the value of clothing. TRAID, the clothes waste charity, states that in today’s world, the average clothing garment is worn only 10 times before it is disposed of.
The impact of this is now starting to be understood with the ultimate cost of these cheap garments actually being unethical human labour, a devastating environmental impact and in addition, the well disguised financial impact on the consumer.
Conscious Buying Fights Back
With our eyes now open to the negative onset caused by this trend in clothing consumerism, people are now questioning where their clothes are made, by whom, and at what cost. Not only this, the positives of a smaller wardrobe of quality items is releasing us from the need to buy more, buy the latest and of course then deal with the ever growing ‘do not wear anymore’ pile. Now, a trend emerges of consumers considering their purchases and seeking to buy their garments from conscious fashion brands.
We also know that renting clothing for a special occasion is fast becoming a viable and sensible decision. We still want to look our best, feel our best for that one day, but not at the cost of others and our planet. Early adopters have shown us how this can work well to avoid waste, whilst still dressing at our best. A select handful of retailers are now offering this service, whereby you rent a garment or accessory for a number of days before returning. This approach to re-wearing and sharing enables the consumer to still feel they have something new to wear, something suitable for the event, but without the guilt or financial impact of buying something. This trend is moving into other areas of the consumer market, with businesses now offering rental options for children’s clothing and equipment – particularly for young children who quickly outgrow certain items. It all sounds so sensible, right?
Saying No to Throw Away Weddings
The conscious movement has spread to the wedding industry with brides and grooms challenging the norm and raising expectations on what their most special day should be and include. More mindful of the waste produced in everyday life, this is now channelling across to an understanding of how one day can create a negative impact on the environment, and frankly the bank balance. Rightly, many brides and grooms are shifting the focus from the overstated, overindulgent big day and shining a bright light on what really matters, their love for each other, and therefore considering a more second-hand wedding. Many now uncomfortable with the idea that their biggest love story would begin with a day that causes harm.
Being more conscious about your wedding day means you turn your back on that and instead can enjoy the process. Seeking out alternative ways to still have the wedding of your dreams, filled with love, laughter, and happiness and of course that stunning wedding dress.
We are proud to be connecting with brides who are part of this movement away from waste. Our mission is to build a community of conscious brides, to enable us to support each and every one of you in feeling your absolute best on your wedding day, minus the guilt or expense of the more traditional bridal-wear options.
If you are looking to be a more conscious bride then why not take a look at our wedding dress rental options, which focuses on pre-loved bridal. Our range of bridal-wear, for brides, bridesmaids and mothers of the bride has been curated to offer quality garments that are loved – yes, designer wedding dress hire is an option for you. We even encourage our brides to write a sharing note to the next bride who will wear the dress, embracing the romantic narrative given to us by the Something Borrowed rhyme 150 years ago, and embedding it in today’s world of hope, love and sharing.
If you want to know more about how bridal dress rental works, visit our journal covering all the essentials here or contact us here to speak with one of our experts.