Thrifty, eco-conscious brides-to-be, your pleasantly priced dress awaits. White Magnolia, a new upscale bridal consignment boutique, will swing open its doors this Saturday in West L.A., according to the LA Times.
Featuring gowns by prominent designers like Monique Lhuillier, Anne Barge, Stephen Yearick and Jim Hjelm, White Magnolia offers dresses that have either been donated or are on consignment. Proceeds from the sales of donated dresses are promised to the charitable organization Gowns for Good. Each dress originally cost over $1,500, is less than five years old and is in "good-to-awesome shape."
Former brides are invited to attend a public grand opening event this Thursday from 7pm-9pm and are encouraged to consign or donate their gently used dresses. Ladies who donate their gowns on Thursday will receive a tax receipt plus a gift bag. RSVP via email. Just in case "used wedding dress" induces cringing, White Magnolia's blog lists seven reasons explaining why buying used makes sense.
1) Savings - When you buy something used, you can score significant discounts on items. Wedding dresses are no exception. Most dresses in White Magnolia are priced around 50% of original retail price, with some even lower than that. You can use that extra money towards your honeymoon!
2) Brand Names - You can get the top wedding dress brand names that you otherwise not be able to afford. White Magnolia carries most of the top brand name designers, such as Monique Lhuiller, Anne Barge, and Stephen Yearick.
3) Styles - Wedding dress styles don’t change as quickly as everyday clothes, so something from a few years ago is likely still very fashionable. In fact, the designer may still be selling the exact same dress.
4) Full Service - Just because you are getting a great deal on a wedding dress doesn’t mean that you have to feel like you are at a sample sale. For those of you that enjoy the running & pushing, try the Running of the Brides at Filene’s Basement! For everyone else, White Magnolia offers no-pressure appointments with sales specialists to ensure you get personalized attention.
5) Fast - Many wedding dresses have to be ordered months in advance. With pre-owned wedding dresses, you actually buy the dress you try on, and can take it home with you that day.
6) Green - Buying something used is always more eco-friendly than buying something new, since no resources are used to produce the item.
7) Helping Other Women - Many of the dresses at White Magnolia are donated through our partner organization, Gowns for Good (GfG). 100% of the proceeds from the sales of GfG dresses go towards helping women’s charities in Los Angeles & nationwide, especially those that focus on helping underprivileged women get back on their feet.