Everything is better the second time around. Isn’t that what they say? Secondhand means a second chance to be amazing. And in my case, I am referring specifically to love, marriage, and fashion. When I met the love of my life three and a half years ago, I was already three and a half years into my reselling career as a Poshmark seller. So, naturally it made sense to me when he proposed that I would incorporate my love for secondhand buying and selling into our big day, making it my goal to purchase my entire wedding ensemble for under $1,000 from the platform that I know and trust best. POSHMARK. There’s nothing quite as good as formal and frugal. Could I do it?
Being a reseller definitely has its perks when it comes to shopping for any type of clothing, because if something doesn’t fit, I know that I can turn around and sell it. Still, I wanted to prove that it is entirely possible to buy and love a wedding dress over the internet without trying it on. Risky, maybe. But, like I said, I knew I could resell one or more dresses if I had to in order really connect with the right one. And truly, the key for anyone to shop online with confidence is 1) to know your measurements and 2) communicate with the item’s owner, a task that is very easy to do within the Poshmark platform.
Always have fun with fashion. Dress to entertain yourself.
Betsey Johnson
The first dress that I bought was a very elegant BHLDN and Katie May for Anthropologie ivory one shoulder number with an open back. I know my measurements very well, so I knew which size to buy according to the size chart, plus, I gathered additional information from the seller who kindly answered my questions. It came, it fit, it was lovely, but in the end it was not quite the exact look I wanted. So, I sold it and tried again.
The second dress I chose was a very lovely new with tags Lulu’s romantic long sleeve lace dress with a mermaid hem. Again, very lovely and very affordable at $60. However, not quite knowing Lulu’s sizing, I chose wrong. The size ended up being too large, and while I could have easily had it taken in, I just was not in love with the aesthetic when paired with my soon-to-be groom’s 40s inspired Zoot suit.
For my third option, I returned to BHLDN and Anthropologie and chose a similar, yet different dress than the first gown I purchased. I really liked the quality of the fabric from the first dress and the elegant and classic silhouettes of this dress line. So for $153, I purchased the Kira dress, new with tags from @shopbyena closet.
The size was right (aside from having to hem the length) but I still did not love everything about the dress in its original form. But, instead of tossing it out this time, I broke out my mad sewing skills my mother taught me and modified it. The plunging front was too revealing for my modest taste, and the wideness of the shoulders felt too harsh and boxy. I simply added a few stitches to the front, closing the gap and creating a keyhole, and I cinched in the shoulder panels to create a feminine Romanesque feel. The final spin I put to this dress was reversing the waist belt and tying off the dress in the front instead of the back, making it original and a little bit quirky, just like me.
For my shoes, I knew that I wanted to purchase a pair of Christian Louboutin heels, and since I knocked it out of the ballpark with such a beautiful and affordable dress, I knew I had room to splurge. Heel height was a determining factor, and through the magic of Poshmark and its arsenal of amazing resellers, I was able to find the perfect pair for me, gently used but still with box and dust covers, from Poshmark seller @emma2111 for $400. And to be honest, they looked like they were never worn.
So, with only a little over half of my budget spent ($553 for the dress and shoes), I decided to get myself a bonus reception/dancing outfit, and a few accessories. Now, if you read into my past blog posts you will learn about my love for both Betsey Johnson and Jackie Kennedy. So, it’s no surprise that I settled on a dancing dress that channeled the essence of both of these iconic ladies. I chose a long sleeve textured 60s vibe Betsey Johnson dress for $30, that I once again took my sewing skills to and altered the hemline up a few inches. Toss in a stunning pair of Christian Siriano embellished bow heels in a striking red to match my groom and Kate Middleton’s iconic Zara necklace (a previous Poshmark purchase) and my outfit was complete.
And, since I was still way under budget, I purchased my groom’s shirt, a new with tags Michael Kors white button down for $9 from Poshmark seller @erika2471 and a super cozy and glittery new in box pair of $25 Guess fuzzy slippers for me to kick back in at the end of the night from @christelle82 and a pair of white Sam Edelman 60s style boots for $46 from @mydreamcloset_ that I wore the day prior to the rehearsal.
In the end, I purchased a total of seven items for $711 coming in $289 under my goal budget.
| NWT BHlDN WEDDING DRESS | $153.O0 |
| CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN HEELS | $400.00 |
| BETSEY JOHNSON LONG SLEEVE DRESS | $30.00 |
| CHRISTIAN SIRIANO HEELS | $22.00 |
| SAM EDELMAN WHITE BOOTS | $46.00 |
| NIB GUESS SLIPPERS | $25.00 |
| NWT MICHAEL KORS BUTTON DOWN | $9.00 |
| TOTAL SPENT | $711.00 |
Are you shopping on POSHMARK yet? You should be. Use my code @slippers74 when you sign up to receive $10 off your first purchase.
The wedding took place in Charlevoix in northern Michigan at Castle Farms, a one hundred year old former livestock farm built by Albert Loeb, Vice President of Sears and Roebuck Company. My beautiful floral bouquet was created by Billie’s Floral and Boutique of Boyne City.
What is your favorite piece that I purchased? Let me know in the comments below.
I love everything about this! My fave are the shoes. And the dress. Actually, all of it. ❤️
Love this so much! So cool learning about the clothes you chose and the thought you put into it! You looked beautiful!!