Selling rare pieces as independent sellers means taking on the sourcing risk themselves, so many smaller vintage studios do not accept returns. With archival pieces fetching thousands—and sometimes even tens of thousands—of dollars, this can make shopping for a wedding dress on Instagram risky business. “You have to trust the vintage seller you’re working with,” says Kennedy Bingham, the bridal stylist behind Gown Eyed Girl. This trust extends to the condition, authenticity, and perhaps most crucially, the sizing of an item.
As Eva Maria Lopez of Cha Cha Linda told Vogue earlier this year, “The thrill of finding a ‘one-of-a-kind’ piece comes at a ‘one of a size’ reality.” This reality can be stressful for shoppers. “I do know many brides who have purchased five or more vintage dresses because they are fearful that someone else might buy it, or it’s going to sell out,” LaVine notes. The stylist does not recommend that approach, as it can quickly become overwhelming and expensive. “I would say you kind of have to let the piece come to you,” she continues. This sort of patience and reliance on kismet is not for every bride, but it is incredibly satisfying when the right piece ends up in the right hands, according to Mark. “Sometimes that happens over a DM,” she says, “even a bride saying, like, I just got out of a meeting, I wouldn’t have even been able to check. My phone five minutes ago, and then you posted this, and I saw it, and it’s my dream dress.”
The women I spoke with all believe that the vintage bridal trend is here to stay. And with so much choice, brides are no longer confined to traditional boutiques or standard silhouettes. That means more sellers entering the space, giving access to brides with different budgets, body types, and wedding traditions. From studios offering $90 slip dresses for the morning of the wedding to archival sellers offering 1990s Dior, anybody can find their dream vintage dress in the depths of Reddit or the corners of Instagram. “Brides genuinely cannot get enough of it,” says LaVine.