Oxfam Wedding Dress Shops
Oxfam is appealing for more second-hand wedding dress donations because demand at it’s bridal outlets is booming.
The charity runs five dedicated bridal stores in England, with wedding dresses ranging in price from £75 for a three-quarter-length dress to about £600 for a designer gown. The average price for a dress is around £250.
More brides-to-be are opting for a second-hand wedding dress to save on the cost of the wedding day and by buying their dress from Oxfam, they are making an ethical statement at the same time.
Waiting List!
The charity’s need for more stock was highlighted by the month-long waiting list for appointments at one of Oxfam’s dedicated bridal shops.
Barbara Warmsley, the charity’s bridal co-ordinator, said: “It’s great that so many brides are coming to Oxfam for their dresses, but we are desperate for donations to meet this growing demand”. “If a donated dress sells for £250, this can provide 100 people with clean water, build two toilets, train one midwife and feed a family for a month.”
The shops stock wedding dresses and accessories, veils, tiaras and shoes, as well as bridesmaids’ dresses. Some bridal departments can also provide outfits for the groom and the mother-of-the-bride.
The typical selling price of an Oxfam wedding dress is around £250 – a huge saving on the £826 estimated to be the price of the average wedding dress. Many of the wedding and bridesmaids’ dresses are unsold or sample products donated by mainstream bridal shops, and they frequently include designer brandsfrom catwalk shows and high-end wedding retailer . Some are simply donated by brides after their big day. Customers buying dresses often donate their purchase back to Oxfam after the wedding.
Survey
A survey carried out by Oxfam has found a wealth of wedding dresses languishing in wardrobes around the country. The survey found that 82% of brides hang on to their dresses after their weddings, but 75% have never put their dress on since their wedding day, and 77% think that they probably won’t ever wear their wedding dress again. 20% of respondents were only hanging on to their wedding dresses because they hadn’t got round to doing anything with them yet.
In 2019 there were 253,112 weddings in the UK. If even half of these brides donated their dresses to one of Oxfam’s bridal outlets around the country, this could raise a staggering £35 million for Oxfam – enough to fund Oxfam’s emergency programme work in Chad and Darfur for three years.
Oxfam’s survey found that 15% of couples feel that having an ethical slant to their wedding is important, and this trend has seen a growth in the number of brides heading to Oxfam’s bridal outlets.
If you have a wedding dress you no longer need you can donate it to Oxfam, along with other wedding clothes and accessories, by calling into an Oxfam bridal shop or calling Oxfam on: 0300 200 1333
Oxfam On-line Stores
Oxfam Stores with Wedding Departments
- Chippenham – 5 The Bridge, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1HA. Tel: 01249 447061
- Darlington – 24 Skinnergate, Darlington, DL3 7NW. Tel: 01325 382415
- Kingston-upon-Thames – 17 High Street, Kingston-upon-Thames, KT1 1LL. Tel: 020 8546 5751
- Shirley, Southampton – 76/78 High Street, Shirley, Southampton, SO15 3NE. Tel: 02380 773192
- York – 7 Goodramgate, York, YO1 7LJTel: 01904 659001
Please note – It’s always a good idea to contact them first as opening times can vary
Useful Links
A Selection of Bridal Dresses Currently Available to Buy On-line at Oxfam
A good selection of bridal dresses currently have a 15% discount applied to them at Oxfam
