A designer has shared her process of converting a 1949 wedding dress into a contemporary gown. However, the final result has received mixed reviews. While some see it as a sentimental way of incorporating “something borrowed” into their wedding, others have differing opinions on the updated design.
For many brides-to-be, wearing a family member’s wedding dress can be a sentimental and meaningful way to incorporate “something borrowed” into their special day. However, the vintage styles of past decades may not always align with modern fashion trends or fit the wearer’s body perfectly. In these cases, alterations are often necessary to bring the dress up to date and ensure a comfortable fit.
Mariah, a fashion designer and seamstress with an active Instagram account (@mariahsliwinski), recently shared her experience of giving new life to a 1949 wedding dress. Her client had brought in her grandmother’s gown, hoping to wear it for her upcoming 2023 wedding. Mariah was tasked with modernizing the dress, while still preserving its original charm and sentimentality.
The process of transforming a vintage wedding dress into a contemporary gown can be a delicate one, as it requires balancing the desire for a fresh update with the need to respect the dress’s history and original style. Mariah decided to chop the length and remove the sleeves of the 1949 dress, giving it a more modern, streamlined silhouette. She shared the results on Instagram, where they quickly sparked both admiration and criticism.
While some viewers praised Mariah’s work as a beautiful way to honor family history and tradition, others were less impressed. One critic compared the updated dress to a cheap Shein frock, suggesting that it had lost its original elegance and charm. The divisive opinions on the dress’s new look reflect thechallenges that come with altering a vintage gown. It’s not always easy to strike the right balance between honoring the dress’s history and making it feel fresh and fashionable.
Despite the mixed reactions, Mariah remains proud of her work. She captioned her Instagram post with the simple yet powerful statement, “Bringing her grandmother’s dress from 1949 to 2023.” This phrase captures the essence of what it means to update a vintage dress for a modern bride. It’s about honoring the past while also embracing the present and looking toward the future.
In the end, the decision to alter a family member’s wedding dress is a deeply personal one. Every bride and every gown is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to updating a vintage dress. What matters most is that the bride feels comfortable, confident, and beautiful on her special day. For some, that may mean preserving the dress as-is, while for others, it may mean making bold changes to create a one-of-a-kind look. Whatever the approach, the goal is the same: to create a wedding dress that reflects the bride’s unique style, personality, and family history.
The original 1949 wedding dress that Mariah worked on was a satin, trumpet-style gown that featured long sleeves and a train, both adorned with large frills. The top of the dress had a round neckline, corset detailing around the bust, and puff sleeves. While the dress had a classic and elegant look, it was clear that some updates were needed to make it more suitable for a modern bride.
Mariah’s first step was to trim the length of the dress before removing all of the frills on the skirt. This made the dress appear more streamlined and less fussy, bringing it in line with contemporary bridal fashion trends. She then fixed a few missing buttons to restore the dress’s original charm.
But perhaps the most significant change that Mariah made was cutting off the long sleeves to leave a strapless top. This was a bold move that completely transformed the look of the dress, giving it a more modern and youthful feel. By removing the sleeves, Mariah was able to highlight the dress’s beautiful corset detailing and create a more flattering silhouette for the wearer.
While some viewers criticized Mariah’s decision to make such drastic changes to the dress, others praised her for bringing it up to date and creating a unique and personalized look for the bride. Ultimately, it’s up to the wearer to decide how they want to update a vintage dress. Mariah’s work is a testament to the creativity and care that can go into transforming a family heirloom into a modern masterpiece.
disappointing… it was definitely better off as it was.” Another wrote, “The dress was so pretty to begin with, how sad.”
However, others were more supportive of Mariah’s work, emphasizing the importance of the bride’s happiness and individual style. One viewer commented, “Bride looked amazing, and she loved it. That’s all that matters!” Another praised the dress’s vintage-modern hybrid look, writing, “Love it. vintage. modern. a look all her own with the original’s materials.”
In a follow-up video, Mariah revealed the finished dress, an on-trend midi frock with a full skirt and exposed buttons running down the back. To add some extra flair, she used some of the leftover material to create a large bow to sit at the base of the wearer’s back and full-length gloves.
The reveal of the updated dress attracted plenty of attention online, with over 27,200 likes and 6.5 million views. While some viewers were disappointed with the changes made to the original dress, others loved Mariah’s creative approach to modernizing a vintage gown.
Some TikTok users expressed their disappointment with the new design, with one comment reading, “Well, that was underwhelming and extremely disappointing… it was definitely better off as it was.” Another wrote, “The dress was so pretty to begin with, how sad.”
However, others were more supportive of Mariah’s work, emphasizing the importance of the bride’s happiness and individual style. One viewer commented, “Bride looked amazing, and she loved it. That’s all that matters!” Another praised the dress’s vintage-modern hybrid look, writing, “Love it. vintage. modern. a look all her own with the original’s materials.”
Regardless of one’s opinion on the updated dress, it’s clear that Mariah’s work has sparked a conversation about the challenges and rewards of transforming a vintage gown into a modern masterpiece. By combining respect for the dress’s history with a bold andinnovative approach to design, Mariah has shown that it’s possible to create a wedding dress that is both sentimental and stylish.
In the end, the most important thing is that the bride feels happy and confident in her dress. Whether that means preserving the original design or making bold changes to create a unique look, it’s up to the individual to decide what works best for them. Mariah’s work is a testament to the power of creativity and imagination in the world of fashion, and a reminder that even the oldest of garments can be brought back to life with a little love and care.