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 ten 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 2005 there were 283,730 weddings in the UK. If even half of these brides donated their dresses to one of Oxfam’s ten 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: 0845 3000 311
Oxfam On-line Stores
Oxfam Stores with Wedding Departments
- Bradford – 54/58 Darley Street, Bradford, BD1 3HNTel: 01274 306700
- Cambridge – 20 Burleigh Street, Cambridge, CB1 1DGTel: 01223 329841
- Chippenham – 5 The Bridge, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1HATel: 01249 447061
- Coventry – 300 Walsgrave Road, Walsgrave, CoventryTel: 02476 455968
- Glasgow, Clarkston – 14/15 The Toll, Clarkston, Glasgow, G76 7BGTel: 0141 6388944
- Heswall – 258/258a Telegraph Road, Heswall, CH60 7SGTel: 0151 342 8416
- Leatherhead – 42 High Street, Leatherhead, KT22 8AJTel: 01372 378819
- Leicester – 22 Market Street, Leicester, LE1 6DPTel: 0116 2556455
- Poole – 136 High Stree,t Poole, BH15 1DNTel: 01202 674086
- Southampton – 76/78 High Street, Shirley, Southampton, SO15 3NETel: 02380 773192
- York – 7 Goodramgate, York, YO1 7LJTel: 01904 659001
- Please note – It’s always a good idea to phone first as opening times can vary
Useful Links
- Oxfam GB
- Donating Goods to Oxfam
- The M&S Clothes Exchange – Donate your unwanted M&S clothing and get a £5 voucher!
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
