For many brides, part of planning a wedding is planning what to do with the wedding dress afterward. Will it be wrapped in tissue, saved in a self storage unit as a family heirloom, and passed down from generation to generation? Will it be converted to an evening gown? Will it be altered after the wedding to make it into a dress that can be reworn on a variety of formal occasions?
British engineering students at Sheffield Hallam University have come up with what they feel is a better solution. They have designed a dress that has pieces knit into the fabric that will dissolve when water is added. When the water-soluble components of the dress, which are made out of polyvinyl alcohol, get wet, the dress comes apart. It can then be made into five different dresses that can be worn on a variety of occasions.
The drawback, though, is that the bride needs to be sure not to get married outside in the rain -- or at least have an umbrella or two on hand.
"The wedding gown is perhaps one of the most symbolic garments in wardrobe and represents the challenges of a 'throwaway fashion'," Jane Blohm, a fashion lecturer at Sheffield Hallam, told the Telegraph last week. She continued, "In order to reduce fashion's impact on the environment, the fashion industry must begin to challenge conventional attitudes and practices."
The new dress will be featured in an exhibit on sustainable marriage at the university later this month. In the UK, textiles are the fastest-growing waste product -- about 74 percent of British clothes end up in landfills.
Of course, storing a wedding dress carefully, packing it in acid-free tissue and an acid-free box, putting it in a climate-controlled storage unit, and passing it down from one generation to the next is another way to keep the dress out of a landfill. Some brides also choose to donate their dresses to organizations that convert wedding dresses into prom gowns for girls who cannot afford prom dresses. Wedding gowns can also be sold to used wedding gown outlets, giving the dress a chance to be reused in another wedding.
Sources used:
Hough, Andrew. "Brides' wedding dress storage dilemma solved by scientists." The Telegraph. May 8, 2010.
"Wedding dress dissolves in water." My Fox Boston. May 10, 2010.