fb3562aa558de4fb2449a44299c54315

30 vintage-style wedding dresses to turn your day into a drool-fest

At a Glance

I know you’re probably waiting for your funky shoe fix from Ariel today, but bitch is on vacay so I thought I’d fill in with MY favorite part of the wedding outfit… the dress! Did you know that Modcloth has got a huge selection of vintage-inspired wedding looks? Let’s dive in and see how they fit, shall we?

Aisle Be There Dress in Lily from ModClothI know you’re probably waiting for your funky shoe fix from Ariel today, but bitch is on vacay.

So I thought I’d fill in with MY favorite part of the wedding outfit… the dress!

Did you know that Modcloth has got a huge selection of vintage-inspired wedding looks? I grabbed some of my favorite of their wedding dress styles to collectively drool over today. The dresses range from short and flirty, to long and glittery, with some bright colors thrown in, because who says ya gotta wear white?

Let’s dive in and see how they fit, shall we?

(And, as always, click on any of the dresses that catch your eye to find out more info!)

e58ab6b2afd89c67376f43c54245ecb4 ed8edbdfbf1f504433e6eab280b79b4b e776e98fceeabeb3e09afc29dd4a7e31
20d4fdf2614b7f1dbd46a7a30cb4f702 593b600c38624b40b12ce84a18b9764f a01059fdedba88272c00f7ec19058113
6ac6cfda54cd7da4b9f05ed0be318ecc 5e13afc657c7985d666006b343857ac3 c85b8b8412f1be7c0545b9f248febd12
fa792570e696d1b38b5ba6d8dc10adf4 46a6ee0591b62d54a81651087075f6b6 304986e93e02221e3dbf6edb3523be52
430322d71ec482a9f8d3e6f29dc977c1 3802e2e93e4f7e691c45a56f69ce5205 0b1fb453ca606f559ddd64067734b7e8

b3f26b5c7728ea8d7af2840cd4f97ba2 626f7d8da0d34492540e923c0cbf1d12 d236a02b3f19fb590307875eb37b563c
f0f171a20585b04254ae1722c3de5af4 c0f647de4f52125420cb8c16648761e7 bb5c32b4f2ddb7f01686afd4058edd26
83077763b9f85de92531361fecb2ae4f 728c822bdb1f52adf0304ac2fde760c3 aa5da6086617a43af6f575faf1153533
d5d0ed50ba9dd0689cb9e55b66bc417d 517f5aabed7a5e445e2ddbaf6880d671 cb4902d9dd554168163b5ffe24a9f8f9
cd337782d46b8e0f691bde5cfc062d95 59700cf9cc214694d7b0adb643cba836 2791578a7ef6a918ae5bb5f0d836f56a

506cfe2d092bcc4a34e14651df2ac2d8 ba8cf3b04a421d39a607b70bcbad5901 38718cef0855416c3a959e33c95511dd
4fcb8762b252ef987ef3675ad574f461 ed0d1985228c15576d34f5d031b4dc86

40 responses to “30 vintage-style wedding dresses to turn your day into a drool-fest”

  1. Naphtha Avatar
    Naphtha

    Vintage is my fav, very cute (ps- no random bonus dress? 😉

    1. Megan Finley Avatar
      Megan Finley

      OMG! I should totally add one!

      1. Naphtha Avatar
        Naphtha

        AWESOME.

  2. sam Avatar
    sam

    All of those dresses are stunning! Oddly enough the top dress is the same dress i have for my bridesmaids only in black 🙂

  3. Rachel Avatar
    Rachel

    I’m gonna suggest THIS for the random bonus dress, cos we know how OBBs love peacocks!

    Also I thought that while some of those dresses may be available in plus size, maybe it’d be good to flag up something vintage on Modcloth specifically designed in plus size! VINTAGE FOR ALL. This runs to 4X and I can see some curvy gals really rocking that tea dress style.

    1. Megan Finley Avatar
      Megan Finley

      DONE! Random bonus dress added. 😉

  4. JaxRD Avatar
    JaxRD

    #1 and #7 just kill me. So gorgeous.

  5. Tina (sk8bettyt) Avatar
    Tina (sk8bettyt)

    That first dress was my top favorite when I was searching for a dress. No size for me = no purchase. Doesn’t mean I don’t still love it though! These dresses are too cute for words!

  6. heather Avatar
    heather

    Funny – I was just poking around on there yesterday, toying with the idea of not wearing a white dress (plus I wanna be able to wear it again). Drooling over #1!

  7. Mallory Avatar
    Mallory

    I ordered the Baklava Beauty dress from Modcloth for my wedding!

  8. Rachel Avatar
    Rachel

    The Aisle Be There dress in Lily is my dress! (The top dress) I’m sewing a turquoise crinoline to go underneath and wearing it with a turquoise ribbon around my waist. I love it, I was SO impressed by the fabric quality and general high quality considering how inexpensive it was. Also it has POCKETS, which I tell pretty much anyone that asks about my wedding because I am so excited.

    1. JacquiC Avatar

      I LOVE POCKETS!

    2. Paige Avatar
      Paige

      Yes, I’m adding a sash as well! I felt like the waist is a little high? But the dress is STUNNING. I wanted a crinoline, but couldn’t find one in a dark red. How hard is the one you’re making?

      1. Rachel Avatar
        Rachel

        Yeah the waist seems a little high for me as well, hence the sash. I’m not sure how hard the one I’m making is, but my best friend’s mom says it’s pretty easy with a sewing machine. It’s certainly going to be WAY cheaper than the ones I found online and I’m getting the color I want. I should also note that the woman helping me make it is the daughter of a seamstress, so take her saying it’ll be easy with a grain of salt haha…

        1. Paige Avatar
          Paige

          Oh good, I haven’t suddenly developed a freakishly long torso. (I’m short, nothing has ever fit me properly, ever.)

          I’m very jealous of your crinoline capabilities. Crinoline envy right here.

      2. Rain Avatar
        Rain

        Making a crinoline petticoat is easy but it does take a lot of time. I’m a costume technician for a living and it takes me about 2 days working full time to make one. That’s why they are so expensive to buy, the materials are super cheap, but the time is not.

        1. Rachel Avatar
          Rachel

          Yeah, this is definitely the thing to evaluate with all DIY. DIY can be cheaper in many cases, but it can be very costly in time. I’m hand making all my bouquets but it took me a season and a half of Buffy just to make my bridal bouquet. But right now I have a surplus of time and I can afford to just sit around making fabric flowers or crinolines. I know they’ve talked about it on OBB a billion times so just evaluate, because if you can find the color you want online it might save you a lot of time and stress to just buy it.

  9. jesten Avatar
    jesten

    I love all the vinatge looks too! Just one question… if these are recommended to wear at a wedding isnt it a faux pas to wear white? Isnt the bride the only one supposed to be wearing white?

    1. Ariel Avatar
      Ariel

      Isnt the bride the only one supposed to be wearing white?

      Nope: http://offbeatwed.com/2012/01/bridesmaids-in-white-dresses 🙂

    2. KK Avatar
      KK

      I’m going to be a pink-clad bride, so I don’t care if my guests wear white or not.

  10. badseed Avatar
    badseed

    I actually ordered the Love You Ivory Day dress (fourth one up not counting Random Bonus Dress) to wear to my rehearsal and the dinner afterwards! It’s very cute and very flattering. I love it!

  11. KK Avatar
    KK

    I just pinned the first dress!

  12. Lora Avatar
    Lora

    These are ABSOLUTELY beautiful!!! ALMOST makes me wish we weren’t going with a sock hop theme!!!!

  13. JacquiC Avatar

    I LOVE all of these! And I know we have SO many skilled OBBs who can sew up a storm! Or their friends and family! I *accidentally* ordered 16 patterns off these websites the other day (Vogue, Butterick, McCall & Kwiksew are linked, theres a button up the top to flick between) 12 dresses, 1 skirt and 2 sets of PJs… There are SO many amazing dresses on there, and this line up reminded me of quite a few:
    Number 1/8-esque… http://butterick.mccall.com/b5882-products-44960.php?page_id=371
    Number 2-ish….
    http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m6646-products-29588.php?page_id=109
    (I ordered this pattern the other day 😀 )
    Reminiscent of number 5 http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m6505-products-16287.php?page_id=109

  14. margie Avatar
    margie

    My bridesmaids are wearing #1 in green (my dudes are wearing purple accents) and I bought the ivory one as a party/reception dress, they’re gorgeous, nice quality and the price is so right, but beware the sizing is funky – I typically wear an 18/20, I had to order a 3x (I’m typically 1X rarely 2x) and it still fit me very small (I’m having it shortened a bit and let out), my sister wears a 6-8 (depending) she ordered a large and she has to have it taken out as well (and she still has quite a bit of room in the bust) – the waist measurement is actually your measurement from right beneath the bust to your waist – they are really awesome about exchanges (within 14 days), but beware, they run out of all sizes on this dress and you may have to wait a while before it is back in, so order early and plan for alterations! All in all though, I love this dress!

    1. margie Avatar
      margie

      oops, sorry, mine is slightly different and from unique-vintage.com called “happily ever after” very similar in person to the above picture
      http://www.unique-vintage.com/emerald-green-satin-happily-ever-after-pleated-swing-dress-p-20264.html

  15. Jill C Avatar
    Jill C

    The cream halter dress right before the bonus dress is what I’ll wear to my wedding and brunch reception (University of Marilyn dress.) I added a lot of beading around the waist, and I love the way it looks. The pleats in the skirt give it great movement. I ordered a few dresses from Modcloth when I was deciding but this was mine and my fiance’s favorite. I’ll be wearing the “Speckled Someone,” also from Modcloth, to our after-party on a boat.

  16. Julie Avatar
    Julie

    I really like the ModCloth designs, but a lot of the short dresses are too short for me. I don’t feel comfortable in a dress that is a couple of inches above my knees. It’s too bad because the designs are beautiful. I am going to look more closely at some of the longer-looking dresses that were featured in this article. I especially love the color of the green dress (“With Only a Wink Dress in Peridot”).

    1. jandk Avatar
      jandk

      I have that “With Only a Wink” one in white (under the name “Alika”, but definitely the same dress). It hits me a little below the knee. I’m 5’8″, so unless you’re taller, that one should be fine as far as length. It’s also cute with a crinoline!

      P.S. Bettie Page uses vintage sizing, so I ended up in a 4x, while I normally wear an 18 in US sizes

      1. Julie Avatar
        Julie

        I’m 5’7″ so this is helpful. Thank you!

        1. jandk Avatar
          jandk

          Glad to be able to help!

  17. Julie Avatar
    Julie

    I also wanted to mention that the photo on the main offbeatwed.com page for this article is missing. It just shows a broken graphic icon.

  18. deleahrium Avatar
    deleahrium

    my favorite part of modcloth is seeing how these dresses look on real, varied bodies in the style gallery and the reviews. I do wish more of the dresses came in larger sizes, but their selection is nothing to sneeze at. I bought my bridesmaid dress for a friend’s upcoming wedding through them (the refine mint dress in peppermint red) and I’m so excited to add my own, haha!

  19. Sara B Avatar
    Sara B

    The first dress is going to be my “after-party” dress! I actually already own a version in a print, that I bought at the Trashy Diva brick and mortar store last time we were in NOLA. (Figured it was appropriate since that’s where we’re getting married.) It does run smallish in the waist (which works for me, fortunately) so I would order up and just get it taken in at the bust. Can’t recommend the brand highly enough though, I love their stuff.

  20. Paige Avatar
    Paige

    Ha! I tried on at least 4 of these dresses a few months ago! (The first one pictured was my winner.)

    Some stuff from my recent experience (and links to my other dresses since they fit the theme!)
    – ModCloth sells dresses from other designers. That first dress is actually a Trashy Diva Honey dress and they had more sizes and colors than ModCloth did when I was looking. So I saw it first on ModCloth, but ended up buying it direct from Trashy Diva. If you find something you love on ModCloth, read the comments and see if it’s available somewhere else!
    – The sizing really varies! I ordered anywhere from a L to a 2X and had varying luck. But I’m quite curvy and I found the Alika and the Honey dress to be the most flattering to my shape.
    – I LOVED the Alika dress (the one with the neat netting along the shoulders), but found the ivory shimmery fabric to be a little itchy. Definitely my 2nd choice though!

    Other dresses I tried:
    http://www.unique-vintage.com/ivory-scoop-neck-bridal-sateen-belted-swing-dress-p-21317.html (Dress was cute, but felt oddly cheap considering the price. Zipper was huge and sticky too. This felt more like a cheap costume dress than a fashion piece.)
    http://www.unique-vintage.com/queen-heartz-1950s-style-ivory-cotton-sateen-scallop-brenda-swing-dress-p-16657.html
    http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/wrapped-in-joy-dress-in-black-plus-size (This was sized bigger than I anticipated and the fabric was quite canvas-y. But I LOVED the dress.)
    http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/love-you-ivory-day-dress (Something about this was just not flattering on me. If you like the look, I think the Honey dress does it better.)

    I have to say, I was SO lucky. I had no issues with ordering these and returning them. I’ve ordered from pinupgirlclothing.com before and had HORRIBLE experiences with their customer service. So it was lovely to have everything go so smoothly with what I already expected to be a stressful experience! Everyone I dealt with was lovely!

    Now… find me some cute vintage-y shoes! Or suggest a necklace for that gorgeous neckline I have to work with!

  21. jandk Avatar
    jandk

    #18 is my wedding dress! Except in white, and the name is different, but it’s still from Bettie Page! Wheeee!

    1. jandk Avatar
      jandk

      Tonight on So You Think You Can Dance Mackenzie was wearing a shortened version of #18 in her group number! Yay!

      1. Ariel Avatar
        Ariel

        SHHH! Spoilers! It hasn’t aired here on the West Coast yet!!

        1. jandk Avatar
          jandk

          Sure, but they don’t cut anyone until the end of the show, so the fact that she was in a group number isn’t really a spoiler.

          1. Ariel Avatar
            Ariel

            Oh sorry: I was just kidding around. Guess it didn’t translate. 😉

Find Your Vendor Team

Our Offbeat Wed Vendor Collective features wedding professionals identifying as neurodivergent, BIPOC, disabled, and more. Explore wedding pros who get you.