Where to donate a wedding dress in NYC?

November 17, 2014 9:17 AM

Looking for a place where I can donate a wedding dress in NYC. Worn once (natch), was cleaned after use and has been safely kept in plastic ever since. Designer is Alvina Valenta. Size is probably a 10, 12, or 14. Also has a veil. Purchased at Kleinfeld's; total cost was probably around $3,000. Only issue is that it is from 2006 (sites like Bridal Garden say they'll only accept dresses bought in last 5 years). However, style is very classic (dress is off-white).
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (3 answers total)

You can see if Housing Works will accept it. Another option, depending on the style, is an organization like Operation Prom.
posted by melissasaurus at 10:17 AM on November 17, 2014

There's an organization called NICU Helping Hands that assists families with pre-term babies. One of the things they do is provide a child's gown to families whose babies have passed in the hospital, as the family usually is not focused on finding clothes, etc for the funeral. Anyway, the gowns are made from donated wedding gowns. They are not currently accepting any for the rest of this year, but will resume in 2015. Their site is here.
posted by fresh-rn at 12:27 PM on November 17, 2014

Response by poster: I was able to donate the dress to The Bridal Garden after all. I spoke with them on the phone and even though the dress was a bit older than they usually accept, because of its timeless style, they were happy to take it. Very nice staff, and it's for a good cause. I would recommend to anyone looking to donate a dress in NYC.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 9:07 PM on November 21, 2014