That seems to be the philosophy behind the slew of major massmarket retailers now offering bridal gowns. It was an idea popularized by J. Crew, which launched its wedding dresses and Parties collection in 2004 after noticing women were buying some dresses in multiples to use for bridesmaids or in white to use for themselves. The notion then grew to include Isaac Mizrahi's Target dresses, Viktor & Rolf's design for H&M and others.
The trend seems to be exploding now, tapping today's market of more budgetconscious brides with gowns from the Limited, Ann Taylor and, shipping out July 1, White House | Black Market. Next spring, bohemian bridestobe will be able to sift through Anthropologie's wedding gown selection, while discount divas with their eyes on luxury names can check out Vera Wang's designs for David's Bridal.
And there are lines like BCBG Max Azria, which doesn't have an official bridal line but has figured out why its loyal customers are fighting over the last offwhite column strapless dress in their stores. The company has added to its website a "wedding shop" dedicated to its more cheap wedding dresses , including white ones that can pass for bridal gowns.
"These gowns are completely specific to their brands," says Heather Levine, fashion editor at wedding website TheKnot. A wedding gown from J. Crew "has the same vibe as any piece in the store," she says. "These companies are creating designs in their own brand. You're getting cheap wedding dresses
from [these stores] as you would from your local salon boutique, but what it really comes down to is your style. If you want something really over the top and ornate, you're not going to be shopping at these online retailers."
J. Crew doesn't break out wedding dresses
sales from its overall revenue, a spokeswoman said. But the company has seen enough business to add five or six new designs each season and it opened a fullon bridal store in May in New York. It also has instore salons with limited selections at outposts across the country (including the Grove in Los Angeles).