In an era when most wedding dresses come with an eye-watering price tag, one woman turned to her sister's thrifted closet to find the perfect dress for her special day.
Emma Lev, an actor based in Los Angeles, decided that the $35 thrifted gown she'd found while clawing through her sister's wardrobe could double up as a wedding dress. Lev, known as @emmafranceslev online, shared a video to TikTok that walked viewers through how her frugally found gem became the dress she wore down the aisle on August 3.
As the cost of the average wedding dress escalates, now hovering around $2,000, according to The Knot Real Weddings Study, which surveyed nearly 10,000 U.S. couples in 2023, Lev's choice to wear a second-hand gown has struck a chord among viewers online. The short clip, which was posted on August 10, has amassed more than 1.6 million views.
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"My sister thrifted the dress for $35 at American Rag about eight years ago for a photoshoot we did in Joshua Tree," Lev told Newsweek. "It's a true vintage Jessica McClintock wedding dress."
Viewers were able to see Lev trying on the cream-colored dress, complete with lace details, which her sister, Kit Major, a Los Angeles-based musician, had thrifted years earlier.
An overlaid text on the video read: "Found my dream dress...In my sister's closet!"
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The meteoric rise in the popularity of thrifting has been driven by environmental concerns and the pursuit of eclectic fashion. Thrift stores have become treasure troves for those seeking individuality without the luxury price tag. Lev's experience underscores this booming trend that she had set out to partake in.
"I knew that if I didn't find something vintage, I'd have to buy off-the-rack," she said. "As someone who hates dresses, this was already a difficult challenge."
Several bridal appointments yielded the actor no results, and even her grandmother's and mother's wedding dresses did not meet her vision. It was then that her sister suggested the thrifted dress, a find from 2016 that Lev had entirely forgotten.
"We all screamed—the rest is history," she said of the moment she first tried it on.
Despite initial thoughts of drastic alterations, all modifications to the dress were kept to a minimum.
"We just added some boning, tightened it at the waist, sewed some loose pearls back on, and made it strapless by tucking in the fabric," she said. "This was completely reversible, so it kept the integrity of the dress."
Lev's wedding day marked a celebration not just of love, but also of the sentimental value imbued in her attire.
"I wore my 'something borrowed' and 'something old,' both lent to me by my little sister and best friend," she said.
For the actor, the dress was more than a garment; it was a testament to sisterhood and thoughtful simplicity, helping her feel "incredibly beautiful and bridal."
Her social media video has since prompted a series of follow-up clips, as public interest in the story behind her dress grew. Viewers have made their positive thoughts on the find clear in the comments section.
"That's IT," one user, @kelsey_kotzur, said.
Another, @rosekgal, added: "The immediate happy giggles were so precious!! It's so beautiful."
"The thrifty baby sister always comes in clutch," a third user, @bixbop, shared.
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