little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

Restyling My Wedding Dress for Thanksgiving Day

November 28, 2019 / 30 Comments
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

First, I want to wish all of my American readers a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving! We are hanging out at my sister’s house today in our most comfy clothes, stuffing our faces with all the delectable treats. Recently, I restyled my wedding dress for a photoshoot and seeing as it probably won’t fit me after all the holiday food consumption, now is great time to share it.

My tenth wedding anniversary is quickly approaching…January 23 will mark a decade of wedded bliss with my favorite soldier. Being married to a man in the military means that we are both married to the military. Once again, my husband will be very far away on our anniversary this year. I think this anniversary will be the seventh one that we have had to spend away from each other. But we get used to celebrating holidays and anniversaries and birthdays in very nontraditional ways because this military life forces us to do it that way.

So while we have never had some big extravagant anniversary celebration in years past, this one coming is kind of a big one. A decade flew by without my even realizing all the time that has passed. I suppose time has a tendency to do that when you are living a happily ever after scenario. My first marriage, which only lasted 2 1/2 years, felt like a freaking eternity. And now here I am in the blink of an eye, happier than I ever imagined, a full 10 years into this gig. And that is something to celebrate.

And what better way to celebrate marital bliss than by donning one’s wedding dress for every day wear. This actually wasn’t planned at all. It is just a random outfit post, two months before my anniversary date, but it seemed like a fun thing to do. Actually, I had acquired this adorable gray and white plaid blazer on a thrifting trip and I was dying to style it in a vintage inspired sort of way. After trying it on with a pile of different dresses in my closet, I began to lose patience with the damn thing. Nothing seemed to be working.

little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

I had previously slipped the jacket on over an all white outfit with white tights and while it didn’t match that outfit very well, I was loving the look of it over white tights. I had this idea stuck in my head…the blazer with white tights. So after racking my brain for a bit, I had determined that this little jacket needed a little white dress that was fitted and had a classic vintage vibe. I probably own 15 different little white dresses and none were working. Then I remembered my wedding dress tucked carefully in the back of my closet. I wasn’t sure if it would fit me 10 years and 2 kids after I purchased it, but it was worth a try.

Much to my pleasure and excitement, it fit perfectly and I had an outfit for my new thrifted blazer. I did experience some disappointment when I realized there is coffee splattered all over my white wedding dress. After multiple treatments and washings, it just isn’t coming out. Which is kind of a bummer, but if I always wear a jacket over it, maybe I will get some more wear out of this pretty little dress.

little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

My wedding dress is not a traditional wedding gown as we had a small casual backyard ceremony. But there are so many fun ways to restyle or repurpose your wedding dress. I found this great Cosmopolitan article, 10 Stunning Ways to Rewear Your Wedding Dress, that shows some really unique ways to restyle your wedding gown, like detaching the top from the skirt and having two separate pieces that can be made casual or pairing a slip style wedding dress with a moto jacket and boots for an cool edgy street style look.

little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
flat lay, plaid coat, cloche hat, bow gloves, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

Have you ever considered restyling your wedding dress?

Feeling thankful on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

white dress, white coat, combat boots, Shelbee on the Edge
My wedding dress styled on January 23, 2010.
white dress, white coat, combat boots, Shelbee on the Edge

Shop my look…

Outfit Details: Dress-TJ Maxx (Old) / Jacket and Tights-Thrifted / Hat-Kohl’s (Old) / Shoes-Target (Old) / Clutch-Old Navy (Old) / Gloves-Torrid (Old) / Earrings-Old (Shopping Links Below)

little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
little white dress, plaid jacket, velvet sandals, white tights, cloche hat, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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Shelbee on the Edge