Relovable: What to Do with Your Old Wedding Dress by Caroline Arthur is an extraordinary book whose contents will frequently surprise you. It asks, after their singular intended use in the marriage ceremony, what should and can we do with these magnificent garments? And it poses this question mindful that they are usually expensive, often skilfully produced and always – even if complexly – meaningful.
Drawing from an approach that takes an unapologetic joy in repurposing the old, Arthur examines a diversity of options beyond her foremost of remodelling the dress. She shows the reader how to go about using this clothing to create treasured, one-of-a-kind keepsakes; to most effectively place it (partially or entirely) on display; to revive an even older dress as a family heirloom and to go about reusing, renting or selling the dress, if that is your choice.
Throughout, Arthur’s practical know-how as a couture bridal gown designer and dressmaker with more than two decades of experience is notable. She is someone who knows her craft and feels confident in offering the tips and tricks she herself has benefited from forming, learning and honing, as she is able to lay out the risks and benefits of each method.
In addition, with a clear passion for the subject, Arthur will treat you to a guide to the industry, its history, and her perspective of its existing practices. Whatever your level of interest going in, it would be hard not to get swept up in her curiosity and find yourself – during and after reading – telling friends all about this world of dressmaking, developing your own takes and opinions.
All of which is to say, Arthur’s approaches to remodelling (and beyond) are not offered without an appreciation for context, not only of the dresses but also of what you bring to the story. She carefully adapts advice to the reader’s individual needs – giving such a range of options because they all depend on the material that you have available, your personal relationship with the dress in question and your capacity to further invest in it in the future.
If that was as far as this book went, it would be a valuable read. However, Arthur has more than just practical insights and professional knowledge. The title is as much a statement of philosophical intent, and hints at the book’s greater value. You will not only be guided on the process of remodelling, but invited to consider your psychological needs, and how you relate to this object as something redolent and symbolic of an enormous life event, one that will often reach into your present life.
We can see this philosophy in the way Relovable is structured. The first section focuses on rediscovering your dress, then the second on loving it, and the third on changing it. The final part of the final section is about how, if necessary, to let go of your dress, and the meditation here was as moving as it was unexpected in its depth. As much an essay on love and sharing as it is an account of how best and most appropriately to go about relinquishing a wedding dress. And it finishes, aptly, with a reflection on love itself.
Review by Rowan Fortune (editor at TWH Press and Rowan-Tree Editing)
