Angel Gowns Singapore - Upcycled Wedding Dresses

Would you be brave enough to cut up your wedding dress and transform it into a little more wearable? Wedding dresses are becoming more extravagant (including the actual event!) and unfortunately, put away never to be worn again, unless if you are going to dye it and wear it at another formal do (very unlikely in my case).

My wedding dress was lovingly made by my mother. When we first went hunting for the dress, I couldn't believe how much it cost just to rent one, and so we settled on making one for less than $100 (about US$80)  - we went for a simple princess cut but even then with all the satin fabric and tulle that went into it, I don't think I would wear it again. She even kept her own wedding dress - a 70's style cream dress complete with puffy sleeves and high waist line. I think she secretly wanted me to wear it on my big day but I told her that I will think of something to transform it.... sorry, mum.

The best wedding dress transformation I have seen is from Pam of Threading My Way .  She upcycled her daughter's wedding dress into this lovely number complete with matching clutch. 

Angel Gowns Singapore - Donate Your Wedding Dresses
If you really don't know what to do with the wedding dress hanging in your wardrobe, why not donate it to a good cause instead?
Angel Gowns Singapore accepts pre-owned wedding gowns and upcycles them into beautiful angel gowns for babies who sadly do not make it home from the hospital. Andrea Toh of the group explains,

"Although we live in an affluent society, it remains inevitable that lives are lost due to complications and unforeseen circumstances. Regardless of the period in gestation, a baby's life is celebrated by a Mother and Father upon conception. When this life is lost, the family is overwhelmed by grief and devastation. It is often heart breaking for the family to go shopping for clothing just to say goodbye to their loved ones. Often, retail clothing might not even fit the tiny bodies of premature babies. Angel Gowns Singapore is here to provide support for these families, to let them know that there is someone out there who care that a little life was lost. Although these lives have not set foot on earth, they have already left foot prints in our hearts."

Run by volunteers
The group is a community of 25 sewists (and growing!) who are helping to transform the wedding gowns to angel gowns.  The initial call for volunteers was in August this year, when Andrea saw a post of a similar initiative in the USA, Angel Gowns USA, and decided to start it Singapore.  After a couple of calls, gathering volunteers and friends, and eventually getting in touch with KK Hospital to collaborate on the project, the group managed to get the wheel turning and lovingly produce angel gowns.

The sewists come from all walks of life and backgrounds and range from a wedding gown designer to a grandmother of 3.  They are still looking for volunteers and would like to grow the group . They meet up on the 3rd Wed of each month, and during these meet ups, they guide the volunteers on how to sew the gowns so they can bring it home to complete.

Andrea adds, "We have had the 1st meet up last week on 14 Sep and a total of 14 volunteers came. They have all brought back a gown each and the angel gowns are so pretty - looking at them makes you happy and sad at the same time. We are glad the wedding gowns have been repurposed but at the same time we hope the Angel Gowns are not used up so quickly. For advance sewists, the deconstructed gowns with pattern pieces  can be sent to them to sew at home."

You Can Help!
A lot of time and effort goes into the coordination of the work involved, and the ladies also ensure that the gowns are designed, sewn and cleaned with care before they are sent to the hospital. If you are looking to contribute to your time or would like to donate the following to the cause, do drop the ladies an email.

Wedding Gown Donations
To create the Angel Gowns, the group of volunteers seek donations of Wedding Gowns and other items such as:

1. Wedding Gowns, Bridesmaid Gowns, Baptism Dresses
2. White tea ceremony or dinner dresses
3. Lace
4. White Bias Tapes
5. Pearl Buttons
6. White Ribbons (width 0.5")

Andrea adds that they can be dropped off at any of the following locations, but do drop them an email first!

North - 5 min from Sembawang MRT
East (1) - Bedok MRT
East (2) - Tampines Ave 8
North East: Anchorvale Link
West: Choa Chu Kang MRT

So if you do have a wedding dress that's sitting in your wardrobe, why not drop it off at Angel Gowns! There will be families who will appreciate the donation and cherish the Angel Gown for making the moment extra special for them.