Rich in unemployment rates, a under stellar economy

Rich in unemployment rates, a under stellar economy, and no hope for recovery in the near future, people are tightening their belts in all regions of their life including fashion. Some retail has suffered dismally, recycled clothing or specialty shops have enjoyed a boom.

Consignment shops feature brand name clothing, shoes, and purses for pennies on the dollar. Good specialty shops are particular by what they'll take, so items are in good condition many times still getting the tags in it. And lastly, it's green! Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Which brings me to wedding dresses. There exists a few places in the grand valley to look for 'almost new' wedding dresses. Heirlooms for Hospice in downtown Grand Junction often carries wedding gowns that have been donated. They actually have three available. Searching of Craigslist's western slope was fruitful, arriving lots of designer dresses for well under $500.

The down-side, obviously, is you're tied to the size and condition of the items you find, although tailoring will most likely cost less than buying new. It is time consuming, too. While a bridal shop offer onestop shopping, buying reused dresses will require multiple trips to multiple shops and it may take a few months to locate just the right dress.

But the payoff is worth it if you are either the bride to be with limited funds or the bride searching for something a little bit different and unique. And it is totally ontrend with Hollywood's leading ladies. Marisa Tomei, Kyra Sedgwick, and Julianna Margulies all wore vintage dresses to this spring's awards shows.