Jennyvi Dizon is a contributing writer for Earth 911. Become an Earth 911 contributor.

Many environmentally savvy brides-to-be are using natural resources to create a more personal and earth-friendly wedding gown. Going green is not just having a silk or cotton gown, it’s about using recycled fabrics or fabrics that are not subjected to chemicals and pesticides. Although ordinary cotton and silk fabrics are more natural than the man-made polyesters and rayons used in most wedding gowns sold by big retailers, the fabric itself undergoes many steps that weathers the fibers as the silk or cotton gets over processed and weakened.

When a textile manufacturer makes fabric out of cotton or silk, they use many steps to diminish the “imperfections” or “defects” to get the fabric to be in perfect commercial presentation. Plenty of organic fabric websites exist to let you see and feel the difference; I visited one when I made a tailored jacket for one of my clients.

In Arizona, you hardly see anyone wearing a suit in May, but my client was comfortable in the hemp cotton fabric we chose paired up with a lightweight vintage hummingbird print for the lining. Since the fabric was all natural, the absorbency was much better than that of processed cotton.

Another great trend from green brides-to-be is to simply use recycled fabrics when creating the wedding gown. Something sentimental, such as using a wedding gown that has been passed down from generation-to-generation, can be revamped into a unique new wedding gown. I have been asked many times to take an old wedding gown from brides wanting a piece of family history on their wedding day. Many times they come in despair, pointing out the stains or holes eaten away by those insects in the garage. But a great solution I’ve found is pointing out the whole dress doesn’t have to be used, and instead taking the many good pieces and creating a bodice. The rest of the dress can be brand new. So, when the big day comes, you have something old and something new and if need be add a little something blue.

Jennyvi Dizon
Bridal and Evening Wear Fashion Designer
Jennyvi Dizon Couture