A woman’s bridal shower dress has amazed the internet, but this was no off-the-rack purchase, as it was actually her mom’s reconstructed wedding dress from the 90s.
Ahead of her wedding in May, Gillian Duffy, 29, couldn’t resist trying on her mom’s bridal dress from September 1992. With big sleeves and a voluminous skirt, it looks very 90s, but Duffy has always loved it nonetheless.
Duffy, of Ontario, Canada, told Newsweek that trying her mom’s dress on made her “feel like a bride for the first time.” She loved the lace and the intricate pearl detailing, and because it was kept in a sealed box for three decades, it was in great condition.
“I fell in love with the beading and the corset. But more than just the look of it, it was meaningful and made me feel full of love,” Duffy said.
While she was wearing it, the bride-to-be had a creative vision to repurpose her mom’s dress and give it a new lease of life. She’d never given it any thought before, but Duffy had the idea of reconstructing the 1992 wedding dress and wearing it for her very own bridal shower.
@gillianduffs / Paige Thompson Photography / @bypaigethompson
Of course, it would need modernizing and tailoring to Duffy’s style. She liked the idea of removing the sleeves and skirt but making a new outfit with the bodice.
Fortunately, when she asked her mom, Tracy Duffy, 62, she was “totally on board” with the concept.
“I never thought about it until the day I tried it on. I wasn’t sure which event I’d wear it to, but as things got closer, the bridal shower felt like the perfect event to honor my mom, surrounded by all the important women in my life,” Duffy said.
Duffy wore the redesigned bodice with an off-white satin slip skirt and accessorized it with kitten heels and a bag. She felt amazing in the ensemble and enjoyed showing everyone photos of her mom in the dress to compare.
What Duffy found even more incredible was that the bodice didn’t need any alterations, as it fit her just as perfectly as it fit her mom.
“I wanted the top to really shine, so I chose pieces that would complement it and let it be the star of the show,” Duffy told Newsweek. “It’s hard to describe what it meant to me to be able to wear it like that. My mom loved it too and she was so touched by the idea.
She continued: “I felt really beautiful, and it made for such a special day showing all my guests photos of my parent’s wedding, and talking about the whole process.”
Following her bridal shower, Duffy shared a video on TikTok (@gillianduffs) of the gorgeously redesigned bodice that she’ll “never get over.” The clip went viral and as amassed over 379,400 views and 38,900 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
The post included photos taken by her photographer, Paige Thompson (@bypaigethompson).
Duffy never imagined her video would capture so much attention, but she loved hearing from so many fellow brides who were inspired by her creativity.
“It’s so fun and exciting to breathe new life into such a special piece of family history. Reconstructing such a special dress is a wonderful way to honor your mom. I hope lots of brides and moms get the same experience we had, I can’t recommend it enough,” Duffy said.
In just a matter of days, Duffy’s video has generated over 140 comments on TikTok already.
One comment reads: “This is the perfect way to do this. Best one I’ve seen to date.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “This is beyond sweet and sentimental.”
While another person replied: “Wait this is amazing! I’ve seen so many remakes but am obsessed with this. My mom has a similar dress and now I have inspo!”
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