Thrift fashion creator tries on 10 secondhand wedding guest dresses, and viewers quickly crown their favorite

A thrift-shopping fashion creator is putting a secondhand spin on wedding-guest dressing — and TikTok viewers had plenty of opinions.

For a quick try-on on TikTok, she lined up 10 outfit options for a black-tie-optional wedding and said almost all of them came from secondhand sources.

What happened?

In a TikTok shared by Emory Pepper (@peppersthrift), the creator turned to followers for help deciding what to wear to a late-May wedding, which will include a church ceremony and an outdoor reception.

"And the options are all thrifted, vintage, or secondhand," she said. "I have a lot of options. So we're here for a while."

@peppersthrift 10 👗 options !! plz help #weddingguest #summerwedding #thrift #thrifted #fyp ♬ original sound - emory pepper

The lineup pulled from several resale stops, including a handmade 1970s halter gown she found on eBay, a $16 dress from Plato's Closet, a purple estate-sale dress, and multiple Zara dresses she said she bought for $1 each at a Salvation Army in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

She also noted that she bought her own wedding dress secondhand. 

She closed by telling viewers, "All my dress options, please let me know which one is your favorite."

Why does thrifting matter?

Shopping secondhand can help people save money on occasionwear and everyday essentials while also making rare vintage pieces and high-quality brands more accessible.

Special events often push shoppers to buy something new only to wear it once. Choosing thrifted or secondhand clothing can help stretch a budget while keeping perfectly wearable garments in circulation longer, rather than sending them to landfills.

What are people saying?

Commenters picked favorites, with one writing: "9 is the clear winner for me. But I'll also post 2 other options."

Not everyone agreed that the dresses matched the requested level of formality.

One person wrote: "None unfortunately. Black tie is elegant, floor length. None of these fit the bill. The navy is the closest but I don't like the fit."

"Nordstrom does same-day alterations if you need it hemmed and it's only $25 extra," another user helpfully offered. 

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