Katie Lolas did the unthinkable to her wedding dress, with stunning results

Katie Lolas tailored her wedding dress so she could wear it again. Photo / Supplied

It's a dilemma most brides face after their big day — "what do I do with my wedding dress?"

The dry cleaning fee alone can cost hundreds of dollars only for it to spend its time collecting dust in the cupboard.

Sure you can opt for a preservation kit, but before you know it, it's been two years and your dream dress is still exactly where you left it; boxed under your bed or hanging in the wardrobe.

That's exactly what happened to Sydney teacher Katie Scarlet Lolas, news.com.au reported.

The 33-year-old had every intention of wanting to do something with her dress, but instead it sat unloved in her wardrobe for a year.

"It's by far the most significant piece of clothing I had worn and I said to myself, 'I am not having it sit in my cupboard for another year'," Ms Lolas told news.com.au

That's when she decided to find a creative way to wear it again.

She gave it the "chop" and transformed it into a multifunctional cocktail dress.

"I felt sad having to box it up and sit there doing nothing," she said.

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🍃Sustainable Swaps Update🍃. . Last year I started to make more of an effort to minimise my single use plastic and become a more conscious consumer. Now, I’m definitely not perfect and I’m still very new to this, but I am slowing implementing and maintaining more environmentally friendly products and behaviors into my lifestyle. . The swaps I am sharing today have been mostly affordable and easy enough to put into practice with minimal inconvenience caused. . . I believe each swap we make, no matter how small, will contribute to long-term positive change and my one of my goals this year is to keep trying to improve find new ways to make better choices. . . Hopefully by continuing to share my simple swaps I may inspire you to do the same❤️🙏. . My current swaps and switches include: . . ✅Repurposing my @kwhbridal wedding dress! This was by far my fave and I plan to wear it each year on our wedding anniversary! If you’ve got an old dress sitting in your wardrobe, maybe you can do the same for your next event instead of getting something new? . . ✅Switched to a safety razor. This took a while to get used to, but I’ve finally got the hang of it and have stopped cutting myself lol. . ✅Reusable fruit and veggie bags. . ✅ Natural deodorant. This particular brand @nopong.deodorant was recommended by a friend and I was really surprised when I started using it because it actually works lol. . ✅ Biodegradable cotton buds. I found these at my local chemist. . . ✅ I’ve cut down the amount of meat I eat. For someone who never thought they could be vegetarian, I’m enjoying eating less meat. . . . For anyone that wants a little more inspiration my previous swaps include: . . ✳️Bamboo Toothbrush ✳️Reusable shopping bags ✳️Diva Cup (review on my YouTube) ✳️Reusable stainless steel straws ✳️Reusable Drink Bottle ✳️Reusable silicone food covers ✳️Keep Cups ✳️I have stopped chewing gum ✳️I have a stopped using all makeup brands that test on animals. . I’m considering starting a compost bin next! Would also love to know what other swaps you recommend? please share with me in the comments below 👇💗

A post shared by Katie Lolas (@lady.lolas) on Jan 14, 2019 at 9:58pm PST

"So a couple months after my first wedding anniversary (August 26, 2018), I decided to take it to my local tailor to ask if he could do anything with it."
Ms Lolas had bought her elegant, hand-sequenced wedding dress from Australian designer Karen Willis Holmes for $1800.

It was the first dress she tried on and the only dress she wanted.

"I walked into the shop, saw it on the rack, grabbed the size 10, tried it on and it fit like a glove. It was so perfect. I didn't need to get it tailored, altered or taken up.

"It fit so well and I felt so special in it. I actually didn't have any idea of the style of dress I wanted, but as soon as I tried this on, I knew it was going to be it."

Her local tailor was able to transform it into an equally as elegant dress that Ms Lolas wore to a New Year's Eve event.

"He dry cleaned it and tailored it all for $250 which I thought was reasonable given there was lining underneath, delicate fabric and hand-beaded sequence," she said.

"To pay another $250 and have a multipurpose cocktail dress is a win."

Despite giving the dress a trim, Ms Lolas said it hadn't lost its sentimental value, and if anything, she loved it even more now that she could wear it again.

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Heading towards 2019 like 💁🏽‍♀️✨ (Yes, this is my now shortened @kwhbridal wedding dress). Wishing everyone the best night 😘 . See you on the flip side xx #HappyNewYear #KWHbride

A post shared by Katie Lolas (@lady.lolas) on Dec 30, 2018 at 9:09pm PST

With her wedding anniversary coming up in just a few weeks, Ms Lolas, who also runs a lifestyle and fitness blog, plans on whipping out her all-new dress.

"This might sound cheesy, but I am going to wear it ever year on my wedding anniversary," she said.

"I also kept the remaining fabric because, universe willing, if I have children one day, I can make something out of it for them as it's such lovely fabric."