Bridal Gowns Go Retail

Over the last fifty or so years, wedding gowns have stood as symbols of indulgence and debt as young women made their way down the aisle to say their vows. During that time, the buying patterns of women have been dominated by the availability of high-quality gowns. Recently, retailers like Target and Ann Taylor have pushed into the wedding gown market by offering inexpensive, quality gowns for women of all sizes.

With the recent introduction of a line designed by noted fashion icon, Isaac Mizrahi, Target continues its progression into being the hip, trendy retailer for women who value quality and price and refuse to compromise on either. Since Isaac Mizrahi premiered his first line of clothing for the Target stores, the retailer has been unable to keep with demand as women of all ages found the collections cool, fashionable, and priced well.

Mizrahi, who built his name on high-fashion, designs couture bridal gowns with price tags that run into the thousands. Those wedding gowns are made of expensive, Italian silk with fine detail and accessories that keep the price out of the realm of a large percentage of the market. On the other hand, the bridal gowns he is launching with Target are made from synthetic fabrics or inexpensive silk. These gowns come shipped in pink boxes with small, individual notes attached from Isaac Mizrahi commending the bride on how beautiful she will look in his designer dress.

There are over 2.1 million weddings performed each year. From January to December, couples are coming together to express their love for each other with the hopes that their wedding and wedding gowns will look like the most glamorous event they and their family and friends will ever experience.

In the 1950s, department stores like Macy's, Goldsmith's, and JC Penny's dominated the bridal gown market. In fact they held an overwhelming 85% of the market share. In the 1960s, mom and pop stores began to spring up in the suburbs as people sought alternatives to the options held at the national chains. In the 1990s, David's Bridal became the new fixture of wedding gown sales as they reinvented shopping for a wedding dress by offering dresses priced from $99-1,000. These dresses were quality productions made of synthetic materials in Asia. As David's Bridal grew, the swallowed the mom and pop stores up. It is believed that over 1,000 such stores have gone out of business since David's Bridal opened their first store. Today, David's Bridal has cornered over 30% of the bridal gown market.

With retailers like Target and Ann Taylor now looked at as hip, cool places to shop, brides are finding the option of buying their wedding gowns there less threatening. The retailers use the wedding gown business to introduce customers to their stores who otherwise would not be found shopping there. JC Penny has been especially adept at using this strategy to grow its business.

On a typical dress, labor costs account for around 22% of the cost of the dress. Fabric and accessories add another 20% to the manufacturers cost. In 2006, brides paid just over $1,000 for a wedding gown. That is a 34% increase in the last eight years. And bridal shops are making even more money as they standardly charge double the wholesale price for their high-end gowns that run over $2,500. With bridal designers saying that their higher prices reflect finer materials and more custom construction, the market for the high-end dresses is becoming even more exclusive.

The bridal gowns designed for Target by Isaac Mizrahi may not have the unique, one-of-a-kind look of the more expensive designer originals. But in a day and time when quality and price are so intertwined, look for Target's collection of the Isaac Mizrahi bridal gowns to be a hot seller. They may not have used fabric that costs between $65-$135 per yard. But when a bride walks down the aisle in a Mizrahi gown, she will look like a princess nonetheless.

And if it is good enough for Isaac Mizrahi, shouldn't it be good enough for any bride?