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BHS £100 wedding outfit

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Thursday Jan 15 2009

A high street chain is offering a wedding outfit for £100 in its latest bid to lure in cash-strapped shoppers.

The ensemble, sold by BHS, consists of a white strapless top, A-line skirt and shoes.

Bridesmaids can also be kitted out with a skirt and bodice from around £85.

The retailer is the latest in a line to offer cheap wedding attire at knock-down prices.

Last year, Marks & Spencer cut a bridal dress to £15, a 10th of its original price, as it cleared out old stock.

Supermarket giant Asda led the charge in 2006, offering a range of wedding dresses for £60.

UK couples pay an average of around £20,000 for their wedding, with the dress typically costing nearly £1,000, according to You And Your Wedding magazine.

Some brides manage to save money by opting for a second-hand dress — in September last year Heather Saint from Teesside managed to find hers on eBay for 5p.

Bryony Toogood, fashion editor of Brides magazine, said the BHS budget design would suit most people, but lacked the “red carpet treatment” of going to a designer.

She said: “It's an amazing deal for someone who is planning a budget wedding and wants to wear a traditional, simple dress — it's a classic shape that suits most people, and looks very chic and simple.

“However, there's no denying that for £100 you won't get the quality, cut, individual touches and red-carpet treatment that a designer will offer, which is something a lot of brides-to-be want as part of the whole preparation for their wedding.”

The dress is part of a “mix-and-match” bridal range offered by BHS, including bodices, skirts and beaded and sequinned shoes.

The BHS wedding dress is the latest credit crunching offer to tempt those willing to dress to impress for less.

Only last week, Asda launched its ‘City suit’, designed for the high powered businesswoman — even on a credit crunch budget.

Available in sizes eight to 22, the design includes a black single-breasted jacket, trousers or skirt, which the manufacturers boast is chic enough for any workplace.

Anthony Thompson, of George at Asda, said: “In 2009, women will need to make very considered decisions when they shop for clothes. In some cases they can’t afford to get anything new at all.

“Classic items like the £20 suit are offering customers real value for money on what they consider as absolute wardrobe essentials.”

Last year, Asda also brought out its own budget wedding dress priced at just £60.

The dresses were so popular that they sold out within hours of going on sale. One store in England sold 15 of them on the first morning of sale.

The George bridal collection also featured adult bridesmaid dresses as cheap as £30.

Back in 2006, Asda launched its two-piece, single-breasted “disposable suit”, costing just £19. At the time it was marketed as the first suit that was less expensive to buy than to dry-clean.

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