The problem with Jennifer Lopez’s five wedding dresses

I can relate to Jennifer Lopez’s exhaustive search for the one man to spend the rest of her life with, but I wish that she had applied the same determination to finding one dress. Instead, the star of The Wedding Planner and Marry Me wore five dresses for her fourth marriage, this time to actor Ben Affleck.

There were two dresses at a Las Vegas ceremony in July and three this month at a lavish celebration at the couple’s home near Savannah, Georgia. Walking down the aisle Lopez wore a white turtleneck dress, with a ruffled train made from 1,000 handkerchiefs. A chandelier pearl gown was chosen for the reception, while a halterneck dress with keyhole detail completed the costume changes.

Unlike many brides Lopez doesn’t have to worry about the cost, with the three white dresses designed by Ralph Lauren. It is also clear that along with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (two dresses), Kate, Duchess of Cambridge (two dresses), Chrissy Teigen (three dresses) and Serena Williams (two dresses), she is not worried about sustainability.

The Australian wedding dress market is reportedly worth $352.7 million, with global wedding dress sales estimated at US$61.1 Billion this year. Most wedding dresses are made using resource-intensive tulle and chiffon, involving strong chemicals and bleaches. Transport costs add to the environmental impact of meringue-style dresses or silky slips.

After the big day 67 per cent of wedding dresses are stored in a cupboard, pillowcase or chilled storage unit, significantly reducing the opportunity to increase cost-per-wear beyond the original sale price.

“Wearing three dresses for the one event is not very sustainable,” says ethical wedding dress designer Lenka Harvey. “That red carpet approach is something we should be moving away from.”

“If Jennifer Lopez had wanted to have different looks she could have multiple pieces that could be styled differently. I have designed a number of wedding outfits that change from the service to the reception.”

Harvey launched Lenka Couture in Melbourne seven years ago, having witnessed waste and pollution in other areas of the fashion industry. With a strong eco-conscious focus Lenka Couture became the first Ethical Clothing Australia accredited bridal label.