WINTER PARK, Fla. – The wedding dress industry is bracing for increased prices as tariffs on imports from China continue to affect costs.
“It was a hot topic in New York. All the designers were talking about it. All the stores were talking about it,” Roberta Noronha said.
Roberta Noronha, co-founder of The Bridal Finery, recently returned from Bridal Fashion Week, where tariffs were a significant topic of discussion.
“The wedding dress industry overall, most dresses are manufactured overseas,” said Noronha. “They’re manufactured in China, in Vietnam, in Ukraine.”
This week, President Trump announced a 90-day pause on most new tariffs , establishing a universal rate of 10 percent for the next three months. However, the tariff on imports from China has increased to 125%.
Noronha noted that designers raised their prices ahead of Bridal Fashion Week in anticipation of these tariffs.
At her Winter Park store, most of the dresses are sourced from Canada, which may lessen the impact of the tariffs. Still, many materials needed to create the gowns are produced outside the U.S.
“China produces the best silks. So, a lot of the designers, even if they’re manufacturing locally, they’re getting their fabrics from overseas. So, there’s still going to be a price increase. We are expecting price increases across the board no matter where the dresses are made,” she said.
Noronha is encouraging brides to make their purchases as soon as possible or to consider buying the dress they try on in the store.
“If you find the dress and it works for you, we’re willing to sell the sample to you to avoid the ordering process and having to think about those things down the road. So we are very open and we are encouraging brides to purchase off the rack because it will help them with the shipping down the road,” she said.
