Frugalista Alert

For the past few weeks, I’ve been knee-deep in runway images of the latest couture wedding gowns unveiled during spring’s fashion week. The reason? We’re featuring our favorite dresses for the annual gown gallery — the highlight of our fall print issue.

I’ve quickly fallen in love with a handful of gorgeous gowns — and just as quickly been floored by the price tags. So what’s a girl with a fashion fetish and slim budget to do?

Check out whitexchange.com, a website launched just last week by entrepreneurs and bridal experts Ursula Guyer and Stacy Senechalle. Since 2006, their brick-and-mortar consignment boutique, white CHICAGO, has been offering samples, over-cuts, runway gowns and “once wed” dresses from top designers like Badgley Mischka, Carolina Herrera and Vera Wang at significantly reduced prices. And now, you don’t have to travel all the way to the Windy City to sift through their inventory — it’s all online.

So, say you’re looking for a Monique Lhuillier classic with a slim silhouette perfect for a destination do. The Tatiana gown (pictured) retails for $3,960 new, but the selling price on whitexchange.com is $2,574 — a savings of $1,386! There aren’t any mysteries either; each gown listing provides the exact color, fabric, cut, train length, label size, street size, origin and condition — and if the gown is once-wed, even the original bride’s height and heel height are provided.

So go ahead — have your cake and eat it too!