Woman who thrifted 'Sex and the City' wedding dress for $18.99 sells gown to bride for $2,750
The wedding gods must have been in a good mood.
Almost a year after fashion reseller Ashley Cano thrifted the Vera Wang wedding gown in Sex and the City: The Movie for $18.99 (around P1,100), Cano sold it to a bride for $2,750 (around P159,000).
Brand new, the gown named "Eleanor" would have cost $7,500, according to Nearly Newlywed.
In the film, Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, wore the gown in a montage for a Vogue piece about the main character being a bride over 40.
On Feb. 26, 2025, Cano posted about her incredulity after discovering the dress at a Goodwill thrift store.
"Vera freaking Wang. I cannot believe that I found this dress at Goodwill for [USD]18.99. It is Very Wang. It is the Carrie Bradshaw dress. I'm shook," Cano said, then asking for suggestions on how to sell a wedding dress as this would be her first time to do so.
@aileenscloset90 I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this dress. But I fear I may have bit off more than I can chew. It’s so big, so heavy. And I have no clue how to best sell it. Any help? #thrift #resellercommunity #resell #thrifthaul ♬ original sound - Ashley Cano
It turned out the ultimate owner of the dress would be a bride with whom Cano had collaborated on a project years ago, as reported by PEOPLE Magazine.
Sophia Corin Merlino, 28, used to live in New York City, where she worked in fashion for seven years, with a background in upcycling and designing. She felt this gave her a special connection to Bradshaw, who was a columnist and fashion icon residing in the same city for most of the series and the two films it inspired.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Merlino, who is a big Vera Wang fan, said she felt it was fitting that she walk down the aisle wearing one of the gowns Bradshaw tried on.
"The moment the viral video came up on my FYP (For You Page) my first thought was, 'I need this dress.' My second thought was, 'I know this girl'," Merlino said. "Like hundreds of other brides, I DM'd [Cano] immediately. She only let one bride-to-be try it on. I needed this dress."
"It felt like fate that my friend was only letting me try on this ethereal gown," Merlino added.
Although she wasn't engaged yet, Merlino tempted fate by rushing to New York City, fitting the gown, and buying it soon after.
"This is a moment girls dream about, and for me, it all happened so fast. When it fit me perfectly, I knew it was the one. I took it home the very same day," she said. Because of her excitement, Merlino drove to the city without a garment bag to place the dress in. She had to carry the gown to her car in a black garbage bag.
Sharing a video of herself on TikTok fitting the iconic gown, Merlino dubbed it with a line from Bride Wars, lip-syncing Kate Hudson's character, Liv, saying, "You don't alter Vera Wang to fit you. You alter yourself to fit Vera. What do boys learn in school?"
@sophiacorinwithlove My Vera wang wedding dress
♬ original sound - balla
According to Registry Finder, Merlino got married on Feb. 13.
In reply to a comment on her post about finding the gown, Cano shared what she planned to do with the funds from the sale.
"Low-key been stressing over my lawyer bills for my divorce. I needed a blessing. Didn't think it would come in the way of a wedding dress, but I'm not complaining," she wrote.
