Woman Turns to Unlikely Place to Find Mom’s Long-Lost, Polka Dot Wedding Dress for Her Own Big Day 

Sarah Robertson has always admired her mom’s wedding gown — a striking black-and-white polka dot dress with a sweetheart neckline.

Her mom wore the gown at her wedding in Lake Como, Italy, in the early 1990s. Afterward, she asked a friend to keep it safe since she didn’t have room in her New York City apartment. But somewhere over the years, the dress went missing.

When Robertson’s mom later asked for the gown back, her friend couldn’t find it. Believing her daughter wouldn’t want to wear it one day, she let it go. She was wrong.

Now, 30 years later, Robertson is turning to TikTok to search for the dress for her own wedding in Italy next year.

“As I’ve been searching for my own wedding dress, looking for something unique and exploring vintage options, I thought about my mom’s dress and thought, ‘Wow, it’d be so amazing to be able to wear it for something special during my wedding, and I wonder if I can find it,'” Robertson told PEOPLE.

She posted photos from her parents’ wedding on TikTok, asking for help tracking down the gown or finding a replica. The video went viral, gathering 3.7 million views.

Commenters eagerly tried to identify the designer. Robertson believed it was by Victor Costa, though others suggested Valentino Garavani or Jessica McClintock.

She says she was surprised by the flood of support from strangers.

“I was not expecting so many women to come together and be invested in finding the dress,” she said. “My mom has been overjoyed at the response. A lot of people have sent similar dresses or other ideas.”

One company even offered to recreate the gown, while another person said they could reach out to a designer who may have been involved.

At one point, someone shared an old eBay listing showing the actual dress or a near match, though it had already been sold. Robertson tried to track down the buyer but hasn’t been successful.

Her ultimate goal is to find her mom’s original gown, since it holds special meaning, though she’s open to alternatives if needed.

Her mom first bought the dress in 1989 while shopping at Bergdorf Goodman with her cousin. At first, Robertson’s grandmother didn’t like the idea of polka dots. But when her daughter tried it on, she was moved to tears and gave her full approval.

Robertson’s grandmother has since passed away, but she hopes finding the dress will create a lasting connection on her wedding day.

She also hopes her viral search inspires other brides to embrace unique and playful styles, like polka dots, on their big day.

For now, the hunt continues — but Robertson hasn’t given up hope.