A TikTok influencer known for acting as a motherly figure to her fans has told them she bought a designer wedding gown for $50 at a thrift store and hopes to donate it to a follower who's planning to get married.
Ophelia Nichols, a 41-year-old creator from Alabama known on TikTok by the nickname Mama Tot, has developed a following of 11.2 million by role-playing as a momlike figure to her younger fans, reacting to other creators discussing difficult life experiences and responding to requests for advice about a particular issue a follower is facing by using comforting words.
On Sunday, Nichols posted a video in which she could be seen holding up a white wedding gown, which she said was from the luxury bridal brand Romona Keveža.
According to Nichols, the original label on the dress said it cost $4,819. Romona Keveža wedding dresses in the brand's current collection start at about $3,500, Brides magazine reported.
The TikToker said she "felt so bad" about buying the dress for such a bargain that she tried to tell a worker in the store how valuable it was but said the employee was happy to let her have it for $50.
Nichols said she wanted to have the dress cleaned to give it away to one of her followers — whom she calls her "tater tots" — who's planning to get married but can't afford a designer dress. She then recalled preparing for her own wedding and looking through designer magazines, wishing that she could afford to splurge on her gown.
"I cried when I put this dress in my truck because I would have given anything to have this years ago when I got married, and I know that it would mean something to one of you," she said. "Sure, I could get it cleaned and sell it on eBay for whatever, but no, I want somebody else to have this experience that I didn't get a chance to have."
The TikToker filmed herself trying on the dress and said she would ideally like to give it to a local fan in Alabama so that they could try it on first to see whether it fit well.
"This is stunning. This would have been the dress I would have gotten married in. I'm speechless," she said as she twirled around in the gown on camera.
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