Why Buy Fancy Gowns? Just Rent Them
Let’s see a show of hands. How many of you have an expensive cocktail dress in the closet that never gets worn? How many of you wish you had not paid a lot of money for that dress?
Up until a few years ago, if a woman with a limited wardrobe were invited to a black-tie affair, she was forced to either borrow a dress from a friend or buy one. If she rarely attended formal events, she might never wear the garment again. Even if she attended several dressy functions, she probably would not want to show up in the same formal every time. Who wants to be known as a one-gown gal?
Men fare better. They skedaddle over to the nearest tux shop, rent some tails and often write it off as a business expense come tax time. (The cost of renting clothes for business-related functions is tax-deductible).
Now, women can do the same thing. Patterned after tux shops for men, a handful of rent-a-dress boutiques have opened in the county in the last five years. For a fraction of the cost of buying a gown, girls and women can rent prom and beauty pageant dresses, cocktail and formal gowns, and sometimes bridal wear.
You won’t find a Valentino or an Oscar de la Renta on the rent-a-dress racks, but the stores do carry a wide range of well-made dresses, many of which would cost several hundred dollars to buy. The rental price is determined by the retail cost of the gown and the cost of cleaning it. Most of the stores offer dresses to buy as well as rent and many sell shoes and accessories. All the shops mentioned here, with the exception of Rental Boutique, rent wedding gowns along with evening dresses.
Formal Affair on East Chapman Avenue in Orange opened four years ago. Owners Sunny Erickson, Janet Finn and Margarita Fleener say that business is terrific and that their clientele keeps growing. The approximately 900 dresses in stock are all bought new, unlike some stores which buy used gowns on consignment. They rent and sell nearly everything in the store, which includes bridal gowns, cocktail dresses, prom and pageant gowns.
“We have had dresses go to the Academy Awards, and we get all excited watching them on TV,” Finn says. “Because they are our dresses. They are like our babies, and we’re very protective of them.”
Rental prices at Formal Affair range from $30 to $125 for the weekend. The dresses--made by Jack Bryan, Claralura and New Leaf among other manufacturers--cost $69 to $400 to purchase.
Penelope of California, also in Orange, carries about 2,000 gowns which are purchased new from manufacturers. In business for five years, owner Penelope Griebel says: “We went into business to offer women an alternative to buying a dress she would only wear once.”
The store rents and sells cocktail frocks, prom and pageant dresses and wedding gowns, by Alyce, Loralie and San Martin, among others. Also for sale are jewelry, bridal accessories, slips, shoes, gloves and custom-made hats.
This store has a complicated pricing system. Color-coded tickets with the retail cost are tagged to the dress. The color corresponds to a chart which tells the customer what percentage of the retail cost the rental cost will be. For example, a long, green, spangle-covered gown that costs $655 has a brown tag, which means it costs 50% of that to rent ($326). Most of the dresses, which range from $90 to $700 to buy, cost between 50% and 75% of the purchase price to rent. Bring your calculator.
Unlike some of the other rent-a-dress shops which buy new garments, The 2nd Closet in Tustin purchases most of its inventory on consignment. The store, which has been renting and selling formal wear for 2 1/2 years, also buys some new outfits. Prices of the dresses and gowns, which are by Gunne Sax, Lillie Rubin and TD4 among others, start at $50 to rent and $200 to buy. Wedding gowns start at $125 to rent.
Owner David Alcaraz has about 1,800 dresses in his stylish little shop on First Street. He says he named his business 2nd Closet because that’s how he wants women to think of the store. He can get a lot of mileage out of what is hanging in your closet.
“So many of you ladies buy a dress and spend lots of money and never wear it again,” Alcaraz points out. “Instead of hanging them in your closet, come in and hang them here. If we rent it, we will give you half of the rental price; if we sell it, we will give you half of the purchase price.”
The Rental Boutique in Costa Mesa doubles as a costume shop, but owner Judy Gaon also carries about 50 formal dresses that can be rented or purchased. Almost all of the dresses have been worn at least once, and many are used as costumes when needed, Gaon says. Among the dresses available this week were a Lee Jordan gown ($85 to rent) and a gold lame cocktail dress ($40). Gaon’s prices for rentals range from $35 to $125.
Elegant Gowns in Huntington Beach specializes in bridal-gown rentals, although the store is trying to fatten up its evening-wear inventory for the future. Of about 1,000 dresses available to rent, the majority are bridal clothes, including dresses for flower girls, mother of the bride and bridesmaids.
Owners Shirley Darroch and Carol Rusnak carry evening dresses by New Leaf and Sho-Max, among others, and bridal wear by San Martin, Alfred Angelo and Eve of Milady. Their dresses cost $50 to $250 to rent and $90 to $700 to buy. All the dresses are purchased new from manufacturers. Elegant Gowns also carries bridal accessories, lingerie, and hats for sale or rent.
The owners have been in the rental business, which they say is booming, for 5 1/2 years.
“We realized there was a market for this,” Darroch says. “Ladies on a budget should be able to wear exquisite gowns just like everybody else.”
EVENING WEAR RENTAL AT A GLANCE
Note: Prices are for evening wear rather than bridal wear. Also, rental periods are flexible and generally tailored to the customer at all shops listed. Gowns for cruises and pageants, for example, require longer periods.
PENELOPE OF CALIFORNIA
Where: 1500 E. Katella Ave., Orange, (714) 532-2360.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Rental period: One week.
Price range: $45 to $350 to rent; $90 to $700 to buy.
Security deposit: The difference between the rental and retail cost. If a gown costs $200 to buy, $100 to rent, the deposit is $100.
Number of dresses to choose from: About 2,000.
Special services: Extensive alterations available; gowns may be reserved for up to 6 months.
FORMAL AFFAIR
Where: 3423 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, (714) 744-0739.
Hours: By appointment.
Rental period: Saturday to Monday.
Price range: $30 to $125 to rent; $90 to $400 to buy.
Security deposit: $40.
Number of dresses: About 900.
Special services: Accessories and shoes for sale.
2ND CLOSET
Where: 429 W. 1st St., Tustin, (714) 838-1948.
Hours: Noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Rental period: Thursday-Monday.
Price range: $50 to $100 to rent; $200 to $300 to buy.
Security deposit: Same as rental price.
Number of dresses: About 1,800.
Special services: Minor alterations available; tuxedo rentals.
RENTAL BOUTIQUE
Where: 3001 Red Hill Ave., Costa Mesa, (714) 241-0907.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Rental period: Saturday-Monday.
Price range: $35 to $125 to rent; $100 to $600 to buy.
Security deposit: Generally it is the replacement cost of the gown, but owner Judy Gaon said deposits vary.
Number of dresses: About 50.
Special services: Accessory rentals.
ELEGANT GOWNS
Where: 18514 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach, (714) 964-4355.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Rental period: Friday-Monday.
Price range: $50 to $250 to rent; $90 to $700 to buy.
Security deposit: The difference between rental and retail cost of gown.
Number of dresses: About 1,000 (most of merchandise is bridal wear).
Special services: Sell and rent bridal accessories.
