HERE COME THE BRIDES : RENTAL : Something Borrowed . . .

The bridal worry Sharon Gilchrist hears most often is: “What if someone wears my gown first and spills red wine on it?”

Someone just might wear the dress first. After all, it’s a loaner--from One Night Affair, Gilchrist’s rental boutique for women who choose to cut corners on the way to the altar, or any dressy event.

During five years in business, Gilchrist and fiance Jeff Gates (she’s a former model, he’s a former hockey player) estimate they have outfitted hundreds of brides, bridesmaids, mothers of the bride and groom, prom queens, beauty pageant hopefuls and Academy Award invitees.

Their gowns have played in posh hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton, and no one has spilled red wine--yet. If you do, you will have to buy the disaster--which could be costly considering there are $6,000 loaners in stock.

Discreetly hidden above a pharmacy in Westwood, the boutique is open by appointment only and callers are screened to eliminate browsers. “We want brides to go looking first,” Gilchrist explains. “We want to keep wear and tear on our gowns to a minimum.”

Like all the dresses in the store, wedding gowns are loaned only five times, then sold to a used-clothing dealer.

If every gown were in stock, there would be more than 250 styles ready to reserve eight months in advance or to select just a few days before the event. They come without labels to minimize complaints from bridal store owners, who “hate us,” Gilchrist says. But customers--familiar with every detail in every bridal magazine--have no trouble recognizing the work of Bob Mackie, Eve of Milady, Arnold Scaasi, Christos and Demetrios.

Rental fees are $100 to $350. Accessories, such as veils, jewelry and gloves, rent for $8 to $60. Loaners for bridesmaids are $45 to $65. For the mother of the bride or groom the cost ranges from $75 to $95. Alterations are an extra $5 to $50, although Gilchrist cautions “we can’t alter a Size 14 down to a Size 4.”

* One Night Affair (310-474-7808) is open Tuesday through Saturday by appointment only.