Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.life From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: FOR ONE ENCHANTED EVENING, RENT Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 14:38:17 EST Message-ID: \SE E;LIFE;WAY OF LIFE \SS (WS) \HD FOR ONE ENCHANTED EVENING, RENT \BY ASSOCIATED PRESS Women who want a designer-label dress but can't pay the price have two alternatives - rent a gown or buy one secondhand. You can show up at a black-tie affair looking like a million dollars, according to an article in the current issue of Good Housekeeping, and it can cost you as little as $55. If you hardly ever go to formal affairs or if a gala event comes up when you are on a diet or pregnant, it makes sense to rent a once-only outfit. "For the price of a simple party dress, you can rent a spectacular one," says Debra Urban of Just Once Ltd. in New York City. Famous designer labels are well represented in rental shops, says Judy Brimer, owner and franchiser of 13 Formals Etc. stores in Louisiana and elsewhere. Depending on location - rental costs are higher in cities - prices for a one-time rental can range from $55 for an elegant cocktail dress to $300 for a lavish beaded creation. You can even rent a bridal gown - one that might cost $8,000 - for $600. If you prefer a rented number, you might be able to buy it at an end-of-season sale. Rental stores replace most of their inventory each season with new styles bought at designer showrooms. To ensure items are returned, the shop may ask for a certified check or keep a credit card receipt for the full value of the dress. When the dress is returned intact, the receipt is torn up. Store policies on damaged dresses vary, so check with the store owner. It also pays to shop at resale or consignment shops, where previously owned apparel sells for a fraction of the original price. For a listing of about 150 rental stores around the country, send a self-addressed, business-size envelope with two 29-cent stamps to Gown Rental International, 3020 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach, Calif. 92663. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM