Ball Gown Hire
For most guys owning a dinner suit is an extravagance that comes later in life when we are more financially secure, and we but one or maybe 2 in a lifetime. For most women the need for elegant formal wear is more pressing and 1 dress can never be enough. The business of hiring out formal dresses is therefore much more lucrative than that of hiring out menswear, it is also however infinitely more complex.
The reasons why one dress is never enough are multiple and you need to take them into account when you buy your stock. Some dresses go in and out of fashion, some designers are a must and yet at other times an unknown designer is preferable. I won’t begin to understand but if you have an eye for fashion and great taste then this may be a great business for you.
You don’t need to have all new stock, in fact having a “vintage” collection may be desirable, providing it is by top name designers and the cut is timeless. If you are working to a budget then stick with black and white for the older pieces and remember that you will be able to rent them out multiple times when you are arguing with yourself over the price.
Unusually for this kind of idea it is going to be impossible to run this kind of business without some kind of a shop. In theory you could run a Netflix type of business where a deposit is taken against a credit card and dresses delivered but unless you are very sure of your clients sizes and you are prepared to part with several dresses at a time to each customer I don’t see it working. We all like to touch and try the clothes we will wear for a special occasion, and if it doesn’t look quite right on the night it can ruin a great event.
Your store does not have to be on the high street, in fact it may carry more cache if it is harder to find and requires a bit of effort to find. Ideally it should have parking nearby though as your customers are likely to be in a hurry either when they arrive or when they return the dress. Be prepared for some late returns and have a clear policy on additional charging.
Even with the limitations of having a store there are many ways to promote your service, from allowing famous connections to use your service for free to doing interviews on local Radio and TV to talk about the people that have used your service or where a certain item of interest came from.
You should of course advertise, and work with sponsors of large events to ensure that you get mentioned by the organisers. For Charity events you could make a donation for each dress hired for example.
If you don’t know anyone famous, and can’t get on TV or radio then you may need to go the extra mile and host some kind of event which will arouse the interest of one or both groups. Whether you throw a charity dinner, a fashion show, or some other kind of high profile event make sure it pays for itself and remember that the event itself will need promotion.
You will need a sizeable budget for this if you intend to buy all designer labels. A safer approach would be to buy 6-12 really good pieces (remember that vintage is cheaper) and then stock up with beautiful dresses from less well known designers, or even from a generic manufacturer. The key is to ensure plenty of choice in design, fabric and colour so that your customers will keep coming back for future events.
You can find tailors online who will work with you on your own designs, or to create something in a similar style to designers that you like. Be prepared to spend some time on this; checking fabric swatches for quality and ensuring that sizing is correct. Try www.bridalpromdress.com
Have a clear policy on sizes unless you have a very large budget. Many women are bigger now than in previous decades and you may want to account for this in your sizing policy if you hope to attract the maximum number of paying customers. You may also want to experiment with sizing labels (i.e. make dresses one size bigger than the label) for some of your styles.
You can get some great bargains on Ebay. If your budget is tight then spend some time bidding for items that you think you can use. You can always have them altered if they are not quite right, and you might pick up some great designer bargains. Check out thrift shops in good neighbourhoods as well, it amazing what people will give away.
Your customers will be picky and even difficult at times, they are going to a special event and want to look their best and it may be stressful for them.
You will get damaged dresses and returns be clear about your policies upfront and stick to your guns when you are challenged
Even if your town has a store that does this you can compete. Choice is everything for this kind of business.
You will need a good sized budget. Work out what you think you need and double it. If you can’t afford to start now then start collecting pieces that you can use later.