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Miss Thrifty: You shall go to the ball!

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By Sinead Van Kampen
Thursday Oct 22 2009

It's grad season. I am again combing department stores, boutiques and hire shops busy in the task of finding friends the dress.

Once the dress is discovered, we find perfection has its flaws and it’s off to get the alteration, and just when you think it's over the whole shebang begins anew with the Ribbon-ballet-pumps.

Does perfect exist? Nearly. With everyone cutting back there is a big difference to how these things are approached, 'money no object' is now out and retail realism is in - but even Cinderella went to the ball.

This year I'm informed DIT chose the venue so that sleepy celebrants could avail of room offers at the nearby Holiday Inn. So if the Limos and satin seat covers have been ditched, the question still lingers, can affordably gorgeous be attained in the dress department?

This week, inspired by affordable luxury and friends who have safely bagged their own version of the dress, I thought I'd share some results here.

If you’re the sort that must buy, a formal full length gown is the norm for these occasions, but its not a frugal choice. If your budget is Chardonnay rather than Champagne you might be surprised by both Debenhams and TK Maxx.

I know there is not much snob-factor attached to buying a ball-gown sans venue, but who needs snobbery these days?

Size wise, both stores came across with a good selection and if you've got the time and a little patience you could find a real gem, at the very least you'll find the perfect black dress.

If you must have the dress and you're prepared to take the time to source it, All About Eve is a second hand clothes store in Malahide that specialises in nearly-new designer wear. Brands such as Coco Chanel, Jimmy Choo and D&G rub shoulders with less well known designer pieces and as a rule of thumb are a fraction of the price.

The business was started last June by Karen Kavanagh and Tracy Briggs after they were made redundant, and using their contacts and a meagre budget they sourced pristine examples of nearly new fashion that would give Brown Thomas a run for their money.

It's all very well owning, but what about hire? Unless your name is Fifi-Tamara-Constantine-Ribbontropp and you're minor European nobility, chances are your gorgeous ball gown will be worn twice and relegated to a trunk.

It will then be recycled by your daughter, who, whilst looking for a post-modern fashion statement with a vintage twist of retro irony will stand around with her mates, smoking with Gallic abandon and saying things like "OMG, check out my dress, I so wish I'd grown up in 2010, the clothes were like so good and absolute poverty is so retro ...... can you believe fags were only €7 and people so cared about what Lilly Allen tweeted."

If you'd rather this didn't happen to your much loved finery, then rent, don't buy, and if you're renting, then there's Covet.

Covet, as far as I can tell, is THE hire shop for people with fashion commitment issues, working on the premise that there are far too many gorgeous dresses in the world so we should try and wear them all at least once.

Situated in the Powerscourt Centre - Covet stocks pieces by Cavalli, Diane Von Furstenburg and Chanel to name but a few. Hire starts from around €125 but it all depends on the dress and the length of the hire.

If you're outside Dublin, girlmeetsdress.com could be the final answer to your graduation prayers. You can rent a new season dress from €28 for two nights and you can browse online for quick delivery.

The plus is that there are dresses by Philip Lim, Miu Miu, Elizabeth and James, Roberto Cavalli, Fendi, Marc Jacobs and Diane Von Furstenberg but the minus is you can't try anything on. It may be worth your while getting measured at a dressmakers to get your exact size and shape requirements before you commit.

Sinead Van Kampen is the editor of The Savvy Shopper. For a rundown on fashion and food bargains plus regular insider tips visit TheSavvyShopper.ie website.

- Sinead Van Kampen