Have You Ever Thought About This? What You Should Check When Trying on a Dress: How Many Times Has This Dress Been Rented?

2021.01.18 published

What I Learned from Making Dresses!

Hello, I'm Haruno Tsuzaki, the editor-in-chief of marry＊

Since 2017, I have been working as a designer to create dresses in collaboration with KIYOKO HATA for marry.

Until then, I was a beginner when it came to dresses and would look at any dress and think, "Wow! So cuteーーー!♡", but after five years of being involved in dress-making.

Gradually, I started to have a professional perspective, thinking things like, "Oh, this one is made to keep costs down and be sold cheaply," or "This one uses high-quality materials...!", or "This one seems to be made with revenue in mind," or "This must be the designer's commitment."

(I don't know if this is a good or bad thing...)

Since developing this way of thinking, when I've been looking at dresses in dress shops or images of brides trying on dresses, I've thought, "There are some perspectives that I want to share with brides-to-be who are choosing a dress!"

That is, I want them to check on the "condition of the dress."

Rental Dresses. Just How Many Times Have They Been Rented???

In Japan, the dresses worn at weddings are mainly rental dresses rather than custom-made sold dresses.

Have you ever wondered, "How many times has this dress been rented out by the rental shop...?"

As expected, just like regular clothes, dresses get damaged the more they're used. They become worn out.

Especially delicate dresses require careful maintenance, which also costs money.

The number of rentals per dress varies depending on the internal rules of each dress shop.

Naturally, if the same dress can be rented out multiple times, the revenue will exceed the initial cost of the dress, increasing profit margins.

It’s also a point that reflects the company’s values.

Dress shops that operate with the desire to provide high-quality dresses to brides have strict rules like "we will only rent this one dress out X times."

For example,

✅ Only 3 times a year

✅ If rented once, it requires a six-month rest

✅ After three rentals, dispose of it and acquire the same dress anew

✅ The same dress can only be rented out X times because we want brides to wear various dresses and don’t want identical dresses.

And more.

It's really commendable... or rather, it seems to be a way of management that prioritizes the bride, with little immediate benefits for the company, to intentionally set a lower profit margin for the revenue that could have been generated from a dress they spent money to acquire.

I get the impression that many large dress shops with the capabilities to do so operate with this mindset.

Conversely, there are dress shops that have rented the same dress repeatedly for years.

This can often allow them to offer a lower rental fee per dress (stores that provide cheaper rentals typically do so for this reason), and they might use the profit from that dress to invest in other acquisitions, resulting in various pros and cons.

I don't mean to say that "allowing unlimited rentals is bad!" What I want to convey is that brides should also pay attention to the "condition of the dress" when choosing their dresses.

And, perhaps, it's a little complicated, but I want them to imagine the company’s philosophy from that perspective.

With that in mind, I hope you find your fateful dress♡ I've been involved in dress-making for a few years now, and this is how I feel.

<So!>

In this article, I want to list what I think are “points to check for the condition of a dress that almost anyone can identify.”

When looking at catalog photos of models wearing dresses and finding a design you like to try on.

You should confirm whether that dress maintains the condition it had when it was new?! Please approach your fitting with the following viewpoints.

① The Three-Dimensionality of Flowers

For example, this kind of dress.

Flower dresses are cute and popular, but how about the condition of the flowers?

Whether made from silk or tulle, flowers created from fabric are very challenging to maintain their shape. Various methods like gluing or heat processing are used to create them.

Often seen are dresses where, after the first rental, the flowers are all drooping down.

It’s disheartening to see flowers that can't defy gravity and are poorly maintained.

② The Condition of the Artificial Flowers Attached

There are many dresses with artificial flowers like this.

Are all the attached flowers facing the right direction?

Are any bent, wrinkled, or yellowed?

It’s essential to pay attention to whether it is suitable for you to rent.

③ Is It Drooping Overall?

Here’s a dress like this.

The organza rising from the waist... the fluffy upward lift is so cute, right?

However, after multiple wears, the angle of the skirt starts drooping.

The once bowl-shaped skirt, when worn and worn, loses its volume and turns into a triangular shape.

Some dresses have wires to maintain their ideal shape. If that wire becomes bent, it is also an undesirable condition (just like a bra...!).

I Want to Expand Perspectives When Trying on Dresses.

During fittings, it's important to compare the catalog photos with the actual dress you're trying on, to see if it looks good on you, as well as to consider the condition of the dress.

If you think, "Huh? Something seems off...?" you need to analyze why you found the catalog picture cute in the first place.

There’s a chance the dress might be worn out, diminishing its quality. I hope you make your decision to rent or not with that understanding.

(And scents can be surprisingly important. Dresses that have been rented repeatedly might have sweat odors...!)

Dress shops have a role in maintaining the quality of dresses, and as a maker, I also hope to provide dresses that are easy to maintain.

(However, cute and delicate dresses are indeed difficult to make and maintain. Lace, beads, cutting, etc. I'm finally starting to understand the difference between mass production and craftsmanship.)

There are thoughts from both sides, but regardless of that.

When choosing a dress, I think it’s essential to take a look at the "current condition" of the dress.

And I hope you continue to make selections with your own principles in mind.