BADC - Borrow A Dress Couture

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Ever wear a fancy dress to special event with the tag tucked in -- and then return it to the store when it's over? The questionable practice of "wardrobing" is popular, but with stores cracking down on the practice, it's no fun to be stuck buying something you couldn't afford to begin with.

Guys have their tux rental shops. It's about time ladies had the same luxury, thought Bree Lara and Teonna Ingram, and so they've opened this dress rental shop in Lakeview. Scour the racks (organized by size; 0-18 and maternity available) for new cocktail dresses ranging from a $100 Cassandra Stone frock to a $412 blue silk Vera Wang number to a $12,000 violet tulle dress by high-fashion designer Alexander McQueen.

Three-day lease prices range from $35 to $400 (about 25 to 35 percent of the retail price), and the store takes care of the dry cleaning upon return. Like a library or a rental car, you're financially responsible for any irreparable damage done during your time with the gown.

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Lakeview stores, Chicago stores, Chicago stores