How we grade every dress.
Three tiers, plain definitions, no marketing words. Every catalog page shows the dress's current tier. You can filter the catalog by tier. Tier affects price.
The three tiers.
Like New
Rented 0–3 times.
- No visible wear
- Sparkle intact
- Trim intact
- Indistinguishable from a brand-new dress in photos
Full tier price (Solo $59, Trio $89, etc. — see booking).
Loved
Rented 4–10 times.
- Light wear visible up close
- Softened hem in one or two spots
- Slightly faded sparkle in a small area
- Maybe a tiny invisible repair
- Photos still look amazing
10% off Like New price.
Vintage
10+ rentals.
- Real character
- Visible repair or two
- Softened fabric
- "This dress has been to Disney" feel
25% off Like New price. The kid who picks Vintage knows what she's signing up for and usually loves it.
When does a dress change tier?
After every rental, we check the dress against its current intake photo. If condition has changed materially — a new repair, faded sparkle, a small permanent stain — we re-photograph the dress and bump it down a tier in the catalog. The dress's price drops automatically the next time the build runs.
If a dress can't be brought back to even Vintage tier (permanent staining beyond repair, structural damage), it's retired from rotation.
Care between rentals.
Cold water. Gentle detergent. No fabric softener (it dulls the sparkle). Garment bags for anything with trim. Air-dry. Steam every dress every time. Full process here.
If a dress comes back damaged beyond your coverage.
Standard insurance ($5/dress) covers stains, tears, missing trims, normal wear, and lost-in-return-transit. Premium insurance ($15/dress) covers everything Standard does plus full loss & theft during the rental.
If damage exceeds your coverage tier — for example, you picked No Coverage and the dress comes back with a permanent ink stain — we charge the card on file. Here's the schedule:
| Damage category | Charge |
|---|---|
| Light cleaning beyond normal (e.g., heavy mud) | $10 — covered by Standard |
| Small permanent stain (under 2″ in a non-visible spot) | $20 — covered by Standard |
| Small repair (loose hem, missing button) | $25 — covered by Standard |
| Large permanent stain (visible from photo distance) | $50 — covered by Standard |
| Major repair (torn bodice, ripped skirt) | $75 — covered by Standard |
| Dress unsalvageable (total replacement) | $120–$200 (item-specific) — covered only by Premium |
| Lost or stolen during rental | Item replacement cost — covered only by Premium |
We always email first. You have 72 hours to respond, ask questions, or contest a charge before any non-emergency bill goes through. We are not in the business of surprise-billing parents.
Accessory and add-on care.
Returnable add-ons (bubble wand, tiara, gloves, necklace, headbands, towels, coolers) get wiped down and sanitized between rentals. Light wear is expected. If a wand stops working, that's normal — we replace batteries every rental, but if it's permanently broken on return we charge the replacement cost (see terms).
Keepable add-ons (autograph book, kid journal) are yours — we don't ask for them back.