A wedding invite comes through the door, a smile appears on your face as you picture your loved ones in question celebrating their wedding day. You read down taking not of the venue and date, next thought…What are you going to wear?! As much as some of us women may not like to admit it, this is usually the next thought that enters our mind! Are you going to have to spend a fortune on a new dress? You don’t want to re-wear the one you wore to your cousin’s wedding two months beforehand because..well you don’t need a reason! Yet can you afford to splash out once again for a new frock? I borrowed a few moments with Niamh, Sheila and Aine, the sisters behind, The Ivory Closet, a dress hire shop.
1.Where did the idea to open the Ivory Closet come from?
As three sisters, we have always had a combined interest in fashion. Coming from a family of four girls, we all shared a huge love for dresses and shoes from a young age. What really gave us the drive to set up The Ivory Closet, was the fact that we are all victims of buying a dress or gown and only wearing it once! Having grown up with entrepreneurial parents, business has always been in the family.
2. What designers do you stock instore?
Our most popular is Australian Designer Rachel Gilbert, who delivers us with four beautiful collections each year. We also stock a variety of other beautiful designers such as All Saints, Sass and Bide, Notte By Marchesa.
3. What price bracket do the dresses fall into?
The short dresses range from 80-120, The long gowns range from 140-200. With an amazing dressmaker on hand we can ensure that your piece is the perfect fit for a small extra fee.
4. Have any celebrities worn your dresses?
We have had a great following from Irish Celebrities such as Pippa O Connor, Georgia Salpa, Sharon Corr, Vogue Williams and Jackie Lavin to name just a few. It is great to have the opportunity to dress these ladies and a pleasure to meet them.
5.How do you facilitate customers that may not be living near Limerck?
We offer a next day courier service for our non Limerick based customers. The dress will be dropped to your desired location 2 days before the event and collected 2 days after your event which means you can order a dress from the comfort of your own home!
6. What other products do ye have in store?
We stock our own jewellery range ‘Bellerina’. We specialize in costume jewellery consisting of gorgeous crystal bangles, rings and earrings at an affordable price.
7. What type of dress is best suited to a summer wedding this year?
We have had loads of women coming into us asking for advice on what to wear to summer weddings. We advice that they open up their options and maybe try something new! Every women’s shape is different so what looks good on one lady might not look the best on another.
8. If someone were to be attending a wedding abroad, would it be possible to take one of your dresses with them?
Yes this is of course possible, we offer extended hire for ladies attending weddings in a different county for a small extra fee.
9. What makes the Ivory Closet girls happy?
Knowing that we help ladies feel like a million dollars is a great feeling.
Whether you are looking for a dress to wear to a summer wedding, or perhaps you want to treat your bridesmaids to a designer gown, the girls at The Ivory Closet will be on hand to assist your every need. What more could you want: a designer dress without the price tag. You need not feel guilty as you haven’t spent half a month’s pay check on an item you may only decide to wear once!
You can check them out at:
18 Shannon St.
Limerick061-314422
{Image of Pippa O’Connor at VIP style awards is by top photographer Brian McEvoy.}
