BRIDGEWATER – Julie Costa opened Miss Louise Prom Closet and Special Occasions Rental to given women a budget-friendly dress rental option for proms, weddings and more. But more than 60 rented dresses have not been returned, leaving Costa to readjust her business plan.
“It’s been a learning experience. If it wasn’t a learning experience, that means I’m not growing. It helped me be aware of what I need to do moving forward. The business is a passion of mine, and I’m happy and proud of how far I’ve come,” Costa said during a phone interview.
The business previously allowed customers to pay for the rental with two options, cash or Venmo, which included a signed rental agreement and a text reminder.
But many customers completely ignored Costa’s requests to return the dresses and without a credit card on file, she was unable to charge them for the loss.
“Maybe they’re embarrassed, but I understand life happens. I don’t have a late fee, I just want the dresses back,” Costa said. “I’m not going to close my business for a few missing dresses, but it’s the principle of it all,”
Recently the business gathered a lot of social media attention when a viral post urged customers to return any dresses they may have.
How a viral Facebook post helped the business
Since the Facebook post, a handful of customers have returned dresses, which pleased Costa, but there are still dozens of missing dresses.
Several people also made donations and shared love and support for the business as a result of the post, which had 500 shares.
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“A lot of people stopped by and donated dresses to help replenish, and I’m super thankful for the support from the community,” Costa said.
What keeps the young business owner going is knowing she’s making a difference in the community despite the issues that come with it.
Parents come into the shop and say, ‘If it weren’t for this shop, I wouldn’t be able to do this,’ and that to me is amazing. It’s an honor to help,” Costa said.
A single father of two told her what a difference the shop made.
“He came over to me and said, ‘I was just recently laid off, and I didn’t know what I was going to do. I thought I was going to spend hundreds, but I walked out of here with two happy daughters with dresses for both for $100,” Costa said.
How the policy has changed
There’s no place in New England where you can rent an entire prom dress, shoes, and accessories for less than $70, and the business has no plans on changing the prices due to the thefts. Costa also offers free rentals to girls in need.
As for the future of the business, Costa said she is tweaking the signed rental agreement, adding a late fee, and asking for the customer’s contact information and home address. If dresses are not returned in a timely fashion – Costa currently gives five weeks to return items – she will mail a reminder letter and if still no response, will pursue criminal charges as stealing is larceny.
“It’s not a get-rich business; it’s more of a getting deep feeling, it’s more of a service, and I love what I do,” Costa said.
Do you have a dress to return?
If you have a dress to return or know anyone who does, please return it to Miss Louise Prom Closet and Special Occasions Rental at 47 Broad St., Suite 101, Bridgewater. Costa will not ask any questions, she just wants the missing dresses back so that she can continue to help others.
