Designer dress hire for the moments worth dressing up for
Weddings, graduations, balls and every occasion that deserves something beautiful.
How dress hire works
Four steps, and we look after everything in between.
Choose
Browse the collection on Instagram and tell us what you love, or tell us the occasion and we’ll send you options.
Book
We confirm your dates and your size. Come in for a private try-on, or have it posted straight to you.
Wear
Your dress arrives one to two days before your event, pressed and ready. Then you go and enjoy it.
Send it back
Pop it in the prepaid satchel, unwashed, and hand it over the counter. We take care of the cleaning.
Dressed for the occasion
Every dress lives on Instagram
That is where the collection is kept up to date, dress by dress, as pieces come in and go out. Have a look, save the ones you love, and send us a message — we’ll tell you straight away if it’s free for your date.
Simple, honest pricing
Every hire is four days and includes professional dry cleaning. What you see is what you pay.
Cocktail dresses
Shorter styles for birthdays, dinners and daytime events.
- Professional dry cleaning included
- Prepaid return satchel if posted
- Sizes 6 to 20
Gowns & formal
Full-length pieces for balls, weddings and galas.
- Professional dry cleaning included
- Prepaid return satchel if posted
- Sizes 6 to 20
Try-on appointments are $20, and it comes straight off your hire when you book within seven days.
Come and try it on
Try-ons are private and by appointment, so the room is yours. Take your time, try a few, and see how you feel in them before you decide.
- $20 per session, redeemable against your hire if you book within seven days
- Please come without fake tan, heavy makeup, perfume or jewellery that can snag
- Bring the shoes you plan to wear if you can — it makes the length easier to judge
Posted to your door
We send with NZ Post Express Courier and dispatch early, so your dress arrives one to two working days before your event. Every posted hire includes a prepaid satchel to send it back.
- Rural delivery takes two to three days longer — choose Rural at checkout and book at least five days ahead
- Returns go over the counter at an NZ Post branch by 3pm the next working day
- Please don’t use street post boxes: parcels skip the tracking scan and lose their cover
Two things we ask
Do not wash, dry-clean, iron, alter or repair the dress. Please return it unwashed — we will take care of the cleaning.
Please let us know immediately if the dress is stained or damaged. A quick message means we can usually sort it out easily.
The Silk & Blossom promise
You will be treated with care, and never like just another booking.
You will know exactly what you are hiring — honest photos, honest measurements.
You will have space to ask questions, and you will never be pressured.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I get the dress for?
Four days. A typical hire is pick up on Friday and return by midday on Monday. If your event falls awkwardly, message us — we can usually work something out.
How do try-on appointments work?
Try-ons are private and by appointment, and cost $20 a session. That $20 comes straight off your hire if you book a dress within seven days. Please arrive without fake tan, heavy makeup, perfume or jewellery that might snag.
Do you need a bond?
Not for online bookings. When you book, you authorise us to keep your card details on file securely. Your card is only ever charged if a dress comes back late, badly stained or damaged — and we will always talk to you first.
For local pickups paid by cash or bank transfer, there is a $50 refundable bond per dress, returned within 48 hours of us checking the dress.
Do you ship across New Zealand?
Yes, to street addresses anywhere in New Zealand with NZ Post Express Courier. We dispatch early so your dress arrives one to two working days before your event. Rural delivery needs an extra two to three days, so please select Rural Delivery at checkout and book at least five days ahead.
What if the courier is late?
Once a parcel is scanned into the NZ Post network on time, delays are out of our hands. If it doesn’t reach you in time, send the unworn dress back in its prepaid satchel on the next working day and we’ll issue a store credit, less postage.
How do I return the dress?
Posted hires come with a prepaid NZ Post satchel. Hand it over the counter at an NZ Post branch by 3pm on the next working day after your event. Please don’t use a street post box — parcels miss the tracking scan and lose their cover.
Local hires come back to our Waverley address by midday on your agreed return date.
Do I need to clean it first?
No, and please don’t. Professional dry cleaning is included in your hire. Just send it back as it is.
What if I stain or damage a dress?
Everyday wear is expected and covered. Tell us as soon as you can and we’ll sort it out together. Serious stains that need specialist treatment, or repairs like a broken zip, are charged at what they actually cost us. In the rare case a dress can’t be saved, the full replacement value applies.
What is your cancellation policy?
Cancel seven or more days before your event and we’ll issue a full store credit, valid for six months. Within seven days, or once the dress has left with you, bookings can’t be refunded or credited.
What sizes do you carry?
Sizes 6 to 20. If you’re between sizes or unsure, message us with your measurements and we’ll tell you honestly what will fit and what won’t.
Everything else — bonds, cancellations, late returns and care — is written out in full.
Read the terms & conditionsVisit the showroom
3 Gala Street
Waverley, Dunedin 9013
Private appointments only — please message before visiting.
However suits you best
Tell us your occasion and your date, and we’ll take it from there.