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Sorority Competition:  Better your community with Better Closet and win a Spring Formal dress

Instructions:  Sisters are invited to write a one page essay on how they are working to better their community by lending a helping hand. Email the essay to stylist@bettercloset.com.  The deadline is March 31. Include on the one page, your name, email address, Sorority, the date of your Spring Formal and the essay.

Grand Prize: A free Spring Formal dress; or $300 towards a purchase of any style. The winning essay will be featured on the internationally recognized BC Style Source, bettercloset.com/blog.

Additional Prizes: Every Sister from the Sorority with the winning essay will receive a $25 gift card from Better Closet to use towards any Spring Formal dress purchase.  Additionally, all participants will receive free ground shipping on their Spring Formal dress purchase.

Selection Process: As essays are submitted they will be ranked and a winner will be contacted by email by midnight, 12:00AM EST, April 3.

* FAQ

Q: What classifies as a “Spring Formal” purchase?

A: Any dress that is recognized in the Shop More Styles tab, under any of the categories; designer prom dresses, evening dresses, formal dresses, formal gowns, pageant dresses, prom dresses, plus size evening dresses, and short prom dresses is applicable for the discount and the promotion applies.

Q:  Who can participate?

A: Any Sister in any Sorority may participate.

Q: Must the essay be submitted through email?

A: Yes, the only way to submit the essay is by emailing it to stylist@bettercloset.com

Q: What if the dress I want is more than $300?

A:  If the dress you want is more than $300, you are responsible to make up the difference in price.

Q: Can I check the status of my essay?

A: No, the winner will be notified by April 3, 12:00am EST.

Q: If I submit an essay, how long before I receive my free shipping on a Spring Fromal dress style?

A: Within 1 business day of submitting your essay you will receive a promotion code for free ground shipping on any prom dress purchase. The discount may not appear as free shipping but will deduct the amount of shipping costs from your total purchase.

Q: If the winning essay is selected from my Sorority, how long will it be before I receive my $25 gift card for a Spring Formal dress purchase?

A:  You will receive the $25 gift card towards any Spring Formal dress purchase by April 4, 12:00AM EST. *Remember to note your Sorority on the essay so we know to send you the discount.

Q:  How many entries can I submit?

A: Essays are limited to one entry per person. If someone is found to have submitted more than one entry, that person will be excluded from the contest.

*The Sorority noted on your essay may be contacted to confirm your participation. 

Retail for evening dresses? Many women who have found the joys of having custom dresses made for them say “never again.” While having a tailor whip off a formal dress for you is not for everyone, proponents claim that this is one of the best-kept secrets in the fashion world. Rather than hitting the stores and trying on a multitude of badly-fitting dresses in styles and colors you can’t stand, you simply find a fabric you love, come up with a look and drop by a tailor. A few fittings later and you have a custom-created evening gown.

First the good news. There are plenty of advantages to getting the perfect dress sewn for you:

1) You get a completely unique dress you can be sure that no one else will have.
2) You get a dress that fits you perfectly because it is created for your body.
3) You call all the shots – you get the exact dress you want in the style, color, and fabric you want. You can even indicate what stitches you want used, if it comes to that.

Now the bad news. You can expect to pay as much for custom-made dresses as you would for full retail – more if your dress is especially complicated. You also need to plan ahead in order to find a tailor who will do a good job.

If you decide to take the plunge, follow these tips:

1) Start planning way, way in advance. Talk to tailors and get recommendations for good tailors in your area. Consider having a simpler garment sewn – such as a skirt – in order to see what quality clothes your tailor can create for you.
2) Learn a little about sewing. Learn about different fabrics, stitches and dress styles. This will make it easier for you to communicate with your tailor effectively.
3) Shop for fabrics. Go into fabric stores and spend plenty of time browsing. Before you decide on a fabric, you will need to talk to your tailor to ensure that he or she can work well with the fabric that interests you. Not all fabrics translate into great evening dresses, so get professional advice before you buy yards of it. While at the fabric store, pick up the quality matching thread, zippers, hooks and other items your tailor will need.
4) Start looking for styles. Flip through books to get ideas for evening dresses or browse available patterns. Discuss what your tailor will need – some will need just a picture of a dress while others will want a complete pattern. If you can’t find a pattern that you love, you can always have a picture of a dress turned into a sewing pattern – several services online do this, although it will mean an extra expense.