Please treat your dress carefully
1. Only current MIT/Wellesley Ballroom Dance Team members may rent the dresses. Team members must be in good standing. Wellesley students get first priority.
2. Only one costume is allowed to be checked out per style per team member.
3. A deposit is required at time of checking out dress. The rates are as follows:
Wellesley Students: Pay $30, get $25 back at return
MIT Students: Pay $40, get $30 back at return
MIT/ Wellesley Alum: Pay $30, get $10 back at retern
Affiliates: Pay $40, get $10 back at return
4. Costume must be returned in a cleaned and undamaged condition ON TIME for partial return of deposit.
5. All costumes need to be returned at the end of Spring (last day of Wellesley classes), except when eligible for a loan extension. Please talk to Costume Coordinator if you would like a loan extension.
6. You can only check out costumes of your current competitive level.
7. Lost or severely damaged dresses will result in the loss of the security deposit as well as $200 fine.
8. Repair and/or update of the dress is encouraged. Please speak with the Costume Coordinator before updating. Please ask if assistance is needed.
A lot of this is common sense, but please follow these guidelines regardless. Try to clean your dress before you return them if they get exceptionally dirty/sweaty/smelly. Your dress will most likely be passed on to another team member, and I'm sure that you'd hate to get a dirty dress for competitions.
1. NEVER put dresses in the washer or dryer. It destroys the integrity of the dress, causes stones to fall off, and unravels fringe. HANDWASHING is the best method of cleaning.
2. When handwashing, use lukewarm water and a mild soap/shampoo (apparently Neutrogena or Dove are good). Gently work the soap into the dirtier areas and rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
3. When drying the dress, DO NOT WRING IT!!! It will stretch out and ruin the dress's original shape. Gently squeeze out the water and dry with a towel if needed. Lay the dress OUT FLAT (don't hang) to dry on a towel. Do not dry in the sun or on a heater. When your dress is dry, fold and store in a drawer.
4. It is not recommended to hang your dress when storing/drying because the straps might stretch out or the dress will lose its shape. If your dress is made of a satin material rather than a lycra (stretchy) material and isn't too heavy, you could probably hang it.
5. After competitions, please let your dress air out (especially if you get it sweaty) for a day before storing. Otherwise, your dress can get mildew-y and dampness can contribute to deterioration of the fabric.
6. If your dress is wrinkled, I recommend using a steamer to get them out!