From homecoming to bat mitzvahs, the age-old question persists: What are you going to wear? Many students struggle to find the perfect dress. Finding a well-fitted, cute, and inexpensive dress can be very hard to come by. Well Dressed, a Berkley ‘student-run’ company provides diverse quality dresses for any occasion.
Well Dressed uniquely allows not just the owners but also the donors/customers a cool business experience. Selling dresses that have been used not only gives them more than one one-time use purpose but also helps so many high schoolers out on the financial end of getting ready for these big events. The current sophomore owners, Eliza Rizak, Scarlett Rizak, and Aidan Horowitz, run Well Dressed. The shop is located in Horowitz’s basement. Scarlett Rizak comments that they all “bought the business from [seniors] Maddy Gold and Ava Rapheal.” She explains that it’s a tradition for an incoming senior to send off the business to an incoming freshman. Not only can you buy dresses, but you can also donate or sign with them. Signing is the process of co-owning the dress that the person who gave the dress once owned. Once the dress someone gave to the business is bought, the original owner gets equity for co-signing. Rizak comments that “more people donate than cosign.” This process starts by making an appointment by emailing or direct messaging them through Instagram. The dresses get evaluated by the owners to make sure the quality is good. Scarlett Rizak comments that if the dress passes the examination and is bought by a customer, “40-60 percent (of the equity)” is given to the original owner.
Senior Annalia Rayo shares that she has donated to the business. She explains that “once the dresses are bought, you are given a check for your cut of money.” The dress prices range usually from 5 to $30, depending on the quality.
Senior Maddy Gold recently passed down the business and loved running it. Gold worked in the financial part of the business, which included calculating costs, pricing dresses, and checkbooks. Gold says, “Besides learning how a business runs, getting to see a lot of pretty dresses was one of my favorite parts of being an owner. It also helped that both Ava and I were really into fashion.” She explains that owning a BHS student-run business created more community and connections through their own personal circles as well.
Dress shopping is hard and expensive, but Well Dressed makes it so much easier for you. Learning how to co-sign with products, realizing the importance of recycling clothes, and seeing how the business operates are significant parts of how Well Dressed was designed. Reusing clothes that are usually bought for one-time use is so innovative, and creates a bigger sense of purpose for the clothing. Next time you are looking for a cute dress that is inexpensive, keep this in mind! Not only does it provide you with well-priced and high-quality styles, but you’re also supporting a BHS student business.
