Sarah,

Here’s my problem.I have a formal wedding to attend in a few weeks, and I don’t have any dresses in my closet that are appropriate (or that my friends haven’t seen me in a million times).I’d like to buy something new, but I’m a bit strapped for cash at the moment (I just moved) and I can’t really justify spending a couple hundred bucks on a dress I won’t get much use out of.

A friend of mine suggested that I buy a dress and keep the receipt, and return the dress after the wedding.I blew it off at the time, but ever since, I’ve been thinking that’s not such a bad idea.I’ve seen a few nice dresses at department stores, ones that I’d happily wear if I could afford them, and I’m all set to buy them – and plan to return them – but I always chicken out.It seems kind of wrong, and plus I don’t think I’d get away with it.

What do you think – buy a dress and suck up the debt, or try to scam the store into taking the dress back?

Priced out of the market

Dear Priced,

I’ve always envied people who could buy clothing and get away with returning it after they’d worn it.I don’t have the nerve, and plus, I perspire rather heavily and no salesclerk on earth is dumb enough to believe I haven’t worn a dress if I’ve had it on for more than half an hour.

If you don’t sweat much, you could give it a try – it’s a little on the tacky side, but I don’t see anything morally wrong with it and you can bet I’d do it myself if I didn’t have extremely, uh, “motivated” armpit glands.Worst case, it won’t work and you’ll have yourself a new dress.But if you don’t want to take the risk (and, at a summertime wedding, the likelihood that you won’t sweat in the dress is pretty slim), buy a simple, classic, well-made dress, one that you can wear again and again with different shoes or a pashmina or what have you to make it look new each time, and view it as an investment in your wardrobe.

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