This is a rags to riches story.
Well, maybe not quite rags — but a tad dowdy.
Longtime Dunedin business Preens has been a big supporter of the Otago Community Hospice for the past 20 years.
The two have got together to help raise funds for the hospice in a win-win way.
People bring in their oldest, and not necessarily dearest, dresses to Preens in Portsmouth Dr.
From there, Preens will give them a dry clean and a tidy-up until they are as good as new.
The dresses will then go on sale at the Otago Hospice Shop in Vogel St on the Preens rack, and all the money raised will go to the hospice.
Otago Community Hospice fundraising manager Amy Ruthven said everyone had a dress in their wardrobe that had not seen the light of day for a good while.
It would be better to give the dress to a charity and get it looking good for someone else to wear than to leave it in the closet.
Preens managing director Ric Wellington said it had been a longtime supporter of the hospice.
It was passionate about sustainability — what could be better than a garment gathering dust getting a new lease of life?
The dress could look like new and no-one would know it had been worn by someone else, he said.
The scheme might also be brought out in the middle of next year for winter garments.
