Shipping a designer gown is easy as long as you know the proper way to do it. The key to successfully shipping an expensive and delicate piece of clothing is to package it properly. Remember that the package will exposed to all sorts of abuse while being loaded onto trucks, conveyor belts, trucks and even airplanes. Proper packaging will ensure that your designer duds is not damaged in transit and arrives in perfect condition.
It is also a good idea to insure the dress for its value/selling price and choose a traceable method and require a signature release. These precautions are important when shipping valuable items.
Here are practical tips on how to properly pack and ship a designer gown:
Choose a sturdy corrugated cardboard box to ship your gown. Boxes are rated according to “burst strength.” The ideal box for shipping a gown is one that is rated for 200-lbs-per-square-inch burst strength or the equivalent.
Pick an appropriately-sized box. An ideal box should accommodate the properly-folded dress snugly and doesn’t allow it to move around too much.
It should not be too small that you have to use force to fit the dress inside. In case the box is a bit too big for the dress, fill extra space with tightly wadded Kraft paper, peanuts or other packing materials.
Fold the gown as required and use plastic to cover it (for the unlikely, but possible event, that the box gets wet. Also to avoid direct contact with packing materials).
Place the folded and wrapped gown into the box and seal the flaps and seams with strong packaging tape. Insert an extra sheet of addresses with phone numbers before shutting the box close (in case the ones outside gets damaged).
Attach shipping addresses and labels on the box. Avoid placing the labels over a seam/closure or on top of the tape.
Take the package to your local shipping company.