OPINION: How I got to wear a $1000 ball dress to breakfast

PANCAKES and designer courtour are a very good mix, a journalist discovered after stumbling upon a little shop in Warwick that saved her from fashion disaster.

When you find something you love, sometimes it can be hard to take it off!

SOME journalists are renowned for their impeccable sense of fashion, but I am not one.

While Lee Lin Chin makes the strangest things look marvellous, the majority of us are more comfortable in sneakers and jeans.

So when an opportunity to get "frocked up" comes along, there is potential for excitement... and disaster.

Playing among the luscious fabric, trying on designer dresses and momentarily living my teenage 'Princess Diaries' dream was easily the funniest part about attending a ball earlier this month.

Discovering that brands like Zimmerman and Carla Zampatti could be mine for a night was a wave of excitement that came after momentary panic when I tried on my dress two days before the big event.

A big black stain that refused to budge and a faulty zip meant I would have to rule out the outfit I was planning to wear.

DESIGNER DASH: Kelly Atkinson and seven-month old Macy have fun playing with the beautiful dresses in Warwick's newest designer boutique, Never Wear It Twice. Picture: Marian Faa

Panicking, I spiralled into an erratic bout of online shopping in an attempt to find something at the last minute.

Confronted with "does not deliver" messages, I sulked like a Cinderella who lost her slipper before she even made it to the ball.

But when I was almost at the point of giving up altogether, ready to make plans for a night in with chocolate and chick-flicks instead, my saviour came.

Kelly Atkinson was my fairy godmother in disguise.

Quick to respond and calm my panic, Kelly assured me she stocked dresses in my size and would open the doors of Never Wear It Twice late on a Friday afternoon to accommodate my needs.

What was turning into a disaster suddenly became a breeze and I found a renewed enthusiasm for the event.

BLACK AND WHITE: Hiring a dress is becoming a popular solution for women who attend formal events. Picture: Contributed

I must have tried on at least eight different dresses, with accessories to match, before I settled a white Carla Zampatti gown.

Relishing the one chance to wear something I'd never be able to buy myself, I even wore the dress to breakfast the next day.

In all honesty, I was just thrilled to have such an awesome service right in the middle of town.

With high school formals, the recent Business Excellence Awards and a charity ball on the horizon, Kelly has hit the nail on the head by delivering a affordable, fun and sensible solution for the people of Warwick.

So if you're ever stuck like I was, now you know exactly where to go to make all your designer dreams come true.