The Dress Case Case Company offer three different models of their dress case.

These are the entry level 3 Star, the mid range 4 Star, & the top of the range 5 Star.

All of the dress cases are designed to offer complete protection to your dress while travelling to those competitions all around the World

Each Dress Case will accommodate up to three dresses,allowing your dress to be stored flat, and it is secured in the case by a unique strapping system

The whole range is made from the same extra tough Cordura© material with both the 4 Star & 5 Star models having 1cm padding and rigid back panel

All models feature a rubberised carry handle for a comfortable grip, and a Detachable shoulder strap

Additional features include a large holdall pouch for all your accessories, a Name & Address pouch, and reflective stitching for added safety

The 5 Star Dress Case has the extra advantage of a Telescopic handle and Trolley wheels for ease of transport, and will expected to soon have a fold out leg to make it free standing

3 Star - €95 (Euro) . . . . 4 Star - €190 (Euro) . . . . 5 Star - €285 (Euro)

For more info, or to place an order - contact Kevin or Karen
Tel/Fax 00 353 56 4440721 - kwalsh74 AT eircom.net (replace the AT with @)

Website will be up and running soon - Credit card orders will also be acceptable

So you've read the marketing stuff, but are they any good in real life?
Irish Dancer has been trying out one of the cases, read on to see what we think!

Our first impression of the case was that it seemed very well made, with good quality materials.
It's far more sturdy than you would expect, particularly when you've been used to the traditional dressbags.
It actually stands up, if leant against a wall perhaps, without crumpling your dress.
Should it get knocked over the dress is fully protected by the stiff back board, and the thick padding on the front.
The zip has a very nice action with large tags making it easy to pull along.
It also makes a very reassuring "quality" sound, which gives you the confidence to know that it won't ever get stuck or burst open in use.

The case is a fair bit bigger than most dress bags and comes with a decent shoulder strap for carrying.
However, it remains fairly lightweight, and our Siobhán, who isn't the tallest of dancers, had no problems carrying it. The strap itself is a very generous width (about 5cm) and has a very large non-slip shoulder pad making it very comfortable.
In addition there is a handle on the case, which I think is the best feature of the lot. This is quite possibly, No in fact it is definitely, the most comfortable hand grip I have ever seen on a case, holdall, or anything else!
Unfortunately with the case as large as it is, it might be of limited use to the shorter amongst you!

The pouch on the front is simply enormous, easily swallowing your spare shoes, sock glue etc. and has a very generous length zip. The case unzips virtually all the way around, just like the dress bags, so that it can lay flat. Opening up the case you soon notice how deep it is. There's plenty of room for one dress, and in fact we have on occasion transported two dresses very comfortably and I'm sure that even three wouldn't be a problem.

Instead of the traditional dress bag "pole" or "stick" to fold the dress over, there is an adjustable webbing strap that clips together. This allows more than one dress to be catered for, and once fastened ensures the dress (or dresses) won't slip. In addition there is an extra X-style elastic strap, as is usually found in normal suitcases, which holds the dress still once it's folded over. Both of these straps come with simple click together clasps, which are also easy to undo.

We've now been to several feis and the case has certainly been of major benefit.
No more looking for somewhere safe to hang the dress, as we can just put the case anywhere.
Usually we just lean it against the chair in front!
Transporting the dress is also easier, we just throw it in the car boot (the trunk for the Americans out there!) and forget about it. This is such a change from the floppy dress bag, where we had to ensure that it wouldn't slide about, or get crushed.

The case is almost certainly sturdy enough for carrying in a plane's luggage hold, and would no doubt survive the mishandling of the airport baggage staff, without the dress being damaged. Indeed, because of its shape it's likely it would be handled separately, just as musical instruments, sports equipment etc. usually are.
Unfortunately, from a personal viewpoint, I don't relish the idea of trusting to the case arriving at the same airport as I do!
UPDATE 18th August 2006 - with the recent security issues this dress bag is a definite must have!

I, and many of the other parents that I frequently travel by air with, have always carried the dress as hand luggage. Apart from the fear of a very expensive item being damaged, it is also on the basis that if everything else gets lost (dancing shoes etc.) they can always be replaced at the feis. However, a bespoke made dress is very hard to replace at a moments notice! Unfortunately the case is slightly too large for the overhead locker, so couldn't be used in this way. On the other hand our other dress bag which just fits neatly into the space, can of course be crushed by other insensitive travellers jamming there bags in on top!
Perhaps a smaller flight bag version may be a later addition to the range.......

The cases might seem expensive in comparison to the dress bags, but for the extra security and protection for your dress,
which after all is a very serious investment, this is definitely worth a look.

Overall it's a big thumbs up from Irish Dancer!
(and we look forward to the flight version!)