Got $14,000? Pa. retailer has a prom gown for you

[March 09, 2011]  PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- If diamonds are a girl's best friend, a made-to-order $14,000 prom dress is going to become a blingy BFF for a few free-spending fashionistas.

An online retailer based outside Philadelphia has already sold two of the floor-length metallic silver gowns, which have hundreds of diamonds hand-sewn onto the bodice. They're custom made and take three to four weeks to complete. A form-fitting strapless number with a thigh-high slit, the gown also sells without diamonds for $398. "The reaction has been fantastic," said Jon Liney, who sells the gown on his 3-year-old website DressGoddess.com. The actual price is $13,997. "My lucky number is 13," Liney said. The bejeweled frock is being billed as a prom gown, but Liney said he doesn't think the two purchases were for teenagers. He will only say that one of the orders is from Europe, and the other is from the U.S. "Ladies are truly looking for something that's unique. This is ultra-sophisticated. It's extravagant," said Liney, whose bricks-and-mortar store in Bensalem, just outside Philadelphia, has been selling prom gowns since 1969. He declined to give a total carat estimate for the dress or say where the diamonds are purchased. The sewing work is done by seamstresses in another location, which he wouldn't identify because of security reasons. If you're ready to whip out your credit card or take out a bank loan to get yourself that special occasion showstopper, however, you'll have to be patient: The diamond-less version of the dress, which is used as the basis for its custom cousin, is currently out of stock. Liney said they'll be ready to ship again in around a month. [Associated Press; By JOANN LOVIGLIO] Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.