Ever look in your closet only to realize you have nothing to wear? With events like weddings to birthdays to the random gala, a girl can run out of Instagram-worthy clothes really fast. Sure, I can go to the store to buy new clothes, but dress shopping can get expensive. Not to mention, my busy work schedule doesn't allow me to eat, let alone shop. While venting my wardrobe frustrations to a friend, she let me in on a secret of hers called "Rent the Runway," a company that rents out designer fashion at a fraction of the retail price.
At first, I was skeptical about the service. How can a company send me clothing with the style I'm looking for? How do I know it'll fit me? Is renting a dress really worth the cost? I bombarded my friend with these questions, and she ensured me that it's her go-to service when she's in need of something new to wear.
It saved her so many times, so when my cousin's wedding came closer, I decided to check it out. I tried their "Reserve" option which lets you rent a dress for 4 or 8 days starting as low as $30 a dress. I took a simple quiz and selected the date of the wedding, and they suggested hundreds of gorgeous dresses that fit the dress code. A red Badgley Mishka cocktail dress immediately caught my eye. I was excited about the dress because it was perfect for this wedding, and even though it was a $725 dress, I got it for only $65. And with shipping and dry cleaning included, it was a really great deal all said.
Beauty in a Bottle Gown by Badgley Mischka
Next up, figuring out my size, which was surprisingly easy thanks to Rent the Runway's photo reviews. There were dozens of reviews with pictures and tips from women who've rented the dress before (I could even filter the reviews by my body type). The women described how the dress fit, what they loved about it, and even got into details like whether you needed to wear a bra or not. After reading through them, I was pretty confident about the size I selected, but on top of that, I got a second size at no additional cost just in case the one I picked didn't fit.
When it arrived, the first size I tried on was a little looser than I expected. Luckily, I had the backup size and it looked great. I wore the dress that weekend to a wedding and got a ton of compliments.
Since then, I've rented a dress for a black tie event, a floral cocktail dress for an outdoor wedding, and have even tried some more casual pieces for work. I wish I knew I could rent a dress years ago. With Rent the Runway, I have access to the closet of my dreams, and it's way more convenient than shopping. I love that I can have a new dress for every occasion without the high-end costs.
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