Rent the Runway

You see the ads all the time. Rent the Runway. You nod and think "that's a good idea", but you never actually go to the site or rent that dress. Hundreds of dollars are spent on formal dresses that will never  be worn again. Never. No matter how much you think you can reuse that dress (well, if I add a blazer to it...), you never will. Once those photographs pop up on your Facebook feed it's over. Don't worry, I have been there too. And I finally rented that dress. 

After giving Le Tote a shot, I realized how awesome renting articles of clothing actually is. So why not try Rent the Runway? I browsed for hours searching for the perfect cocktail dress. The event: IAA Prodigy Awards Dinner. I had never been to an event (besides the occasional wedding) that was mostly formal. I also did not want to spend $400 on a beautiful dress that I would only wear once. 

Renting a dress is so very easy. Except for the part of actually picking THE one. Start by clicking on what size you need (or think you need), choose a level of formality, price range, length, neckline, etc. The list goes on. You will also need to pick the time frame for your event. You can rent clothing from four or eight days and have it arrive the day before the event (I had mine delivered two days before, but there was no need). The possibilities are basically endless. 

Once you do find the perfect dress for your event (or for fun!), you get to pick your size. I highly recommend going through the different testimonials. Each dress fits differently and you just never know if you need to go up or down a size (I went up). I would never have gotten the correct size if I hadn't looked through the testimonials (they include pictures as well!). The site also lets you pick a "free" size. Two dresses are shipped to you. So if you are unsure of a particular size, don't worry, you will have a back up! 

I absolutely loved my dress. I received too many compliments to count and had a blast. I paid $30 for four days for a dress that retailed $440. It really doesn't get much better. 

Elle: Tibi Metallic Jacquard Dress

Charlotte: Eva Franco Nova Dress (also Rent the Runway)