It’s not always easy to decide what you want to wear. Actually if you’re anything like me, it can be close to impossible! I always attempt to shop my closet but sometimes you just want something new. After years of spending money on a new outfit for each event, I started to pay attention when I heard about clothing rental memberships like Rent the Runway. It was a little intimidating to even imagine paying a monthly fee to rent clothing and accessories but after trying Rent the Runway in real life, I have thoughts that may help you decide!
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What is Rent the Runway?
Rent the Runway was co-founded in 2009 by two friends Jenn Hyman and Jenny Fleiss after Jenn thought to herself in 2008 how much smarter it would be for us to rent designer items rather than purchase them. After sharing the idea with Jenny, this single thought blossomed into Rent the Runway launching on November 10, 2009. Today, Rent the Runway is a monthly clothing subscription service that gives you the freedom to rent clothing and accessories for events, work, etc. and return them when you are done. It sounds too good to be true!
How Does Rent the Runway Work?
Rent the Runway currently offers two membership rental options, 5 items a month or 10. There are often great deals on the memberships to save even more money so be sure to keep a lookout for those on the site’s homepage. The items arrive in one big bag along with a return label, super convenient.
After receiving and wearing your picks for the month, you can either schedule a home pickup if your location allows or drop off at a UPS location. If you love any of your items so much that you wish to keep them, Rent the Runway offers a purchase option at a discounted price. I should also mention something else that I love: you are never charged a cleaning or repair fee upon return!
What I Wore to NYFW from Rent the Runway – My Personal Experience
This is a unique review because I used Rent the Runway for the first time during a very important event, New York Fashion Week! I was excited to try the service but also a little nervous and hoping that it would live up to the hype.
Ulla Johnson Koa Jersey Ruched Front Turtleneck Dress (size XS) and Cult Gaia UBAH Bag
First impression, signup was extremely easy; there were not a lot of steps and before I knew it, I was selecting my first 5 items. The selection was expansive and aligned with my style. There are no barriers to browsing what is available before signing up so you’ll also be able to make sure that Rent the Runway complements your closet. Upon receiving my first rental bag, I noticed that one of the dresses was unfortunately too small. After texting support to explain the issue, a replacement was immediately initiated; the replacement dress was at my door in two days! We LOVE amazing customer service!
Bronx and Banco Sara Blue Gown (size XS)
The brands that I took along with me to New York included Ulla Johnson, Bronx and Banco, JW Anderson, Cult Gaia, 3.1 Phillip Lim, all brands that I absolutely love! I’m not over-exaggerating when I say that I received so many compliments on all of these looks, they were such a joy to shoot and wear to events/shows.
3.1 Phillip Lim x RTR Mixed Stripe Dress (size 0) and JW Anderson Leather Bumper Bag
Overall, my experience with Rent the Runway was a very good one! Instead of paying hundreds for these items, I was able to rent them and return after Fashion Week and that’s something that I could just scream about. So I would give it a thumbs up, definitely worth trying even for a month to see if you like it because I sure did!