It’s about a week before that special date/formal/outing you’ve been looking forward to and you’re standing in front of your closet- scouring it for the perfect dress- when suddenly, you feel your stomach sink. This feeling is all too familiar- you have absolutely nothing to wear (once again) and due to your one too many innocent online orders you’re strapped for cash. You feel a wave of panic wash over you because there is NO WAY you’ll be able to find anything that fits your budget and your high fashionista standards.
If you are a girl and could not relate to the previous scenario, you need not read any further (but maybe you should, just in case, because I am about to save your chic little self).
Thanks to two Harvard Business School grads, Jenn Hyman and Jenny Fleiss, the little dilemma I presented to you earlier is a dilemma no more! Rent the Runway is every budget-conscious girl’s best-kept secret. RTR is a company that caters to young women who dream of red-carpet style, but live the carpet-from-Target life; this company offers high fashion, high price dresses for a rental cost of about a tenth of their retail price.
The purpose of this company is to expose young women to high fashion without sacrificing an arm and a leg to do it; and hopefully, with time and positive experience, these women will become loyal customers of Rent the Runway.
Although this sounds too good to be true, the concept of renting a dress is simple: you pick a four or eight day period to rent the dress, narrow the options down by occasion, color, silhouette, etc., choose a dress in two sizes (the second is free of charge), pay, and return the dress in a pre-labeled and prepaid envelope at the end of the rental period.
You may be wondering, “What happens if I spill something on my dress?” and the answer is simple: nothing. Included in every single RTR order is a $5 insurance fee, which will cover minor damage to the dress, so you can breathe easy and enjoy your big night!
If you’re still not convinced that RTR is a lifesaver, take it from me. I used Rent the Runway for my senior prom and I have absolutely no regrets- I loved my dress but didn’t shell out the big bucks for the big designer name, plus I don’t have a floor length dress gathering dust in the back of a closet somewhere, never to be worn again.
So let’s fast-forward to your big night out with your dazzling, expensive designer dress, courtesy of Rent the Runway.
You’re at your formal in a stunning Kate Spade number, looking like a million bucks, receiving compliments left and right. Even your date is in awe, taken aback by the air of sexy confidence you are exuding- and best of all, only you know that your fabulous dress set you back a mere fifty dollars…
TOP IMAGE: Mark & James by Badgley Mischka Dress for $50