Instead of wishing you could dawn that new DVF dress or Badgley Mischka gown, why not rent it? For those who are active on the social scene and love social media, this is a great way to save money and switch it up when it comes to designer dresses you have always wished to own but can’t afford to buy it outright. In 2009, Harvard school mates Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss started an e-commerce site Rent The Runway (RTR) which allows you to shop and rent designer clothing items. In 2013, Hyman and Fleiss expanded their business to include storefront locations in Las Vegas, New York City (Flatiron district and Soho) and a Washington DC location (opening November 19, 2014). They now have over 200 designer partners such as Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Calvin Klein and Badgley Mischka. In total, they carry around 50,000 dresses and 10,0000 accessories.
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You can rent a dress from $30 all the way to $450 and Rent The Runway uses four simple steps:
1. Find it: Browse their website to find the items you want.
2. Book it: Once you’ve found what you want, you can book the dress from 4-8 days.
3. Wear it: The order will be shipped to you by 8am via UPS right to your door to enjoy.
4. Return it: After your night out, you can send your items back in a pre-paid envelope, which is provided, with your package. They’ll even take care of the dry cleaning! (According to The Cut, spotters for the company can identify and remove stains or spills within 2 minutes.)
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With Rent The Runway on the fashion scene in New York, it explains how New Yorkers can stay on trend without sacrificing their rent money for the month. It would certainly make sense how Carrie Bradshaw was able to afford her many stylish looks. You won’t even have to use your life saving to find an outfit for an interview with Anna Wintour.
Rent The Runway is a great concept that fills a gap for consumers of fashion. The down side for us all? It’s not available in Vancouver yet. Until then, we’ll just have to enjoy window-shopping on the site.
Amy Yew is a contributing columnist at Vancouver Courier and a fashion and style writer. Tell us what you think and submit any questions you have to amyvancouvercourier@gmail.com. You can also tweet your thoughts @AmyYew.
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