Rent the Runway - Yay or Nay?

Bubblegum5586

I have a few weddings and my 10 year reunion coming up this summer and while I have a decent dress collection... it is always fun to wear something new!

I message a girl on FB who is always wearing the most gorgeous dresses and asked her where she shops... she said renttherunway.com.

I go onto the site and the dresses are beautiful... with an impressive selection under $100 (even under $50 the selection is pretty good). I read some of the dress reviews and while most were good.. a few would comment on the wear of the dress and overall fit (even though they send 2 dresses- each woman is so different a perfect fit can be hard to find!)

Have you done it? What were your experiences? Is it worth giving a try (but have a back up dress just in case? Have you done it while traveling (so shipped to a different location?) Any and all advice is great appreciated!

southernbelle0915

I've done it. Worth it. Liked it.

But definitely read the user reviews. It's kind of like modcloth in that people will post their body types and such and then review how the dress fits. I've found those reviews to be super helpful in getting the right sizes.

ETA: plus and also, you can usually go to the designer's website and see a size chart with measurements they use for their sizing. That's helpful too.

mikenberger

100% yes yes yes

lizz0915

I've used Rent the Runway twice and it has been great, definitely read the customer reviews they are very helpful with fit.

FiancB

I love it. I can't say enough good about their customer service. They do send a free extra size, so that's comforting. It does still help to read reviews. Personally I'm pretty curvy and have good luck with a lot of their Nicole Miller dresses. They often give discounts for renting a second dress, so then you have a total of three dresses to choose from- I've done that a couple times for weekend long events or vacations. 

I've rented probably 6-8 dresses from there and there was only one that I didn't absolutely love, and even then, it was fine- just not as made for hips as the others. 

sarahufl

I have gotten 2 dresses and have been very happy. A friend of mine uses them all the time and has never had a problem.

Just read all the reviews- I find them to be super helpful. Then, when you are done, make sure you review as well. I find that people will comment about the color, the fit, etc and it is usually pretty accurate.

My friend did say once that a heavily sequined dress had lost some of its sequins, so I would consider that.

littlepep

Never used it personally, but I know a few friends who have had great experience. 

JennyColada

I've never had a reason/opportunity to use it, but I am eager for an excuse to try it!

chibiyui

I have not used it, but I have a friend who has and she loves it.

beachyone15

I have only used them once (for my bachelorette party), but I would definitely use them again. I love that they give you 2 sizes to an order, so at least one of them is likely to fit right.

I didn't have them shipped somewhere else, but I did have them ship to my home and then took them on my trip (wanted to make sure the dress fit first and find the right accessories).

doeydo

TBH I don't see the point.  I'd rather buy a dress in my price and sell it afterwards if I will no longer wear it.

charcoalandblush

I am obsessed. I rent dresses for every event (weddings, charity events, holidays, vacation, special date nights, etc.). I've only had the dress not fit me twice out of probably 20 times that I've ordered over the last 3 years, and returns are SO easy.

lovesclimbing

I've used it once and it was awesome. My one annoyance was that they don't have sizing charts on their website for the dresses.  They say "this runs small so order a size smaller than your normal size," but that's utter crap because no sizes are standardized. I have a size 8 and a size 4 dress, both of which fit. I also have shirts in my closet that I wear regularly in every single size from XS to XL. I pored over the reviews for several minutes before I realized I could google the designer to find the measurement-based designer sizing chart. I ended up ordering a 10 with the 8 as my backup.  I ended up wearing the 8, although it was a touch tight because the 10 was too long.

The dress I ordered came in several days before they said it would. The 8 was in perfect condition and the 10 had a few tiny snags on the inside lining but looked perfect on the outside. It was gorgeous. I got several compliments at the dinner we attended.

I've never had one shipped to a different location. I will definitely be using them again when I have another formal event.

theartistformerlyknownas

I've used it a number of times and have always been happy. My sister uses it all the time, and has had great experiences with them overnighting an emergency dress in the case of a damaged or ill-fitting dress.

STARMOON44

doeydo said:

TBH I don't see the point.  I'd rather buy a dress in my price and sell it afterwards if I will no longer wear it.

I like it for getting to wear something that would cost $400 to buy for $75. Personally I'm just not going to make the effort to resell, and I'd often rather not be out the money upfront even if I did think I could resell.

beachyone15

I also think it's nice to use for a specialty occasion where you wouldn't normally want to buy an outfit. Example: my bachelorette party. My MOH and I went to Vegas and I really wanted to wear an all-sequin dress, but didn't necessarily want to buy one. I just didn't see myself ever wearing it again.

sarahufl

I was going to an Indian wedding once and I knew my LBD wasn't going to cut it. I also don't own any long dresses. So I rented one in this gorgeous green color. Everyone at the wedding was wearing something bold, sparkly and beautiful. I got a ton of compliments on the dress I chose but I honestly would never wear it again. I paid about $50 to rent it (but the retail cost was a couple hundred).

charcoalandblush

I go to a fair amount of black tie events for work (legitimately black tie), probably 3-4+ a year. I could just buy a gown and wear it to all of them, but I am positive that all of the trophy wives would snark on me. So I'm just as happy to rent a new one every time. And it's fun to try out styles that I would never buy/wouldn't ever wear again.