rent the runway unlimited experiment

I tried an experiment.  Rent the Runway has a deal for $150/month, you can get unlimited access to their clothes & accessories.  

What does "unlimited" mean?  You get 3 items at a time.  When you mail one item back, they send you another.  You may swap them out one at a time or in groups of 3.  It takes a few days for the mail to get the item back to RTW.

How much do you spend in shopping per month?  If it's more than $140, you may like Rent the Runway Unlimited.  If you are someone who always likes to wear something new, this may make sense for you.  I had a few events & a vacation coming up, so I tried it for 2 months.

Some were hits, some were misses.  6 of the items I wore; 7 I did not.  A few of the pieces I really loved; see photos below.

Would I do it again?  I would.  Over the course of 2 months, I spent $300.  I would have spent $300 on just one of these outfits.  Yes, it would then be in my closet forever.......but how often do you really wear this stuff?  TIP: you always need a backup outfit.  As you can tell, these don't always work.  All in all, it is a great way to freshen up a few items in your closet without fear of commitment.  Perfect for something trendy.  And if you really love the item, you can keep it and purchase it.  Thanks to my friends Terra & Nancy who told me about Rent the Runway Unlimited!

 

Success:

  1. Black Jacket: a great jacket.  Comfortable, practical, flattering.
  2. Romper: full disclosure.  This is the romper I mentioned in a previous post.  I don't own it; I rented it!  It is darling, but I live in SF where it is usually too cold to wear something like this.  It was perfect for a vacation in Italy and another one in Palm Springs.
  3. Blue Lace Dress: a perfect dress for a cocktail party fundraiser.
  4. Light Blue Floral Dress: a perfect dress for a ladies lunch fundraiser.
  5. Red Dress: This one was a little big.  I wore it to a ladies lunch & out to dinner in Italy.
  6. Teal Ikat Dress: This one was just ok.  I wore it to work once and was done with it.

Real life examples:

Misses:

I rented these items but never wore them.  Either they did not fit or were not flattering or just didn't work for the occasion.

my yellow dress

Still on the topic of the wine country wedding last weekend..........everyone loved my yellow dress.  I'll fill you in on my little secret.......it was rented!  I love Rent the Runway for events.  Otherwise, you buy an expensive dress, wear it once, and then it takes up space in your already stuffed closet.

I also found the dress with the help of a few dear friends.  Thanks to Terra for telling me about Rent the Runway.  Thanks to Courtney for finding this gorgeous dress!  Courtney wore it to my wedding, and looked adorable.  She was gracious enough to let me copy her.

The dress is by Monique Lhuillier.  Since the dress has a more sweet, old-fashioned shape, I paired it with huge funky bright green earrings to give a more modern feel.  I wore my hair up to show off the earrings, and added gold heels and a gold bag.  No necklace as the bright yellow color & huge earrings were already enough.

The dress was delightful , and I am thankful for good friends who led me to it!