Logically, I know that I have more than enough to wear among the clothes already hanging in my closet. I don't need that backless Reformation dress taunting me from my inbox, or that OTT-in-a-good-way Jacquemus polka-dot top that's all over Instagram. But that doesn't mean I don't want them—or at least want to play around with styling them, wear them out a couple of times, and maybe 'gram a pic in them. That's where clothing rentals come in.
Since last May, I've been using Rent the Runway Unlimited, a subscription service that allows you to keep up to three items of designer clothing, handbags, or accessories at home at a time for $139 a month, with unlimited exchanges and free dry cleaning. I initially signed up for the service because I needed an outfit to wear to the Kentucky Derby on a press trip, having chosen a particularly tricky (albeit very fun) hat to style, that of course went with precisely nothing in my closet. At the time, I really didn't feel like dropping $200-plus on a new dress, had zero time to scour vintage stores for something cute, and was trying to cut down on shopping fast fashion for a variety of environmental and ethical reasons. So, renting it was.
At the beginning, most of the pieces I was getting were by Tibi, Vince, and Elizabeth and James, but as the service has expanded, the number of brands has too, so that by January my typical work wardrobe included Proenza Schouler dresses, Tanya Taylor tops, and Carven coats (needless to say, not pieces I could afford to buy in bulk on an editor's salary).
My shopping habits have changed, too. Every time I wanted to try out a new trend I wasn't totally sure about (an occupational hazard in my line of work), I'd scroll through the app and pick out a piece to take for a spin rather than running to Zara or Urban Outfitters. While I doubt the service has actually saved me money, it's certainly saved me from accumulating a pile of cold-shoulder tops I'll probably never wear again. I know this for sure, in fact, since I had to suspend my account a few months ago while in Canada for the summer, and have since found myself clicking "add to cart" on some end-of-season sales I'd definitely have otherwise ignored, ending up with more than a few pieces of iffy quality I now need to return (and, unlike with a subscription, no convenient way to do so).
A $139-a-month service is a luxury, definitely, and one I would only spring for in NYC—the RTR warehouse is in New Jersey, so shipping times are usually crazy-quick (in fact, they've now rolled out same-day delivery). I think of it like taking a shiny sports car for a test drive—that is, um, if I actually drove—with all the thrill of the hunt, the satisfaction of getting to try out a look you've been eyeing, and none of the potential for buyer's remorse.
via Who What Wear http://ift.tt/2vlusM0
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