I Rented Clothes for a Month Instead of Buying Them—and Saved So Much Money

Zee Saroya October 03, 2019

I Rented Clothes for a Month Instead of Buying Them—and Saved So Much Money

If there’s one party trick I excel in, it’s being able to spot and detail practically every item of clothing someone is wearing—from the brand down to the price (and I could probably also tell you if it’s on sale). This skill tends to come with the territory as a market editor at Who What Wear, where scouring every cool product on the internet is part of the job. Last month I eyed a gorgeous Self-Portrait floral dress on a co-worker, and when I lavished her with compliments, she whispered with excitement, "It's Rent the Runway!" I had never used the designer clothing rental service before and only really associated it with renting gorgeous gowns for fancy weddings, but when my colleague insisted I try the unlimited membership for a month (think unlimited designer items, free shipping, and no dry-cleaning), I quickly took her advice and signed up.

This is from a gorgeous Israeli designer I discovered through Rent the Runway. I wore it on vacation in Italy.

Rent:

SHOP

Sabina Musayev Blue Print Gwen Maxi ($60)

As someone who spends an average of $300 to $500 a month on new clothing from mostly affordable fast-fashion stores, such as Zara, Mango, and H&M, and around $50 a month on dry cleaning bills, I thought it seemed like a no-brainer to try Rent the Runway’s unlimited membership. Not to mention it seemed especially helpful since I'm a full-time fashion editor (and a time-deprived new mom) who is constantly attending press events and meeting with PR and fashion companies as well as wanting to keep up appearances while working at a fashion-forward company… with very limited time to actually shop.

I’ll also be the first to admit I’m guilty of buying a trend-forward piece, taking one or two pics on Instagram, and then casting it aside for another new piece in a vicious fast-fashion cycle. In an effort to be more sustainable and add more variety and quality items into my day-to-day wardrobe, the act of "borrowing" clothes from the Rent the Runway seemed nothing short of sartorial bliss. It would take my wardrobe to chic new heights, save me money and time, and cause less harm to the environment in the process.

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