THE LIFESTYLE JOURNAL

I recently decided to become a member of Rent the Runway and wanted to share my experience so far – in case you’re curious about it like I was!

I knew I wanted to rent a few things around the holidays and for some events & trips we had coming up. I couldn’t imagine shelling out to buy something new for each occasion!

It also seemed a little pricey to rent things a la carte and the turnaround time was tight – especially since we were going to be gone for 8+ days and I wouldn’t be able to return my items. I liked what I saw of the membership perks instead so I signed up for a 2-month discounted rate of the 8 items per month plan ($99, typically $144/month + tax).

This gives you 2 deliveries per month, of up to 4 items. I say ‘up to’ because you could decide to hold onto items you love for longer. You don’t immediately have to send things back – or even within a month…or two…or three – which is the beauty of it!

I’ve liked getting new stuff, so I’ve swapped out my 4 items about every 2 weeks or so.

Before I get into the pros / cons of membership, find just some of my picks and how I’ve styled them so far below.

LINKS: brown dress, brown blazer, earrings, rhinestone bag, heels

LINKS: blue dress, purse, heels

LINKS: brown shirt, jeans, purse, boots

LINKS: all linked via LTK here

LINKS: sage trouser, trench, white shirt, bag, heel

LINKS: sage trouser (same as above), tee, cardigan, birkenstock (not in stock)

PROS

• In 3 orders, I’ve already rented a total value of $4,873 – aka wayyyy more than I would have actually spent on clothes. Pretty cool, right?
• Being able to wear higher-quality clothes and designer items on a regular basis (I think it’s already spoiling me!)
• It’s been really fun to work stuff into staple pieces from my closet and has even gotten me re-excited about some items I already have.
• It’s perfect for special occasions, trips to different climates, and when you want to try out a trend or certain style without feeling like you have to fully commit to it.
• Fast 2 business day shipping — and your new items ship out before your prior ones have been received!
• A super functional app that makes it easy to see what’s at home, what’s en route, what’s available, what you’ve ‘hearted’, stats on your account, etc.
• If you fall in love with something, you can buy it at a discount. (Although, some items don’t seem all that discounted – I think they must have an algorithm that considers the price based on how many wears that item has had, how in-demand it is, the current retail price, etc.)
• Tons of great brands to choose from like Anine Bing, A.P.C, Show Me Your Mumu, Sandro, Tory Burch, and Cult Gaia – including designer accessories like bags and sunglasses. So fun!
• If you find you don’t really need it or want to give your monthly payments a rest, you can pause or cancel your membership at any time. I may do that over periods where we don’t have as much going on to save myself the monthly cost!
• Your items come in a reusable tote bag with the return shipping label ready to go when you are – all you have to do is slip it into the plastic pocket on the front of the tote and zip it up!

CONS

• It’s hard to find your favorite (and/or the most popular designers) in stock. I’m often eyeing my ‘Hearts’ to see what’s back in stock. I usually decide when to ‘Swap’ my items based on that.
• Consistent runs to the UPS store for returns – but they honestly make it so easy, I wouldn’t even consider this a con. You just have to be someone who’s willing and up for doing so! (Note: Some zip codes offer RTR pick-up.)
• A few items I’ve received felt at the end of their rental life – meaning, I could tell they were rather worn and had been harshly cleaned a number of times. That said, I’ve also gotten pieces that were brand new (like those Pistola jeans!) and others that felt in prime condition.

VERDICT

All in all, if this better fits into your budget, you love clothes, you’re tired of your closet, you don’t feel like committing to a style, or you have a lot of occasions in your life, I definitely recommend giving it a try!

JOIN RTR: Sign-up here to get 40% off your first two months of membership.

Hope you love it!