Why Rent the Runway Changed My Life...Seriously-Alle Abroad

CONFESSION TIME. I am addicted to shopping. Seriously, it’s like a drug. Anyone else with me? I loved having a job in high school and college because that gave me money to spend on one thing: CLOTHES. And even as an “adult” a lot of my paycheck used to be spent on, you guessed it, new outfits. Work outfits, going out clothes, wedding attire, you name it, I needed it. As a woman working in the TV industry there is constant pressure to look your best. That usually meant needing new clothes. But let’s be real, my starting reporter salary COULD NOT support my need for new outfits.

SO I turned to this little thing called Rent the Runway. If you follow me on insta you’ve DEFINITELY heard me mention it a time or two lol. Rent the Runway is a clothing rental service started by Jenn Hyman and Jenny Fleiss in 2009. You can either choose to rent individual pieces or pay a monthly subscription and rotate 4 different pieces in and out of your wardrobe. The site boasts clothes from more than 300 designers with thousands of options.

My mom had been telling me to give this service a try for years and I hadn’t given it much thought (typical me). But once I got my first Unlimited order…I was hooked.

For $100 off your first month of Rent the Runway Unlimited use code: RTRALLE

Here’s some of the reasons why I LOVE this service:

1. You get new clothes ALL the time.

This concept TOTALLY curbed my need for buying new things. Each time I get to pick new items I get this giddy feeling (I know I sound crazy, it’s okay). I look forward to getting my new shipments because it means NEW THINGS, that I didn’t have to fully commit to buying…which brings me to my next point.

2. You don't have to feel bad about only wearing something once

Ladies raise your hand if you’ve bought a dress for something and never wore it again because you’ve already taken pictures in it? (Again, I know I sound crazy but I also know I’m not alone). So with Rent the Runway you no longer have to worry about that. You can rent a dress for a wedding and return it the next day AND NEVER WEAR IT AGAIN without ANY guilt.

3. I get to wear clothes from designers I couldn’t afford to buy.

I love nothing more than seeing the $500 price tag on some of the dresses I rent knowing that I didn’t have to sink that amount of money in order to wear it. Because let’s be real, I’ve got a champagne taste on a beer budget. Who’s with me?!

4. The options are TRULY endless.

You can rent anything from a jean jacket to a black tie gown. Even accessories and bags are available to rent. There’s so many wonderful pieces to choose from. (Currently swooning over their new designer sunglasses!).

5. DEEP discounts

If you’re an Unlimited member (monthly subscription) you can buy the items you rent at a discounted price. So if you love something so much you can’t bear to part with it, you don’t have to! There’s been a few times I’ve done this with staple pieces or ones that were too good to let go.

6. YOU DON’T HAVE TO DRY CLEAN YOUR ITEMS.

Okay, this one is huge. I used to spend crazy amounts of money at the dry cleaners (I mean it was so dumb). Now, when I rent my clothes I send them back in my RTR garment bag and they take care of cleaning them.

7. You can keep some items longer than others.

This one is a game changer. Let’s say you rented a purse and you wanted to keep it for the whole month. YOU CAN! All you have to do is send back you other three items and you can rotate those in and out while still keeping your purse at home. GENIUS!

8. YOU CAN RENT MORE THAN 4 THINGS!

Let’s say having 4 items at home isn’t enough (We’ve all been there), you can now add more items to your monthly order for $39 each! Move the number of items you need per month up and down depending on your needs.

PLUS you can always rent items from Rent the Runway Reserve which is their rent as you go service. The best part is if you’re an Unlimited member, you get 25% off all RTR reserve orders.

I always bump up the number of monthly items around the holidays or before a big trip because 4 outfits usually doesn’t cover it for me lol.

9. You can visit a store if you live by one!

Majority of Rent the Runway’s business is online but they have opened some brick and mortar stores! The best part about this is you can return your items in store and space opens up immediately in your unlimited cue. Check their website to find a store near you!

10. You get a backup size with your Reserve order.

So, if you’re someone like me who really thinks there should be a new size created called a smedium (something in-between a small and a medium) then this feature is for you. Unfortunately, it’s only available for Reserve rentals and not for Unlimited. But I guess you could always order two sizes of the same thing in your Unlimited order.

More than anything Rent the Runway is changing the fashion game. They’ve taken a common problem many women face and found an affordable, sustainable solution. If you’re into supporting other women or just simply not wasting your money on clothes you wear once, I highly suggest trying Rent the Runway.