This subscription service is meant for women who love to shop and try new brands. With pages filled with designer clothing and accessories, it’s a smart choice for someone who wants to try out high-end brands like LoveShackFancy, Mother, Loeffler Randall, Oscar de la Renta and more, without the high price tags. There are three plans to choose from: five items per month for $94 ($75 for your first month), ten items per month for $144 ($85 for your first month) or 20 items per month for $235 ($169 for your first month).
Here’s how it works: You browse through the thousands of tops, pants, dresses, jewelry and more to select your favorite things. Rent the Runway takes care of shipping, returns and dry cleaning, so all you have to worry about is online shopping. Reviews from previous wearers and stylists help determine sizing and fit before ordering, but the company is also quick to expedite a return if something doesn’t work for you. If you love an item, you have the chance to purchase it for up to 70 percent off the original price. (Think: $131 for a dress that originally cost $438.)
The ordering and delivery process: For the longest time, I’ve wanted to test RTR out, so I was brimming with excitement. There was a style quiz when I first joined, which basically sussed out my style and reason for dressing, whether it was because of work, pure ‘lax comfort, approaching travel plans, upcoming events, what have you. Of course, they asked about fits and sizing, too, and afterwards, I was taken to the brand’s landing page, where I could sort by designer, types of clothing, curated closets, occasions, options available in my size and more. To say it was overwhelming would be an understatement (I spent over two hours scrolling!), and honestly all the items I was head over heels enamored with were unfortunately unavailable in my size, but I took it as a sign to select options I would never purchase myself.
The shipping was fast, and my pieces arrived in a thin-yet-sturdy zippered bag that included a pre-paid return label and the items inside on hangers. The clothes weren’t really folded too well, so items were wrinkled, but their quality was impeccable, and they showed no signs of wear. They also didn’t have a lingering smell of detergent.
What else to know: As someone who works fully remote from the comfort of my own home, it’s safe to assume I don’t get out much. While I found that keeping up with a monthly subscription just didn’t suit my lifestyle, I would 100 percent think it worth it if I was constantly hopping from event to event, running from business meeting during the week to happy hour socials at night and getaways on the weekends. If you don’t want to drop a hefty amount on a designer item that you’ll likely only wear one time, then this is for you.
Plus, you can swap items out whenever, which is great if something doesn’t fit or you simply don’t like the style on you, and you can hold onto items that you love (though this will fill one spot for your next month’s shipment) and heart styles on their site—I found this SO helpful to see if unavailable pieces I loved came back in stock. Everything I selected fit so well, thanks to the helpful customer reviews and pictures provided, and I was even tempted to buy some items.
- Value: 18/20
- Quality: 20/20
- Options: 18/20
- Fit: 19/20
- Style: 20/20
TOTAL: 95/100