Today’s woman has to be ready for any occasion, and that includes having the right dress, shoes and handbag for a special event. Getting all the needed clothing and accessories can break the bank, so how about renting designer fashions?
Think about it. The average special occasion dress will cost a couple hundred dollars, before even adding basic accessories--shoes, handbag, earrings, necklace, etc.-- to the bill. Rarely do women wear the same special occasion dress more than once, making a special evening out a very expensive affair.
Dress rentals (even handbag and accessories) take the strain off your pocketbook and allow you to always have the latest fashion.
One of the biggest advantages to dress rentals is the availability of designer clothing. Few people can afford designer labels, especially for a one-time-wear item, but rentals bring high fashion within most women’s budgets.
Four companies, featured on the Oprah Web site, are leading the fashion rental movement:
Rent the Runway (www.RentTheRunway.com)
The dresses from Rent the Runway are from high-end, A-list designers such a Diane Von Furstenberg, Herve Leger and Proenza Schouler. Rentals are at about 10 percent of the retail price. The dress is shipped to your door, it’s yours for four days and then you simply return in a provided package.
Wear Today Gone Tomorrow (www.WearTodayGoneTomorrow.com)
Fashions from Wear Today Gone Tomorrow are typically five to 10 percent of the retail price, plus a cleaning fee. They proudly boast using high-quality organic dry cleaning.
Girl Meets Dress (www.GirlMeetsDress.com)
This site is for residents of the UK and includes accessory rentals as well. Girl Meets Dress even lets you try on your dress for free first (depending upon availability). A year membership gets you unlimited rentals.
Avelle (www.BagBorroworSteal.com)
Formerly known as Bag, Borrow or Steal, Avelle became mainstream after a mention on “Sex and the City.” There is no limit to how long you rent the authentic designer handbags, sunglasses, watches, accessories and jewelry.
Sizing is one downside to fashion rentals. In addition to inconsistent sizing, a lot of styles aren’t available in larger sizes. Rent the Runway will ship dresses in two sizes, but it can still be tricky to find the right one.
If you are ready to brave the potential sizing difficulty (most companies do have stylists available via telephone to assist you in choosing the right size) fashion rentals are a great option to keep you in new special occasion dresses, without breaking your pocketbook.
Written by Sharalyn Hartwell
HULIQ.com
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