I rent my apartment, I rent library books, and I obviously rent my clothes too. Renting clothes is my favorite way to choose wedding guest dresses, vacation clothes and pieces I might not reach for frequently. I’ve already written about Nuuly, so today let’s dive into Rent the Runway. I’ll share how it works, my personal pros and cons, and my top tips and code if you want to try it too.
FIRST THINGS FIRST: ALL ABOUT RENT THE RUNWAY
If you’ve never used any kind of clothing rental, it’s a really fun way to keep your wardrobe fresh or to find pieces you’re really only going to wear once! Rent the Runway (RTR) has a few different shipment plans: $129 for 1 shipment of 5 pieces a month, $164 for 2 shipments of 5 pieces a month and $275 for 4 shipments of 5 pieces a month. I’m working with them right now and have two free months of the second plan to try, and I love it.
The price works out to about $15 a piece which is worth it to me for special occasions like celebrating my birthday or going on vacation. It’s not something I’d budget for every single month, but for those occasions, I love it.
Here’s the rundown of how it works: once you sign up, your bag is unlocked and depending on your plan, you can choose your first five pieces. They’ll ship in 2-3 days in a garment bag that also includes the return shipping label. If you have a plan with multiple shipments, you can either send back all the pieces or keep one or two that you’re loving and swap for new pieces.
PROS:
- Rent the Runway’s options range from nice jeans and pants you could wear to work to formal dresses you could wear to a wedding. While I typically use rental programs for weddings, it’s nice to have other options so if you’re renting two formal dresses, you could also rent a pair of shorts to wear for coffee runs and a fun top for nights out.
- Having two shipments a month is so nice! I love the variety so if I want a few options for one specific event, I don’t feel like I’m “wasting” my RTR shipment just getting options for that.
- There is no price or late fee if you don’t return your bag at the billing date! This is a game changer to me. There have been a few times I didn’t return my Nuuly or pause it in time and got slapped with that auto-payment reminder that I wasn’t planning on.
- There’s no doing laundry or worrying about small stains — just send your pieces back in the bag.
- You definitely will feel like you are getting your bang for your buck with Rent the Runway because the clothing and brands are so high end. It’s been fun to try some brand names I’ve only ever heard of and probably wouldn’t pay full price for! They also have reliable options like Levi’s and Madewell, so there are still choices that are more wearable for your day-to-day life.
- Rent the Runway has accessories like bags and sunglasses! I haven’t rented one of these yet but as someone who rocks a thrifted, inexpensive bag, I’m excited about trying a brand name designer bag for a few weeks.
CONS:
- The clothes on RTR definitely lean towards a more minimalist, elevated style. Not necessarily a con, but definitely something to be aware of. If you’re looking for really bright, colorful, funky styles or you want to rent for a rave or colorful vacation, Nuuly may be a better option.
- Rent the Runway is more expensive than Nuuly! Your clothing options reflect that in terms of how much they’re worth, but definitely worth considering.
USE CODE RTRXCWOOD FOR HALF OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH!
WHICH PROGRAM SHOULD I CHOOSE?
I’ve only ever tried Nuuly and Rent the Runway, so I’ll speak to those! Nuuly is owned by the URBN group that also owns brands like Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, etc. The pieces you’ll find on Nuuly tend to be more casual, colorful and boho in my experience. Think fun jeans, cool jackets you’ll rock to the office, wedding guest dresses.
Rent the Runway tends to feature way more designer! Their pieces are name brands (a lot of brands I haven’t even heard of, ha!) and in my experience they tend to be more elevated, chic and minimalist. Rent the Runway’s got really great bang for your buck in terms of the cost of rental versus the price for the brand name pieces you’re getting.
RENT THE RUNWAY TIPS
- If you feel analysis paralysis or you get overwhelmed by choice, use their closet feature. You can save favorites and organize them so when it’s time for you to make your swaps or get a shipment, you aren’t spending hours browsing.
- When in doubt, rent a matching set! This is my favorite tip for rentals because you get two pieces but can turn them into so many more outfits. I have rented two matching sets so far and love wearing the fun tops with jeans and the skirts with basic tops. And I feel so chic when I’m in a set!
- Read the reviews to get opinions on sizing.
If you want to try out Rent the Runway, use code RTRXCWOOD for half off your first month!
