High-End Fashion You Can Borrow

Like Redbox for dresses, Rent the Runway makes high-end fashion affordable to borrow. Men have always had the option to rent a tux, while women usually have to fork over hundreds of dollars for a dress they may wear once.

Rent the Runway offers great designer gowns, cocktail dresses and much more from $50–195 a gown. The rental is from four to eight days including the event and time to ship it back. For an additional charge, renters can purchase insurance and expect extra sizes to try on when they order. The site suggests renters plan to have the dress at least two days in advance, this way they can make sure everything works out.

The site is mildly addictive as shoppers can look through pages of dresses and reviews written by other renters. The reviews are helpful and paint a better picture of the dress than just a photo.

Previous renters rate the dress, their experience and usually provide measurement details to give other shoppers a better idea of the size they should order. The overall opinion and bio written of the gown includes the fit details with photos and the type of event the dress was worn to.

This sort of thorough review would be helpful in any online shopping situation, but especially with the time constraints put on the dress, it is nice to know as much as possible before ordering.