Categories: Shopping & Fashion

5 Times It’s Better to Rent a Dress Than Buy One

When it comes to getting an outfit for a special occasion, the cost can get pretty expensive. It’s crazy how much many dresses cost and it’s likely you’re only going to wear it once or twice and have it sit in your closet. What happens if you don’t have hundreds of dollars to shell out for a dress or you simply don’t want to spend that much money? Rent your outfit instead. You can get high quality garments for a fraction of what you would pay in the store and it gives you the ability to change up your look and style without the heavy price tag. So when are five times it’s better to rent your outfit than buy it?

Work function

If you’ve been at your job for awhile and plan on staying there, you likely don’t want to wear the same outfit to a work function more than once, which means you’ll probably be tempted to buy a new outfit each time. When you rent an outfit, you’ll have something new for every event you have to go to without the big cost to go along with it.

Attending a wedding as a guest

Should you have to attend different weddings where the guests don’t know each other, it’s not a big deal to wear the same dress more than once, but what happens if you’re going to be a guest at several weddings where you know the same people? You don’t want to be in pictures at different weddings wearing the same garment. Renting dresses allows you to tailor your options according to season and level of formality for each wedding.

Formal holiday party

For the last formal event I attended, I spent $225 on a gown (on discount) with $40 on tailoring and all that didn’t even count the money I spent on shoes and accessories. If you have even three formal holiday parties to attend during the holiday season, that can take a huge hit on your wallet. If you rent the dresses instead, you can spend around $150 or less on each and look stunning at every party you go to.

Attending a party while pregnant

You’re likely going to sport maternity dresses very few times in your life, which means it could be a waste for you to purchase the dresses and have them sit in your closet. Instead, you could rent stylish maternity dresses for every stage of your pregnancy without having them take up space in your closet afterward.

Your wedding

You’re probably not thrilled with the idea of renting your wedding gown, but what about bridesmaid dresses? Chances are your bridesmaids are never going to wear the gowns again, so renting them could save you a fortune. Renttherunway is just one site that offers you the option to rent bridesmaid dresses. For example, they offer a gorgeous strapless midnight blue Carlos Miele gown that retails for $1200 but rents for $150. You can choose two sizes to ensure the dress fits each bridesmaid and chat with a “fit specialist” before renting to make sure you get exactly what you want and need.

Before you rent your dress, make sure to read the fine print to check out the rules and guidelines. Make sure to get your measurements beforehand and compare them to the sizing chart instead of just guessing. In no time, you’ll be able to have a stunning dress that you’ll look beautiful in while still keeping money in your pocket.