Sarah Beardsley Loves Rent The Runway

By Venus Zine Staff
Published: October 5th, 2010 | 12:04am

Throughout this summer and into fall, I’ve been listening to a lot of our Venus Zine staffers agonize over how much money they've spent on special occasion dresses for friends’ weddings and big parties. Clearly, these ladies have plenty of style and know how and pull together some amazing combos on a budget—looks that work for music fests and casual parties.

Yet sometimes you really need to pull out the stops, and splurging on a one-use dress is completely wasteful. That’s why I am loving Rent the Runway, a website founded by two women, Jenny Fleiss and Jennifer Hyman, who met in Harvard Business School and bonded over the “nothing to wear” complaint we’ve all used and heard. Rent the Runway carries party clothes, dressy career looks, and accessories from over 95 designers, with rental prices about 90% off of retail. I rented three different looks for only $50 each, and each came with a back-up size just in case the size I designated didn't fit.

There was a Halston vintage one-shoulder number, a Christian Siriano metallic sheath, and a too-tight Preen in hot orange that I had been dying to wear. You can keep the rentals for three days (New Yorkers even get their goods delivered same-day) and then just drop the garments in the provided U.S. Post Office–approved envelope when you're done. No running to FedEx to return, no dry cleaning. That’s way better than a frantic shopping trip through Macy’s. As a bonus, if you refer friends, you get $20 off your next rental. Remember, the holidays are fast approaching, and designers like Vena Cava, Prabal Gurung, Badgley Mischka, and Doo.ri are waiting!

Sarah Beardsley is Venus Zine's publisher and owner.