I’ve been a Rent the Runway unlimited member since around October of last year (2017). I originally joined because I knew I would need several white dresses for engagement and wedding activities, and I just didn’t want a closet full of white dresses that I would never wear again. And then I got hooked…

Since the wedding was in October, I took advantage of the Unlimited subscription to try out some dresses for work, too. And that’s how the addiction started. I love clothes, but I also was in grad school for six years, so I’m kind of a cheapskate. Plus, weddings are SO EXPENSIVE. Even though I’ve been out of grad school for five years, budgeting is still a huge part of my mindset. A subscription to RTR Unlimited is $99 for a trial month and then goes up to $159/month. And I know that’s a lot, but if you don’t buy clothes while also renting, you’re probably saving money by only spending $160 on clothes.

There is one con that comes with renting – sizing. You really have to rely on other peoples’ reviews to get it right…and even then some of the outfits can be a total bust. One thing to remember (and make yourself feel better), is that designer dresses often run small. Unfortunately, my first shipment was a disaster because I didn’t know any of this (pic below of the pieces I ordered). These were all options for our first engagement party, but I ended up having to wear something from my closet because the two dresses were way too small and the romper was huge, baggy, and not flattering.

The first dress I actually ended up wearing was for our second engagement party. I also wore it a second time at my bachelorette party (mainly because the other options were disasters…I’m not selling this very well, am I? To be fair, all the dresses in my second shipment were winners). RTR also offers the option of purchasing the piece at a discount for Unlimited members. This particular dress had a retail cost of $495 (yiiiikes – definitely not something I would ever even splurge for). And yes, I was terrified that I, or someone else, would spill something on it. On the plus side, it’s totally empowering to strut around in a dress that costs more than your car payment.

I wore chambray flats with the dress at my bachelorette party

This dress was the Nha Khanh Mila Cocktail Dress and contrary to everything I wrote above, actually ran a little big. I wore the 6 and it was still just a bit loose – shocking considering how much I was eating that week. I loved the combination of lace and ruffles. It’s hard to tell in the pictures, but the top part was navy which I appreciated more than the traditional black.

And I despise the picture of me below (I may have had two shots of Fireball because I was walking into a huge party of people I didn’t know – small town living at it’s finest, y’all). I think I was probably running my mouth while this pic was being taken since that’s totally J’s laughing-smile.

It looks like this dress is currently unavailable (sorry!), but that also goes to show that RTR is constantly updating and getting rid of clothes that are outdated and over-worn. Another great aspect of RTR is that you don’t have to worry about cleaning it. Just pack it back up in the bag they send and they take care of dry cleaning! Hooray!

Flats at my bachelorette but burgundy wedges at the engagement party…which was in a field (I make strange decisions).

I’ll definitely be featuring more dresses/outfits that I’ve rented since last October because, yes, I’m still a subscriber!

Never tried Rent the Runway but want to? Use this link for a discount code that will take  $30.00 off a minimum purchase of $60.00!

Disclosure: Thank you for supporting Biscotti and a Ph.D.! No secrets here! Using the discount code gets you, if you’re a first time renter, $30 off but also gives me a $30 credit.