If you’ve been lusting after that slinky little Proenza Schouler dress you saw in Vogue last month but the $1,800 price tag makes you sick to your stomach, all hope may not be lost. Rent the Runway, a new website which ended its test phase and is live as of today, offers four-day designer dress rentals for $50 to $200. Their inventory includes frocks by everyone from Lela Rose to Christian Siriano; the dresses arrive right at your door and come with a pre-paid return envelope. There is, however, a catch.
You have to be a member in order to rent. There’s no apparent enrollment cost, but unless you’re invited directly, you’ll just have to join the wait list and bide your time. The by-invitation-only thing is, no doubt, an attempt to add a mystique and exclusivity to the service, bitchy though it may seem. But, given the fact that you could end up wearing a designer dress at a Topshop price to your ex’s wedding, the wait may very well be worth it. [New York Times]