Companies offer high-end wear at a fraction of the cost

Rent the Runway features 350 high-end designers

HOUSTON – Shopping for a work wardrobe can not only be time consuming, but it can be expensive and stressful.

Just ask Amy Dunn, a Houston attorney who recently made big changes to her life by starting with her closet.

"I used to live in a four-story house and I had an entire closet to myself, but I realized I was starting to be owned by my possessions and I did not want to live that way,” Dunn said. "I started taking away things I no longer wore, things that no longer sparked joy, and now I fit everything into a 500-square-foot apartment.”

Like many working professionals, Dunn is forced to strike a balance between work-appropriate wear and clothes she would be comfortable wearing out for dinner or on weekends, and budgeting is important.

So when she learned about Rent the Runway’s unlimited clothing rental program, Dunn was intrigued.

Rent The Runway is a New York-based company known for renting designer gowns, but recently the company has broken into the monthly subscription space with its new unlimited program.

Think of it like a Netflix account for your closet.

"(Millennials are) sharing their cars via Uber and their music via Spotify, and Rent the Runway is just an extension of that for their closets,” said AJ Nicholas, vice president of brand marketing for Rent the Runway.

Here’s how it works: You pay $139 per month to rent three designer pieces at a time. Dry cleaning, shipping costs and insurance are included in the price.

You make your selections from the website, which features 350 different designers -- most of them high end, and they are shipped to your front door. When you’re done, pack them up and ship them back via UPS.

Of course, you must be comfortable with the concept of sharing -- a concern for some who are turned off by the idea of wearing other people’s clothes.

"I had a little bit of hesitation about other people wearing the clothing first. I mean, it's kind of icky,” Dunn joked.

Nicholas insisted the company ensures each item is dry cleaned and kept in mint condition.

"Any woman who really wants to amp up her professional wardrobe or look great on the weekends, whether she's going to brunch or going out on a date, that's what unlimited is well-suited for,” Nicholas said.

Rent the Runway Unlimited offers sizes 0 to 22, although a full size run may not be available for every single piece. The website also features “photo reviews,” where other customers post a picture of themselves in the clothes along with their measurements, what size they ordered and their personal review of the item.

You are able to keep three pieces at once, and the company will ship another item of your choosing to you once it has received the previous shipment back.

Dunn touted it as an opportunity to wear high-end outfits she might not have invested in herself, like a $1,600 Herve Ledger bandage dress.

"I absolutely would not spend $1,600 on a dress that I would probably only wear once or twice, let's be honest,” Dunn said.

Rent The Runway is not the only company aiming to turn your closet into a rotating showroom of looks that you borrow rather than buy. Companies like Le Tote and The Ms. Collection offer similar services, as does Gwynnie Bee, a service geared toward women who wear sizes 8 to 32.

Click here to learn more about Rent the Runway.