Who tried it: Rosaliz Jimenez, Photo Director (and a size 16)
What is it: The luxe fashion rental giant Rent The Runway has expanded their Plus options! Dresses are available in sizes 14W-22W from top-notch designers like Badgley Mischka, Kay Unger, Anna Scholz, and exclusively from the likes of Carmen Marc Valvo, Monique Lhuillier, Eva Franco and Yoana Baraschi. Prices range from $30 to $175 for a 4 day rental. RTR offers two ways to rent their wares: online or via their storefronts (located in N.Y.C., Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas). I tried both methods — for research purposes, of course!
Why I did it: Finding occasion dresses in plus sizes can be frustrating. Most options available in stores make me look like I just stepped out of an episode of the Golden Girls or like I’m about to audition to be a backup dancer for a Miley Cyrus video. Neither is good. So when RTR invited me to try on their collection, I jumped at the chance.
Level of difficulty: Easy!
Courtesy Rosaliz Jiminez
The store experience was amazing! Just book an appointment via the website, and, for $25 you’ll receive a 45-minute styling session with one of their stylists.
When I arrived at the store, my stylist (the lovely Louisa) whisked me away to the dressing room, which she had filled with most beautiful gowns and cocktail dresses — ALL IN MY SIZE! She also prepared a tray of some the most amazing accessories to be worn with each dress. Like many women, I often equate dressing rooms with tears and frustration over not being able to fit into anything that I like (ladies, think the angst of swimsuit shopping x 10!) but this was unlike anything that I had ever experienced … it was fashion heaven!
As I slipped on the first dress, a chic floral Carmen Marc Valvo (with pockets!) I started to feel like a celeb. I started to channel my inner ‘Yonce, especially when I tried on a sexy Anna Scholz aubergine dress. A sequined Badgley Mischka number had me feeling like Sasha Fierce! Not only were all of the dresses beautiful, I was so impressed by how knowledgeable the stylist was about the fit of each garment and designer.
RELATED: Get amazing plus-size styling tips from our genius guest bloggers!
If you can’t make it to the store, fear not, the Plus collection is available to rent online. Visit RenttheRunway.com and select the item in your size, along with the dates of your event, and they’ll ship it directly to you. The best part is that you have the option to order a second size for free, so if you’re not sure whether you’ll fit into the 18 or 20, you can get both! The rentals are carefully packed in a garment bag and sent with a prepaid UPS envelope. Once you’re done with the garment, just place it in the envelope and send it back.
Courtesy Rosaliz Jiminez
A few weeks after my RTR experience, I was invited to attend an opera and the ballet. Normally, formal events send me into a tizzy — I usually stress out and then cobble something together at the last minute. But this time was different. I went to the RTR site and rented a beautiful Kay Unger shift dress with feathered trim (above), and a beautifully beaded Anna Scholz dress. Needless to say, I felt like a superstar
Verdict: I’m sold! I’m so happy I don’t have to stress or panic about finding something to wear for dressy occasions, and I love the personal shopper feel for a reasonable price. I’ll be using this again for sure.
Have you — or would you — try Rent the Runway’s plus size options? Tell us in the comments!
