Here’s a novel service for eco-fashionistas with little closet space: Rent the Runway. (via Unclutterer)

 

Always wanted to party in a Hervé Léger dress — but couldn’t rationalize buying an ungreen dress you’d only wear a few times — or afford the $1,690 price tag? Rent the Runway lets you borrow the dress for a special occasion for just a 10th of the price — then send it back after the party’s over, leaving you with a fuller wallet and more closet space. After all, you can just make sure to take lots of photos in the dress to preserve your haute couture moment on Facebook for posterity.

 

 

Rentals start at just $50 for brands like Badgley Mischka, Alice + Olivia, Diane Von Furstenberg, and many many more. Browse the selection for the dress you want — the site has great photos and information about the dresses — narrowing your results by size and date. Then pick a dress and wait for it to get delivered to your doorstep!

 

Concerned you won’t get the right size? The first time you rent from a certain designer, Rent the Runway will send two sizes to be on the safe side. Standard rentals are for four days, though you can have the dress for eight days for an additional cost. Post-event, just pop the dress in Rent the Runway’s pre-paid envelope and put it in your nearest mailbox; no dry cleaning necessary.

 

Being a new service, Rent the Runway requires you to sign up for the wait list before becoming a member. Luckily, the wait isn’t long. I got my membership invite in just a few days. There are no fees or charges unless you actually rent a dress!

 

I’m planning to try out the service in January, to rent something nice to wear for a friend’s wedding. Now, if only we can get some more eco-friendly designers like Linda Loudermilk and Deborah Lindquist on Rent the Runway….