Everyone hates “that” girl: reminiscent of an ugly step-sister, she is that girl who plucks up a Parker, a Thakoon off the racks of Nieman Marcus as quickly as she throws them out. You envy her wardrobe, but your hopes of rivaling her designer collections are as slim as your empty wallet.
To all my collegiate Cinderellas, I bring you divine wisdom: Renttherunway.com/utampa. Deemed the Netflix of fashion, RTR is an online site allowing broke college students to wear the likes of Nina Ricci and Hervé Légre for 10 percent of the retail price. Hosting over 120 designers, RTR’s prices range from $40 to $400 for dresses valued up to $4,000 retail price.
The basic concept goes like this: once upon a time, you go online and become a member of RTR for free. From there, you giddily choose your dress, accessories, etc. Proceeding to checkout: choose whether to rent for 4 or 8 days (it is recommended that you rent 1-2 days prior to your event); choose two different dress sizes so that you’re guaranteed a meticulous fit. And bibbidi bobbidi boo, your dress (sans carriage and glass slippers) will arrive the same day if you live in NY, the next day if you -sadly- live anywhere else.
With the sartorial world at your fingertips, college students now have access to designer brands normally only seen behind the shiny glass cases at Bloomy’s. Thus, the popularity of RTR, since its launch in November 2009, has exploded across American computer screens and college campuses. RTR provides an irreplaceable opportunity to college students to become a part of the blooming enterprise as a rep.
Looking more like a model than a communications major, Christina Lynne, UT’s RTR College Rep., publicizes the company on a more microscopic level among the collegiate community. As brand ambassadors within the student body, RTR Reps like Lynne are given the opportunity to participate in student internships, garnering invaluable experience within the highly competitive arena of the fashion industry. Just as there are various fields within the company, there are various college representative positions among the realms of marketing, public relations, blogging, management, etc. Interested? Apply to become an RTR College Rep through oncampus.renttherunway.com.
“My experience with RTR has been absolutely positive. I rented a dress through them and the quality was perfect, the return process simple,” said Lynne. “Rent the Runway is great for college students because a lot of events occur during your time in college… Instead of buying a new dress for each event, which a lot of girls do, you can rent a fashionable dress for a reasonable price.”
Sorority function? Tibi. Homecoming? Badgley Mischka. Date night? Zac Posen.
Granted, attached to these big designer labels comes a price tag of intimidation: you worry, “how can I pull off a Calvin Klein, a Proenza Schouler, a D&G?” RTR has your back. The site provides members the opportunity to rent out a complete look, taking the dress of your choice and suggesting glamorous –and inexpensive- accessories to polish off your entire ensemble. Offering a myriad of jewelry, shoes, handbags and makeup, RTR is the sartorial equivalent to a luxurious 711: efficient, effective and hassle-free.
But what if I ruin this beautiful dress, you ask? We all have our sloppy moments, RTR understands. Thus, for a menial $5, purchase insurance on your dress. Exorcising any inklings of anxiety or precaution, any drunken spill or rip is covered.So you can look fantastic and have a fantastic night, every night, if you wish.
“Every day [or night], every woman should look their best,” remarks Becky Hyman, RTR Director of College Marketing. As an NYU alum, Hyman understands the importance of cultivating a sense of fashion early and often: a process far more difficult to establish pre-RTR. “RTR introduces you to luxury brands as young women, a unique experience,” unparalleled by any other fashion site.
A paradigm of sartorial wisdom, Hyman reclines in one of the plastic chairs of Res Com Community Room, ankle booties elegantly crossed, as UT students meander among the sample racks of RTR dresses. Prior to Halloween, RTR hosted a modest trunk show, displaying a dozen of the hundreds of dresses the company has to offer, all of which were spectacular. In the spring, RTR plans to host a fashion show, featuring 20 to 30 looks from the site’s expansive online wardrobe, modeled by our own lovely UT students. For further news regarding the spring fashion show and to find out how to become a model, visit RTR’s Facebook page.
Watching both Lynne and Hyman extol the virtues of Rent the Runway, it is hard not to grow giddy with the sparkling opportunity RTR humbly presents. While it is convenient and affordable, there is something magical in the idea of wearing RTR designer labels as a bright-eyed college student, a luxury only celebrities could previously afford.
Thanks to Rent the Runway, sartorial dreams really can come true.
Katelyn Edwards can be reached at katelyn.edwards@spartans.ut.edu.