Clothing subscription boxes and rental services have become all the rage over the last few years and continue to grow in popularity. One extremely popular clothing rental service, and my personal favorite, is Rent The Runway. I have used Rent The Runway over twenty times over the last few years and wanted to share my petite-friendly finds and overall experience as not everyone is so on-board with these types of services.
I’ll start by sharing that my excellent-gift-giving boyfriend got me a 6-month subscription to Rent The Runway for my birthday a few years ago. To this day, it is one of the best gifts I’ve ever received, and I hope to match his excellent gift-giving abilities someday. Plus, it was the gift that kept on giving– for six whole months! This allowed me to rent tons of amazing, high-end styles and get a lot of experience with Rent The Runway.
Finding Petite-Friendly Styles
For reference, I am a 5’2″ petite woman. If you’re petite, I’m sure you understand the struggle of finding clothes that fit. This may be why some people are hesitant to try clothing rental services, because who wants pay to rent clothes, only for them not to fit?
Thankfully, clothing rental and subscription services have become more inclusive of various body sizes and types. Rent The Runway does this well by allowing members to filter by the following body types: Petite, Apple, Athletic, Bump-Friendly, Full Bust, Hourglass, Pear, and Straight & Narrow. This filter allows petites, for instance, to browse styles that are specifically well-suited for petite frames, but that aren’t necessarily labeled as a petite size.
I love this feature, and it’s a huge timesaver! Being able to view clothes that are likely to fit a petite frame makes shopping so much easier. Instead of sifting through thousands of styles, that would likely never work for my petite frame, I can specifically filter for petite-friendly styles and browse only styles that are likely to fit and flatter my figure.
How Your Rentals Arrive
Your rentals will arrive in a zipped Rent The Runway bag, dry-cleaned, and ready to wear. Everything is shipped via 2-day shipping, so there’s a very short waiting period before you can wear your rentals. The RTR zip-up bag makes it extremely easy to package up your rentals once it’s time to return them. Plus, a return label will be included in your bag, so you don’t have to request a return, download a label, and print it, like you have to with most returns. Ship your items back as-is, and RTR will handle cleaning them.
Styles I’ve Rented
Now that I’ve shared a basic overview of Rent The Runway, let’s dive into some of the styles I’ve rented.
Seventy Black Work Trousers
Original Retail: $235
Size Worn: IT 38 / US 0 Regular
Shoes: Sam Edelman Hazel Pumps
Nothing fancy about these Seventy trousers, but they’re a great wardrobe staple, especially for those that work in a professional office environment. I was expecting these to be way too long on me, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were the perfect length. These were available in petite sizes, but they are petite-friendly.
Black Halo Akasha Gown
Original Retail: $525
Size Worn: 0P
Shoes: Mix No. 6 Alicia Sandal
The Black Halo Akasha Gown is available in petite sizes, and I rented a size 0P. However, the sleeves and overall length were slightly too long. This dress is supposed to be snug, but I wasn’t a big fan of how it accented every curve (and kind of my belly button too). Wearing shapewear or spanx underneath would probably create a smoother line.
Veronica Beard Gemini Printed Pants
Original Retail: $395
Size Worn: 0 Regular
Shoes: Aldo Aurella Ankle Boots (similar)
These pants are my all-time favorite rental, and I’ve rented them on two separate occasions. If they weren’t so pricey, I’d purchase them. Though they’re not available in petite sizes, they’re very petite-friendly. These pants are very flattering and stylish. Who knew work pants could be such things?!
Veronica Beard Printed Schoolboy Jacket
Original Retail: $595
Size Worn: 0 Regular
To complete the look, I also rented the Veronica Beard Printed Schoolboy Jacket. Though I’m not wearing both styles together in my photo, this jacket pairs with the Gemini Printed Pants I mentioned above. This jacket is not available in petite sizes, but it is very petite-friendly. It is 24″ in length from shoulder to hemline, so the length is great for those who have a short torso. Sleeves often swallow my short arms, but not with this jacket, thanks to the three-quarter length sleeves.
Likely Rhubarb Leandra Gown
Original Retail: $398
Size Worn: 2P
Shoes: Mix No. 6 Alicia Sandal
I rented this Likely Rhubarb Leandra gown to wear to a gala. I am usually a size 0P, but I’ve tried Likely styles before and think they tend to run slightly small, so I opted for a size 2P for this rental. Plus, it’s a form-fitting gown, and I didn’t want it to be overly snug. I love the style and color of this dress, but it was slightly too long on me, and I thought the neckline was a little too deep. The padded shoulders of this dress help give the illusion of an hourglass shape.
Watters Navy Antonia Gown
Original Retail: $270
Size Worn: 0P
Shoes: Mix No. 6 Alicia Sandal
I rented this Watters Navy Antonia Gown for a gala. As a petite, it can be tough to find full-length dresses that don’t drag along the ground, but this dress was the perfect length. It has just the right amount of flow but is also tailored in all the right places to accentuate your frame. Though it’s not form-fitting, it doesn’t swallow the frame at all.
The only problem I had with this dress was with the neckline. The neckline is very deep. I had a hard time filling out the top and had to pin it to make it a little more snug. This dress probably wouldn’t work well if you’re small-chested.
Renting clothes is a great way to look and feel like a million bucks without the hefty price tag that comes with purchasing high-end, designer clothes. More and more clothing rental services are becoming petite-friendly, so it’s also great for petites wanting to discover more petite-friendly brands and styles before committing to buying them. Whether you need a fancy, special-occassion dress, a professional suit for an upcoming job interview, or just want to experiment with some different styles, renting clothes is a convenient and productive way to help you with your wardrobe needs.