rent the rainbow

there's a whole host of bright new hues at rent the runway. i've blogged about this site before but here's the gist for you newcomers: rent any dress for up to 90% savings off the retail price, receive it in two sizes for no extra cost (just in case the first isn't quite right), wear it out, receive compliments on your designer duds, and return the next day. it's a great philosophy especially for women who tend not to wear the same dresses repeatedly.

for instance, i loved my high school prom dress (a floral floor-length alice + olivia number) but haven't found a good time to wear it again. wouldn't i have done better to rent the same dress for a fraction of the price, return it, and then use my savings to order something stunning for my next occasion? here are my picks from rent the runway's current offering:

mark & james by badgley mischka scarlett o'hara dress, retail $350 / rental $50

rebecca taylor pin dot runway dress, retail $595 / rental $75

pencey neon marquee dress, retail $374 / rental $50

alice + olivia asymmetrical one shoulder dress with belt, retail $395 / rental $50

catherine malandrino cap sleeve ruched dress, retail $425 / retail $50

clearly i'm most drawn to the red-orange end of the ROYGBIV spectrum but rent the runway's members-only service allows you to search by size, color, occasion, and more — so you're bound to blow everyone away at your next event.

want in on these deals and more? click here to join rent the runway for free and check out "you're invited!" on the right side of my blog for links to more savvy shopping sites like gilt groupe, shopbop, and others!