I have always loved to play dress up.
Whether it was for a dance recital, family photo or just for fun, playing dress up has been a part of my soul for quite some time. Feather boas, blingy headbands and yards of beads were always within arm’s reach. Although my sartorial selections may have changed over the years, my desire to dress up hasn’t!
This week, I was able to play dress up on a whole different level. Rent the Runway has partnered with Diner en Blanc Chicago this year to provide a special discount to our attendees AND throw an exclusive bash just for our members. In case you haven’t heard, Diner en Blanc is a chic pop up picnic in the middle of the city where attendees dress all in white. Our event occurs August 12th this year, so make sure to sign up to purchase tickets!
Rent the Runway has an incredible selection of designer white dresses available for rent at a fraction of the price. Since I wear a new dress every year for the event, it makes SO much more sense to RENT!
I booked a styling appointment with Souk of Styled. By Souk. She works with Rent the Runway in addition to per personal styling business. Souk’s philosophy is “Fashion is what you buy. Style is who you are.” Prior to my appointment, she pulled looks that she thought would complement my taste and body shape. She nailed it.
The first dress I tried on was the Lotus Flutter Dress by Opening Ceremony. This gorgeous gown retails for $435, but is available to rent for only $45. I know, right??! It is incredibly comfortable and pairs perfectly with these Eddie Borgo Dahlia Orb Earrings ($35 rental, $275 retail). To top it off, she doubled up on this Kate Spade Silver Sailor’s Knot Bracelet ($10 rental, $88 retail).
The second look that Souk set up for me was totally different. Instead of long, elegant and a little ruffled, she went short and lacy with demure sleeves. We perused the incredible jewelry selection together for this one and came up with these stunning Gold Crystal Leaf Earrings from Marchesa ($195 retail, $30 rental).
For my final look, Souk had something totally out of the box ready for me! A two piece set, with each piece from a different designer. Let me tell you, this is stylist master-class-level-talent when you can pull this off. The top is a feather-trimmed Tibi Mindy Tank ($85 rental, $450 retail) paired with a Bailey 44 Kasbahs Skirt ($35 rental, $148 retail). And the earrings? Milk Stone Slate & Willow stunners that you can rent for $10 (retail $40).
Rent the Runway also carries a fabulous selection of Plus Size dresses (spoiler alert- I am planning a little dress up party highlighting ALL the plus size fashion with my friend Lisa of Shop Girl Daily at RTR this fall!). They run up to size 22, and include designers such as Monique Lhuillier and Badgley Mischka.
I can’t WAIT to see what all of our attendees rent!! A massive thank you to Rent the Runway and Souk for taking the time to let me play dress up with these incredible gowns. If you want to get in touch with Souk for a styling appointment either with Rent the Runway or a wardrobe consultation, e-mail her at souk (at) styledbysouk dot com. She knows what fabrics and colors flatter, which shapes fit particular body types, and how to whip your closet into shape!
Cheers to fabulous, fun fashion! Can’t wait to rent my next dress!
