Ever get tired of your wardrobe and wish you could just trade it out? Sure you do! If you’re anything like me, I tell myself every year to stop impulsively buying clothing. Over the past few years I’ve been trying really hard to make fewer purchases that equate to quantity in my closet, and instead, go for more quality pieces that I can wear for years to come. Sure, some of these clothing items might be more expensive, but these pieces I’m talking about are wardrobe staples that come in styles and colors that are timeless. Below I’m sharing a quick list of ten things I’ve made a point to invest in over the years.
Investment Pieces for Your Wardrobe
1. Weekend Jeans that fit like a Dream | 2. Cashmere or Wool Sweater | 3. Leather Boots | 4. Classic Camel Coat | 5. Sharp Blazer | 6. Perfect LBD | 7. Dressy Sneaker | 8. Quality Pair of Shades | 9. Work Trousers | 10. Winter Coat
So how do I stay on trend? Lately, I’ve been renting my more seasonal and “trendy” clothing!

Top | VINCE – Size XS
What is Rent the Runway?
Rent the Runway is an online service that provides designer clothing and accessory rentals for females. This company started out by renting dresses for special occasions, but quickly saw a gap in the marketplace to offer more of a complete wardrobe rental service, which is why the Unlimited and Update services were added a few years back.
The Rent the Runway monthly subscription model can be a great option for many women. As I mentioned earlier, I love shopping and wearing new items, but tire of them easily. I haven’t done the math on it all yet, but I imagine this could help some serious shopping addicts save money.
How to Save Money Using Rent the Runway
Think about it. Say you go to Anthropologie and spend $130 on a great new top that’s pretty trendy, and perfect for RIGHT NOW. That’s super exciting, but, cut-to 2 months later after you’ve worn it 2-3 times and been photographed in numerous times. The shine and excitement start to wear off, doesn’t it?
That’s why the modern woman is loving Rent the Runway subscription services. You can rent designer pieces for a small fee each month to wear for as little or as long as you’d like. As long as you keep your monthly subscription up, you can keep any piece of clothing, or exchange them for new ones!
Items That are Fun to Rent
1. Faux Fur
2. Statement Earrings
3. Formal and Cocktail Dresses
4. Trendy Tops
5. Clothing for Themed Events (Bachelorette/Wedding Parties/NYE)
RTR Unlimited vs RTR Update
RTR Unlimited – $159 / month (Get $100 off your first month) – Click Here
You can have 4 items at all times, but exchange them for new pieces whenever you want. On this subscription plan, you get “Unlimited” amount of exchanges. All you have to do is use the garment bag they provide to ship it back for free. They use 2-day air shipping, so once your item arrives back to their warehouse, your account will prompt you to order your next item. In 2 more days, you have another item.
I found this subscription model difficult to find a groove. It seemed like there was too long of a lag time in between pieces to where I didn’t think I was getting my money worth when compared to wear-time of the clothing. I have friends that use this plan and love it. They are probably more organized than I am!
RTR Update – $89 / month (first month is $69) – Use link this for discount
The Update service is more my speed. You also get to choose 4 pieces per month, but you can’t exchange them. Each month on the Update plan, I get 4 pieces of clothing or accessories and wear them throughout the month. This way, I get to enjoy the pieces and not have to rush to decide what I’m going to order next.
Note: You can spend A LOT of time on the renttherunway.com website trying to figure out what to order next with the Unlimited plan. It takes a significant amount of time to scroll through their inventory, read reviews and organize all of your outfits.
NEW!
Rent the Runway has just added another subscription plan for us to choose from. There is now an option to choose 8 pieces a month and you are allowed 2 swaps. This sounds like a great plan for me! It’s $135 / month. You can get your first month for $99 by using my link. I am going to change my service to the “2 Swaps” plan on Rent the Runway and will update you with how I like it!
Here’s what other SoSo (Southern Source) readers are saying:
Becca (Event Coordinator), 27
“I love the UPDATE plan. It allows me to not only refresh my closet every month with pieces I can wear daily, but also saves me money on having to buy dresses and other expensive items for wedding and events where I would likely only wear them once! I’ve gotten so many compliments on almost everything I’ve worn from them.”
Here’s what other Bloggers are saying:
Hannah (Looks & Merit Blog), 30
“For less than what you’d pay for one pair of designer maternity jeans, you can rent four pieces at a time (including designer maternity denim!!) that are totally in style, and make you feel beautiful and fashion-forward.”

Noteworthy | My Latest Rentals
Pants | Tibi – Size 2
Dress | Derek Lam – Size 2
Top | Equipment – size 0/2
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