Shopping for a new outfit to wear to that special event can often be a daunting experience for some women. Not only can it be time-consuming and pricey, but even after the perfect dress has been found, it doesn't always end up getting worn more than once or twice. Yet when that next big event rolls around, many women - despite having what may look like a full closet - seem to sometimes still find themselves in the same-old predicament of having nothing to wear. So now some Canadian businesses are offering ladies what men have been able to do for many years: rent instead of buy their fancy attire.
Erin McDonald - who understands the pain of spending hours in the mall looking for the perfect outfit, only to find it and then realize it doesn't fit her budget - has recently discovered the site "Rent frock Repeat."
"(It) allows women like myself who don't want to spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on a dress for one event, the ability to actually pay a fraction of the price and rent," she explains.
The Toronto-based company lets you rent expensive designer dresses for about 15 percent of the retail price, and then delivers them right to your door - along with a backup size to ensure it fits. You can choose to keep the outfit for either four or 8 days, and then, without having to worry about having it dry cleaned, just return it with the pre-paid shipping label included.
"The response has been phenomenal, we actually get thank you cards with the dresses when they come back," says Kristy Wieber, one of the company's founders.
She and co-founder Lisa Delorme came up with the idea after finding a US company that rented out dresses, but didn't deliver to Canada.
That's also how Jodi Whitworth got the idea to start her accessory-renting business, Bling Borrowers - except hers is based on the company "Bag, Borrow or Steal," made famous in the Sex in the City movie.
"We thought what a great concept, went online and they do not ship to Canada so we thought why not bring the concept to Canada," Whitworth says.
She explains that for basically the cost of going out for a coffee a day, her company gives you a designer bag to carry for a month.
"We start rentals as low as $18 for the week and $54 for the month," she adds. You can also rent for a season, which is 90 days.
And for those like McDonald, the ability to rent lets a girl feel like a star, without breaking the bank.
"It was perfect I was thrilled with the dress, I felt like a million bucks," McDonald says. "It really gives you that opportunity to feel like you're on the red carpet almost, trying on some of the latest fashions."
The only problem for McDonald?
"I don't know that I want to send this (dress) back," she says. "I'd really like to keep them."
Here are some other similar sites:
Cakewalk (Calgary-based company that specializes in designer dress rentals)
Got 2 Have It Handbags (Winnipeg-based company)
With files from Julie Matthews, Global News
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