Why this might be the year to rent- rather than buy- your party dress
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Loading... - Alice Winston
- 24 Nov 2020
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One of the dilemmas thrown up by party season is whether or not you should splurge on a glitzy festive frock, that will likely spend 364 days a year hanging in your wardrobe. While sequins are undeniably alluring, can you really justify shelling out on a dress with such a poor cost-per-wear value? (For us, the answer is unequivocally YES. But that doesn't mean we aren't open to a more economical option too).
Enter Style Trial, the first ever standalone rental retail pop-up that launches at Westfield, White City today, all the proceeds of which will go to Save The Children.
Curated by fashion editor Melanie Rickey, Style Trial offers the opportunity to rent party pieces for a week, with high street brands like Whistles and L.K.Bennett and designer labels such as Stella McCartney, Shrimps and Christopher Kane just a handful of the names responsible for providing the 100-plus pieces.
''How many times have you looked at an amazing evening dress in a store and wanted to buy it, but not been able to justify the cost?'' asks Rickey. ''Men can rent tuxedos, so it follows that women should be given the chance to rent amazing high fashion pieces.'' she continues. ''It’s a win, win. Especially during the party season with its numerous glittering occasions.''
Style Trial eradicates impulse-buy-induced-guilt, on account of the fact that you aren't buying anything, but rather, just renting it for an occasion, knowing that you will be returning it afterwards. It's no less indulgent than say, buying a bottle of prosecco- or two.
Key pieces include a red Preen by Thornton Bregazzi dress, as seen on the Duchess of Cambridge, a floral Richard Quinn creation, as worn by model Adwoa Aboa, a maxi dress by It label Vampire's Wife, a Mary Katrantzou mini and a Marques'Almeida lace-trimmed slip dress. And the high street offerings are equally as covetable, with a pleated velvet Whistles dress and an asymmetric maxi from French Connection two pieces to keep an eye out for.
The Style Trial shop is open until the 10th of December, and prices start at £20 for renting a piece valued at £100 or less, and go up to to £140 for a piece worth between £2500 and £3000.
But if West London's mammoth shopping centre is a bit of a slog for you, fear not because there are other options. One of which is Girl Meets Dress; a rent-a-dress website that, similarly to Style Trial, offers the opportunity to borrow gowns by their favourite designers for a fraction of the retail price.
And this isn't a case of scraping the sartorial barrel either. Current steals include a satin red and magenta wrap dress by Attico - the uber luxe label by Italian fashion influencers Giorgia Tordini and Gilda Ambrosio - which retails at £875 but rents for an affordable £89 for two nights, and a pale-pink diaphanous Chloé dress, which if you were to buy it would set you back £345, but to borrow costs £79.
''But I'm spending money and not actually coming away with anything,'' we hear you cry. And yes, although the amount you're parting with might be easier to stomach, after the party you won't have anything to show for your expenditure.
But perhaps, particularly if it's an especially dazzling gown, you don't want anything to show for it - other than pictures for Instagram, naturally - and you have no intention of wearing it again. So instead of having it take up valuable wardrobe space, you can send it on its way and divert your attention to the next fabulous party dress.
