I can’t tell you how excited I was to sign up for this genius plan.  There is just something so glamorous and fun about popping onto your phone to select designer clothing for your next day at the office, like a modern-day Cher Horowitz scanning the clothes in her closet with a super sophisticated computer program.  (Can I get a “what what” from all the other Clueless fans out there?)

Now that my kiddos are skillfully peeing in the toilet, have strong command of their gross motor skills and can carry on legit conversations, I am back in an office twice a week working, or as I like to say, “lawyering.” I must admit that it was exciting at first to care about non-gym clothing and heels again. I was reminded quickly, however, how draining the morning whirlwind can be, especially when you’ve convinced yourself you have “nothing” to wear.  

If you’ve been part of this tribe for a while, you know that a phoenix doesn’t give her power away.  She harnesses it. And if she needs to, she takes it back from where she’s unwittingly let it get sucked away.  So when I realized that I had lost my power when it came to getting ready in the morning, I started brainstorming.  It wasn’t long before I landed on a potential solution.

Outsourcing.  Outsourcing is your friend, girlie.  

I’ve learned over the years that, although there are literally hundreds of tasks that need to be completed in your life each day, they don’t all have to be completed by you. That’s where outsourcing comes in.  Think about it. You don’t hesitate to outsource the care and education of your kids or the tidiness of your finger and toenails.  I outsource dish washing and laundry. Nowadays you can even outsource your grocery and household shopping. There must be a way to outsource getting dressed, I mused.  

Well lo and behold!  Such a solution exists, and it’s called Rent the Runway Unlimited (RTR Unlimited).  I had heard of RTR before, but had only ever used it for one-off rentals when I needed yet another “black tie optional” dress but didn’t want to buy one more such dress and watch it collect dust in my closet.  RTR Unlimited is different. I discovered this secret weapon when my friend Molly started showing up to our office looking all fabulous and expertly clad one day. “I love your dress,” I had commented. She grinned, undoubtedly knowing she was about to fill me in on the next best thing since the invention of the flat iron.  “It’s a rental,” she said gleefully. My antennae immediately went up.

“Tell me more,” I demanded as I settled into the chair across from her desk, silently wishing I had something to take notes with.

As any good girlfriend would, Molly immediately launched into the minute details of RTR Unlimited, including, of course, every tip and trick she had uncovered thus far.  I was excited to learn that you can rent almost anything, from shorts and jeans to ballgowns and handbags. “Even rompers,” she said. I nodded appreciatively. Impressive.  

Obviously, lack of notes notwithstanding, the tidbits I’d gleaned from Molly that day were enough to convince me to sign up.  I’ll admit that I didn’t jump onboard immediately because of the cost. I wasn’t sure it would be worth it. But I gave it a solid run and, because a phoenix believes we all get better together, I am sharing my RTR Unlimited wisdom with you.  And I read the fine print for you too because, well, I’m a nerd like that.

How It Works.  So here’s the deal.  The program is $159 per month, which works out to a monthly grand total of $170.13 with tax in my South Florida county.  Your first month, however, is only $99 plus tax if you have a promo code (usually NEWCLOSET or FIRSTRTR.  Every now and then they’ll run a promotion that gives you $80 off your first two months with promo code OUTSMART).  For that price tag, you get unlimited access to RTR’s collection of designer clothing, accessories and handbags. You can rent the items for as much or as little time as you want, all the while looking SATC fierce.  And when you’re ready for something new, you ship your current rentals back to RTR with a prepaid UPS label.

Sounds like a no-brainer, right?  Well, yes, but first things first:  you have to figure out how much you’re spending per month on clothing and dry cleaning.  If it’s less than $170.13, RTR Unlimited isn’t going to make sense for you from a dollars and, uh, cents perspective.  I was convinced that I was randomly spending this much per month on clothing, but as it turns out, I wasn’t. Seriously, I was shocked.  So before you dive in, get a leg up and do this analysis first.  

After you’ve determined that the program makes fiscal sense for you and sign up, you’ll set up your profile.  That info includes your height, weight, bust size, body type and typical dress size.  Once those formalities are over, the fun immediately begins. And is it ever glorious!  It feels like a shopping spree on someone else’s dime because you aren’t paying the designer price tag. I recommend going through every category of clothing and accessories and marking your favorites, or as Molly instructed me, “doing your hearts.” Note: you may become addicted to this process.

Although doing your hearts is time consuming, it is so worth it.  As you mark each favorite, you will select a personalized gallery to save it to.  At first, I had galleries labeled “Work,” and “Weekends” but I quickly realized that I wasn’t able to find things as easily as I wanted to.  I recommend instead that you label your galleries by article of clothing, such as “Skirts,” “Dresses,” “Tops,” etc. Organizing your hearts that way will make putting outfits together a breeze.

From there, the hardest part is deciding what to order first!  The RTR model photos are helpful for this, of course, but the reviews are where the real dirt is.  They’re written by fellow RTRers (I just made that term up, like it?), and they are invaluable. Most reviews are accompanied by photos of the reviewer in the garment, so you get to see what it looks like on a real woman.  You can even sort by women who are “Like Me,” which means they’ll be approximately your height, weight and dress size. I never rent without scouring the reviews first. You shouldn’t either.

Molly shared a hack she discovered for ensuring that she has an RTR return pouch on hand at all times.  It will cost you a few bucks but she swears it’s worth it. “Pay to send one item back out of your own pocket,” she advises.  You’ll have to email the company to let them know that the item is coming via a different tracking number, but you’ll be able to keep the RTR pouch in which you received your initial rentals.  Once the company receives the item you shipped back on your own dime, another slot will open up in your bag. You can then rent a new item, which will arrive in its own RTR pouch. You now have two pouches at your disposal and can constantly have items coming and going in perpetuity.  

With RTR Unlimited, you can rent four items at a time and can rent and return as many times as you want in a month, but because you have to factor the turnaround shipping-to-and-from time into the equation, realistically the most often you will be able to rent is four times a month (give or take), depending on how long the month is and how quickly you wear your items.

I recommend filling up your bag with all four items every time you rent. Maximize your access. Plus, having all four items allows you to be fully prepared for your week, and preparedness is the foundation of power when you’re a woman, yes?   

If you tire of one thing before the others you can always send that item back first, which will re-open one slot in your bag to fill again. Conversely, if you fall in love with something, you can keep it.  That’s right. You can buy it from RTR at a discounted price. I love that this option exists, but encountered this pesky, inner voice reminding me that the whole reason I signed up for RTR Unlimited was to stop buying clothes.  Accordingly, I never took advantage of the purchase option, despite encountering a gorgeous Furla tote that had a hold on me, but you may not find your inner voice to be as pesky as mine was.

The Pros and Cons.  Like most geeky, analytical lawyer-types do, I also created a Pros and Cons list for your quick perusal:

Pros	Cons
You can affordably access designer clothing that might otherwise be totally cost-prohibitive to own.	You need access to a conveniently-located UPS drop box.  Score if you work in an office because you can just leave it in the mailroom.  If, however, you’d have to drive out of your way to find a drop box, the convenience factor shrinks considerably.  You could schedule a UPS pickup at your home, but candidly, I can’t vouch for how user-friendly this process is because I’ve never tried it.
You will find yourself stepping out of your comfort zone and daring to wear patterns and colors you would ordinarily never wear.  What’s the harm? If it’s hideous you send it back to RTR, write a heartfelt review so as to save a fellow RTRer from ever renting it, and never have to see it in your closet again.	RTR has to actually receive your return before the slots in your bag will re-open.  Kind of like Netflix from back in the day. I get it, but do wish that access could be based on when the tracking number shows that the items are in transit so you can process the next rental sooner. That turnaround time can be a real drag.
You don’t even have to clean the stuff.  You simply shove it back in the RTR-provided garment bag, slap the UPS label on it, drop it in a UPS box and voila!  Off it goes to whence it came.	You’re committed to shelling out around $170.13 per month whether you wear four, eight, twelve or no outfits
You can cancel at any time and it’s relatively painless. They even have that cool feature that allows you to keep your place “in line” when you’re waiting on hold and hang up.  When it’s your turn, they call you. A+ for efficiency there.	There are no backup sizes with RTR Unlimited the way there are with one-off RTR rentals.

There are a few other details you may be interested in, but for the most part, that’s all there is to it! Pretty straightforward, right?

Why I Pulled the Plug.  After having described all of the amazingness RTR Unlimited has to offer, you may be wondering why I canceled my Unlimited plan.  It boiled down to two things for me: the cost and the benefit. (Dang, don’t I just sound super banker-ish!) No, but seriously. For the cost, I wasn’t reaping enough benefit.  At the office where I lawyer twice a week, it’s only on Mondays that I need to look “lawyerly,” and I use that term loosely. On Tuesdays I can wear jeans and Converse or capris and flip flops, and often do.  

My RTR Unlimited experience brought me full circle on the issue. It inspired me to see my closet through new eyes.  As it turns out, I have a ton of cute clothing of my own. But I probably wouldn’t have come to that realization without the boost RTR Unlimited gave me. It empowered me. I got to thinking, I can do this!  I can quickly and effectively figure out what to wear! Funny, huh?

Since canceling RTR Unlimited I’ve been relying on my rotating uniform, but I’m still open to the idea of outsourcing my wardrobe needs every now and then. I continue to use RTR for one-off rentals when I have a special occasion or an intentional glam night out.  I’ve also had an eyeball on RTR Update. It’s the same concept as Unlimited, but allows for a maximum of 4 items and one swap per month.  You have access to less brands and no premium designers, but the price drops significantly to $89 per month (or $69 in your trial month). Programs in this price range also exist from other companies, like Le Tote.  I am considering trying one of these plans and will update you if I do.

Even though RTR Unlimited cycled through my life quickly, I’m so glad I tried it.  The experience gave me insight as to how a tool like this can be life-changing for busy, sharp women.  It also helped me out of a power slump and back into the driver’s seat. And you know what? It was just nice to do something indulgent for myself.   Like having my own back, coming to my own rescue. Sometimes a girl just needs a new tool in her Hermès belt, am I right?

So cheers to yet another way to take back your power! If you try RTR Unlimited, let me know what you think.   I can’t wait to see how beautiful outsourcing looks on you. Oh, and don’t forget to raise the roof for Molly.  She taught me everything (you and) I now know about renting the runway.  

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