You guys (gals…?)! My pieces have arrived from LeTote and Rent the Runway, and I could not be more excited about this batch! With my office Holiday party coming up I was really hoping for at least one good piece to wear. Lo and behold, I have options! EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!
My options from LeTote include the most adorable sweater dress ever, a peplum top (I have yet to try out a peplum top), a pullover top that is EXACTLY my style, a funky pair of earrings, and a bracelet that I’m dying for. Do I have a bracelet addiction?
JOA Third Dimension Dress
BCBGeneration Paula Peplum BlouseKensie Brannan Pullover
Adia K Nadia Arrowhead BraceletAdia K Sasha Dangle Earrings
Bag look familiar? It’s basically the same as the Gigi New York Blue Hayden Satchel I had last week. I laughed when I got it (“didn’t I JUST send this back???”). I will say, though, that I like the python better, and this deep shade of blue is much more me.
You’ll notice I only have 2 items from Rent the Runway. I kept this necklace a little longer than one cycle, because I just loved it so much.
I’ll show you the look I came up with tomorrow. And I’m so excited to show y’all the updates I’m doing to the apartment we rent in DC (all cleared with the landlord!). Check back tomorrow!
Big Sug surprised me (well, the surprise was a month ago) with tickets to Little Dancer at The Kennedy Center. Sometimes, we act so refined.
For our afternoon at the theater (pronounced thee-ah-tah) I chose my favorite black slacks from Ann Taylor, my black Betsey Johnson coat belted with an Ann Taylor reversible belt, and Ann Taylor flats.
Going to work the day before a holiday is basically the best day at work ever. It’s more relaxed, half your coworkers are gone, and you’re probably going to be let out early. Best. Day. Ever. No offense to my coworkers.
For my relaxed day at work, I decided to spice up an all black outfit with this ultra fabulous, ultra blue satchel.
Gigi New York Blue Hayden Satchel ($595 retail)
Fabulousness ensued.
Greeted by my muse.
Pants are Ann Taylor (obviously), shoes are Ann Taylor (again, obviously), top and cardigan are random pieces from Nordstrom Rack.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving Big Sug, Whit, and I host a Game Night, so obviously I needed a costume change (also, changing your clothes after work helps you get into fun mode).
Next up is the Willow & Clay Billy Cardigan for my night in.
Willow & Clay Billy Cardigan ($88 retail)
I stayed in my black top and switched out the ponte pants for my favorite pair of leggings. And guess what: they aren’t Ann Taylor. These faux leather leggings are Michael Kors and I picked them up on Poshmark (what WON’T I do for a deal?).
Most ladies I know have used Rent the Runway for special occasions. Recently, they started an unlimited rental service that works similarly to Netflix (back when people actually got DVDs from Netflix). How it works: For $50/month (it was $75 so you can imagine how excited I was to get that email) you are allowed three items at a time. If you send one item back, they send you one new item (if you return two, you receive two, blah blah blah). Pros: You receive accessories that are too trendy to spend big bucks on. Higher-end costume jewelry–no green rings around your fingers/wrists/neck. Fabulous outerwear. You can buy the pieces for 30% off retail. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention their customer service–it is always incredible. Cons: You don’t get to pick the order of your queue–they send you three random pieces from a queue of 15 or more pieces you choose. Some of the outerwear only comes in limited sizes. So far, I have had two pieces that I kept for longer than a cycle. The first was this necklace:
I really think the rental aspect is fun. I’m the girl who buys a necklace and then gets so excited about it she wears it every other day for two weeks and then never wears it again. This way I can over-wear something that is a higher quality and get a new one a week later. Now, without further ado, an outfit featuring this week’s necklace from Rent the Runway.
Kenneth Jay Lane Lennox Hill Bracelet from Rent the Runway.A little closer up with no filters.
We’ve been dealt this hand, so let’s make the best of it. Let’s be the next Greatest Generation. One of my favorite things about Millennials is our desire for innovation. We will figure out a way. It’s beautiful.
Renting satisfies my craving for something new without breaking the bank. I enjoy my rental lifestyle. Instead of trying to “fix” my desire for constant change, I’ve decided to embrace it. I enjoy changing my look often, but that’s a hard thing to budget for. Instead, I’ve decided to join two services that allow me to wear something and send it back for a monthly fee. Gone are the days of leaving tags on clothes–this is a legitimate business model, and you’ll never have to feel sketchy as you return an item after a date.
Each week I will put up pictures of the pieces I receive from Rent the Runway and Le Tote. Then I’ll share the outfits I put together. I’ll also share updates of my “renovations” to my apartment. We rent in DC where buying is just out of the question for us, so we decided instead of saving for a down payment we would beef up our 401ks, have a comfortable savings, and travel while enjoying rent control in a neighborhood we love.
So let’s dive into the fun world of being a Rentanista with this week’s batch of items.
I receive 3 items from Rent the Runway and 5 items from Le Tote about once a week. The sooner you send back items, the sooner you receive a new batch, so it varies from week to week.
Here are this week’s items from Rent the Runway:
Gigi New York Blue Hayden Satchel ($595 retail)Gorjana Accessories Lula Sunglasses Studs ($70 Retail)Kenneth Jay Lane Lennox Hill Necklace ($375 retail)
Rentanista 2.0 