@bougainvilleas, I was wondering if you ever got around to trying this out. Or if anyone else has opinions about RTR/other fashion subscription services. I've been thinking of purging my closet in time for a September move-in to a new apartment and dressing myself with a leaner wardrobe supplemented by rented variety.
(Looks like RTR Unlimited is now $159/60 days, at $80 off for a trial run.)
Wow, I took an accidental hiatus from SG and completely forgot that I'd started this thread in 2017! I did try this subscription out actually -- I had RTR Unlimited for about 11 months and canceled it because it was quite expensive and not worth the hassle, in my opinion. But I feel it could definitely be worth the price for a different person.
I'll list out what I liked and didn't:
Pros
+ Revolving wardrobe of varied pieces at a fixed monthly rate ($156/mo for four item "slots" and you can swap them out with new items whenever you want)
+ Some really nice brands on there -- Marni, Oscar de la Renta, Theory, ALC -- especially for someone seeking a ready-made work wardrobe
+ Lots of "you have so many beautiful clothes!" compliments from people around you
+ If you happen to attend a lot of formal events, the cocktail dress and ball gown collections are quite extensive
+ Accessories, jewelry and bags collections are also fairly extensive
+ Searching and ordering new items is fairly easy because the UX is well-designed
+ Each item has a bunch of fit photos, allowing you to see how things work on people of different heights and sizes
Cons
+ To return items, you have to either mail everything back (which causes days of waiting before you're able to get new items) or trek to a physical RTR location (which can be a hectic experience with a bunch of basic Soulcycle girls swarming around the store, at least in NYC)
+ Clothes are often unavailable in size 0 or have a long waitlist
+ While the brand selection is decent, the item section is not great and can feel like you're shopping a designer discount rack
+ They pad the catalog with select high-end brands and a bunch of low-end brands including their
"house" brand, which feels cheap
+ Guilt-inducing
eco-unfriendly practices and excessive dry cleaning
+ Ultimately, the idea of a maximalist ever-rotating set of clothes was great in theory but didn't align with my personal philosophy of only owning things that I truly cherish; I learned from the experience that I'm much more into building a wardrobe that is distinctly of my style and my choosing. I also discovered secondhand shops like TheRealReal and realized that I can still have a dynamic wardrobe by selling clothes when I don't want them anymore, thus getting a lot of money back for new clothes. TL;DR: RTR Unlimited is a gold mine for anyone wanting to try out new styles, fashions, and designers without too much risk; in the long-term, though, I found it to be unsustainable and kind of exhausting.