What I got at the DC Rent the Runway sample sale
I'm 50, a size 14/16 petite, and I didn't leave empty-handed
As a content creator/influencer/blogger/whatever you want to call it, I am often invited to events, store openings, restaurants, and such. I live in the Maryland suburbs of D.C. and after 20 years in this business, I have learned to say no to 90% of them. There is just not enough return on the investment of time, stressing about an outfit, commuting into the city, having to prove your value to strangers who serve no purpose for your success or failure as a business, and then, once home both wired and tired, spending an hour or more creating content of the event, often deleting and recreating because a hashtag or mention was forgotten or misspelled.
But I was already going to be in the city, it is something I thought would be fun with friends, and I was getting paid and a shopping credit. I have been a Rent the Runway subscriber, free as an influencer, and paying as a regular customer. I found it great when I was a size 12, but when I have been a 14 or 16 I have not had a ton of luck beyond bags, coats, and the occasional sweater. But hey, I can share my credit with my friends and my teen and we can all get a pair of sunglasses or maybe a cute purse.
The D.C. sample sale is in an old Ann Taylor next to the DC Improv and on a Sunday afternoon, I found free parking right in front. It is one big room full of tall rolling racks organized by type (dresses, blazers, tops, jumpsuits, etc.) and then by size, and then by color (AKA 500 black dresses all together). However, do not assume your size is only in one spot. When folks change their mind, they put things anywhere. Staff was good at keeping it tidy, but that does’t mean you won’t find a gem in an unexpected place. Bags and other accessories are on tables right in front of the registers.
The Rent the Runway sample sale does not have fitting rooms; most sample sales do not so it’s smart to dress so you can easily strip down in public or wear what can be worn under clothes you are trying on. At 5’3” and a 14/16, I knew I wouldn’t be trying pants or skirts so I just put a cami on under my sweater and chose a crossbody purse so I had my hands free to scour racks and hold hangers.
If you are a single digit size, you can really do well at the Rent the Runway sample sale. I think the size I saw the most was 6. That being said, I found a decent amount in sizes 12-16 including a smattering of pieces from City Chic, Draper James for Eloquii, Jason Wu for Eloquii, and Kate Spade for Eloquii that were in true plus sizes. And while a lot of the larger sizes were in more meh labels, I did find pieces in my size from Tanya Taylor, Hemant & Nandita, Ronny Kobo, Rachel Comey, Kate Spade, AFRM, Rachel Roy, and Jason Wu for RTR.
Purses were well picked over, with weird colors and slightly damaged options remaining. I got a silver clutch from Mansur Gavriel that was originally $545 and averaging $250 on resale sites; it was $80 at the sample sale. My friend got the same purse, same color. In 2023, I bought a purse from Maje on sale for around $200; it’s still sold for $260. I saw a couple of them at the sample sale also for $80, though they were missing one or both of the chain straps.
A Rent the Runway sample sale employee informed me they get replenished continuously through the last day of the sale. RTR sees what is selling and tries to send more of that (if blazers are popular, they’ll send more blazers, if cocktail dresses are instead a hit, they’ll send that).
Please double-check sizing. Each item at the sample sale has a white tag that has the brand name, maybe the product name, the size, the original price, and then the pre-sample sale retail price. I didn’t try on everything at the sale, it was too hot and crowded for comfort. I picked up a Rachel Comey denim boilersuit that said it was a 48, which equals to a 14, and when I pulled the elastic waist around my front it looked like it could work. Yeah, no. The waist would work as would the shoulder width but I couldn’t get it up over my thighs. Deep in the jumpsuit I found another label and the garment was a size 6. All sales are final; this will be sold or donated.
Marc Jacobs is cool with my teen and her friends, I got her a pair of Marc Jacobs sunglasses for $50, the purse for $80, the non-fitting jumpsuit for $60, and I found a gorgeous Hemant & Nandita dress in 14 that if it didn’t fit I’d maybe have remade into a skirt; it was $70. I gave the rest of my store credit to my friend who is a size 4/6 and used it towards her haul of two Sachin & Babi going out/Christmas in The Caribbean tops, a cute Rachel Roy wrap dress, a pair of dangly Gas Bijoux earrings, and the same silver Mansur Gavriel clutch/crossbody bag.
My sister looked around, but her size was not often found especially at fancier labels and that store was hot AF so she left and rejoined us after we shopped. I think if I didn’t have the store credit I would have left empty-handed. But then, I don’t have a typical job nor a typical wardrobe. I almost bought a tweed Jason Wu x RTR jacket, but I knew it didn’t fit my current life. There also were a lot of coats (pastel plaid Tanya Taylor with gray fur collar, several puffers in prints and bold colors, some colorful but IMO overworn/laundered faux furs) in my size. I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit, but it was a fun event with friends after going to brunch or lunch and if I worked in the area I’d totally visit on my lunch break.
The D.C. Rent the Runway sample sale is through February 8th at 1140 Connecticut Ave NW; it's open 11-7 Monday - Saturday and Sundays 12-6.