As soon as I opened the invitation to a drinks party and saw the “festive cocktail” dress code, I knew what I wanted to wear: Saloni’s Camille dress.
Maybe you know; The long-sleeved velvet midi dress with crystal-embroidered bows on the bodice has become a new festival season classic since Saloni’s launch a few winters ago. It now comes in many versions, from black velvet with beaded and pearl-embellished bows to a floor-length burgundy version to a jumpsuit.
The only problem is that I don’t actually own this dress. Versions of this have lingered on my Net-a-porter and Matches wishlists for what seems like forever. But I was hesitant to commit – primarily because of the price: at £695, this is no ordinary purchase. Secondly, I wondered if there was a piece that was too specific to justify splashing out on. This isn’t the kind of thing you can justify by saying, “You’re going to wear it.” continuallyMost days, like mine, are spent at home writing and studying at school.
The easy but irresponsible decision would have been to buy it anyway and worry about my credit card bill later. Instead, I remembered hearing that this dress was one of the most sought-after party dresses on many fashion rental platforms. And I found it right away in my size at Hurr.
I have resorted to event hire in the past and found fantastic dresses to wear to weddings and Royal Ascot. While renting instead of buying saves wardrobe space and money, there is still a cost. The dress I found cost around £85 for four days (minimum rental period) and I would end up having to send it back.
I overcame it. And I rented the dress.
Tuesday morning came, I tried it on, took it for a spin in front of the mirror, and decided I couldn’t bear to wait until Thursday night. Why delay when I could wear it to a dinner party that evening? Possibly to a Christmas dinner on Wednesday followed by the rental-inspiring party on Thursday.
Doing this will maximize my enjoyment of a dress I only have for a limited time, while also reducing the cost per wear to less than the price of my Uber home at the end of the night (£28.30 to be exact). The nice thing was that none of the events in my diary seemed to feature overlapping guest lists, so (unless I was writing about the experience for a national newspaper) no one would notice the redressing (ahem).
On Tuesday night, I threw on red tights, black platform sandals and clip-on crystal earrings and headed to dinner at chef and cookery writer Clodagh McKenna’s house in Chelsea. Burgundy taper candles flickered on the beautifully set dining table as guests complimented each other’s looks. “Thanks, rental,” I replied, and soon everyone learned of my plan.
Emily wore her Saloni dress for the first time on Tuesday night
Of course, I would have to keep the dress clean for the plan to work. The risky nature of the venture became clear when McKenna revealed the main course: boeuf bourguignon. “Here, you’d better wear this,” she said, untying her dahlia-print apron and handing it to him.
On Wednesday, I wondered whether black velvet might be too strong for a festive lunch in Notting Hill. Damn, it’s Christmas today, I thought and zipped up the dress again; This time I swapped the red tights and platforms for lace tights and plain patent Mary Janes. Black velvet proved strong enough when I found myself sharing an elevator with gothic fashion icon Michele Lamy, who wore head-to-toe black. (I may have imagined it, but I think he gave me an approving look.)
The festive period is one of the most popular times of year for rentals, along with the summer wedding season. Demand is increasing on platforms. On fashion rental app By Rotation, demand for New Year’s rentals increased by 230 percent compared to 2022. My Wardrobe HQ’s rental orders are up 400 per cent on last year, “as rental has now become the default option for many shoppers”, says founder Sacha Newall. And Hurr has seen a 160 percent increase in average weekly bookings over the past four weeks.
“It’s extremely encouraging to see how well rental performance has been at peak times,” says Hurr founder and CEO Victoria Prew. “Renting is a great fashion discovery tool; You have access to an incredible amount of styles and brands for a fraction of the price; people can have fun with these; so party season is the best time to try renting if you haven’t done so before.”
Saloni says her dress is currently the most rented dress on the platform; a size 10 dress listed on the site will have been booked for 32 rentals by New Year’s Eve in 2023 alone, it says.
Dress on her recent trip to Winfield House, the residence of the US Ambassador
Mine held up nicely. By Thursday evening, spills successfully avoided, a quick steam was enough to prep the dress for the third outing, and the main event: drinks at Winfield House, the US Ambassador’s residence.
Beaded bows sparkled in the candlelight as servers strolled around with trays of champagne and Shake Shack burgers. Across the Green Room I saw another guest wearing a different version of the dress; hers had a silver bow. Before complimenting him, it was time for the hymns.
By Friday morning I was ready to return the dress to its owner. No one could say I wasn’t making the most of it. You’d think I’d get bored of this after wearing it to events three days in a row. In fact, as I folded the dress into a takeout bag, I kept thinking of other contexts that could be jazzed up with a little sparkle and silk velvet: next year’s Thanksgiving dinner. School song concert. The Nutcracker… Maybe it’s not very specific after all. Did I mention it’s green?
The 5 best party dresses to rent this season
Rotate Birger Christensen Puff sleeve dress, available to rent from £55, rites; Self-Portrait Sequin dress, rent from £10, By Rotation; Vampire’s Wife Silk dress, £153, to rent Matches Fashion Rental
Galvan One-shoulder dress, rental from £12, My Wardrobe My Headquarters; Queens of Archive Starling dress from £59.16 for 4 days hurry up