Guys have always had the option to buy or rent a tuxedo for a special event, but women haven’t always had the same luxury. Many fashionistas might be familiar with the company Rent the Runway, which allows women the option to rent a dress online; however, without the option to try on an outfit first, there can often be issues.
Now, there is a brick-and-mortar store that allows you to shop to purchase or rent that perfect dress for a special occasion. The Showroom Nashville opened a year and a half ago, offering women a boutique full of dresses, rompers, and accessories for rent.
Owned by  Kristen Geyser, Danielle Von Belkom, and Ariel Verges, The Showroom adds an extra personal touch. Danielle and Ariel are designers who formerly held Ani & Ari in Edgehill Village where they created custom corsets. As designers, they offer on the spot small alterations to rental dresses. If your dress is too long, they will do a short hem, or if you need a little taken in; they can offer that as well.
“Most people just want to wear an evening dress or cocktail dress one time,” says Kristen Geyser. “Women -if they buy a dress, it just sits in their closet, and they will feel guilty every time they see it. Here, you can select a dress and rent it for far less than what you would pay in the store.”
In addition to the on-site alterations, they keep a running list of other customers who rent dresses for events so that you won’t see your “twin” at the same event.
Here’s how it works:Â
You come into The Showroom, select your dress, romper, or coat. Â They offer size ranges from 0-16 from low-end to high-end designers.
Rental prices for dresses range from $20-$500, which is based on the retail price of the dress. The average rental price for a long gown is $100. In addition to new dresses, they have a curated selection of vintage dresses as well.
You can also rent accessories which include handbags, earrings and necklaces (they even carry Zac Brown’s wife -Shelly’s line of jewelry.) Â Rental pricing for the accessories ranges from $5-$150.
If you rent a dress for a weekend, you will have until Tuesday to return it. Â If you are renting a dress for New Year’s Eve, The Showroom will be closed the first week of January, so you will return your items on January 10th.
The Showroom is located at 1212 8th Avenue South, Nashville. Hours of operation are Tuesday- Friday 11 am – 5 pm, Saturday Noon- 5 pm. Be sure to follow them on Facebook for the latest updates.
[scroller style=”sc1″ title=”More Home & Fashion ” title_size=”17″ display=”cats” cats=”30″ number_of_posts=”8″ speed=”5000″]
