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Ballgowns are pretty special to me. When I go to a black tie event, and I’m going to wear a gown, I want it to be something that makes me feel good, and I want to look my best. Over the years, I have bought a dozen gowns, and rented many more. How do I decide whether to wear a gown I own, buy a new one, or rent again? It depends on the event. If it’s an event I attend every year, I don’t want to wear the same gown that I wore last year. If it’s an event where there will be pictures, published online or in a newspaper or magazine, I don’t want to wear a gown that I’ve worn to any other event. You could say, gosh, Edie, if you look great in it of course you can wear it over and over again. That may be true, but I will feel much better about my look if it is unique. And there’s a place for the gowns I own, for one of a kind events or events where I can be sure nobody has seen the gown before. At this point, I almost never buy a new gown. I would rather rent a gown. Part of that is a cost. A new gown can be $150-$300 at the low end, and it goes up from there. On the other hand, you can rent a gown for $80 (you can spend a lot more if you want a red-carpet-worthy designer gown). I particularly love Rent the Runway. They have a wide selection of ball gowns, in all sizes, and in my experience, their service is fabulous. Their system is simple.  On their website or app you can pick your gown, in your size.  They ship it to you.  You wear it and put it back in their zipper bag, they provide the return shipping label.  After you return it, they clean it and make it available for the next renter.  There are other companies that use similar processes, and since I attend several galas each year, rent and return makes a lot of sense!

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For less dressy events, where the dress code allows for nice dresses, I'm less likely to rent.  I have a closet full of LBD's and nice "cocktail" or day-to-night dresses, so I'm more inclined to wear something I own to anything short of a formal event.  When I travel, I always take an extra dress in case there's a party that pops up.  

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As a social life developer I can confidently report that renting a ball gown or dress is totally acceptable.