With the prom/ball season quickly approaching, girls everywhere are on the hunt for a perfect dress.

Today, many Monte Vista teens create facebook pages for their class to keep track of who is wearing what to maker sure girls don’t show up in the same dress on these special nights.

Many dresses range between $100 – $500 not including alterations. From looking through the facebook page for this year’s senior ball, the average dress cost for a Monte Vista teen is $250. The additional costs of prom and ball include tickets, transportation, hair, and make up. So, with all these expenses and the dress taking a majority of the budget, many thought…There must be another way around these expensive dresses.

The answer is yes, there is. In 2009, Rent The Runway came onto the ball dress scene. The company provides top designer dresses that are valued up to thousands of dollars for rental, thus giving access of couture to women for a reasonable price.

The process is simple: you select your size, color, occasion, and reserve it for the date you need it. RTR makes it even easier by giving a complimentary extra size.

Dresses such as designer Moschino gowns would typically go for $1695 retail is available to rent on RTR for $95. A shorter BCBGMaxazaria that is retailed at $368 is rentable on the site for $30.

One potential downfall is the fact that the rental is only for 4-8 days, meaning that you receive dress just days before the event. A girl may be out of luck if they don’t like the way the dress looks once it arrives.

The dresses are covered by a $5 insurance policy just incase any party mishaps and minor damage happened to the dress. After the event, you send the dress back for free in their prepaid envelope.

This company can make big events easier and more affordable for women. Instead of being stressed for time and overwhelmed about not having a dress, this is a perfect way to get that pressed design you want and otherwise would have been a stretch for you to get.

We asked Monte Vista seniors and juniors if they would prefer to Rent the Runway or shop for their dresses to own.

“I am in huge favor of Rent the Runway and was even considering using it for ball this year,” senior Monica Friant said.

This is a new idea and some people aren’t necessarily excited about renting their dresses because most girls like to own their dresses and wear them new, but some are open to the idea of getting a great deal on high fashion.

This service is made to make times that are stressful like prom and ball easier on the mind and the wallet. This is a tool to allow women to be cost conscious and look as if price never mattered. Now women can RTR just as simply as men rent their tuxedos!