Rent The Runway: Netflix for Dresses

Most of us can’t afford to spend thousands of dollars on a dress for a special occasion, so we lust after the dresses that celebrities don on the red carpet in vain. Two ladies hope to change that: Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Carter Fleiss have launched Rent The Runway – a rental service than makes getting a $1,600 Proenza Schouler frock as easy and renting a movie.

With dresses from Diane Von Furstenberg, Hervé Léger, Christian Siriano and more, the site charges between $50 and $200 to borrow a dress for four days. Your Cinderella fantasy arrives in one your doorstep with a prepaid envelope to return. Be careful though — if you lose a Netflix rental, you might be out $20; if you damage your loaner Catherine Malandrino dress, you’ll be responsible for the full price tag.

The Rent the Runway site isn’t fully open to the public yet — you have to be invited in, much like online sample sale sites.