4 tips to Rent the Runway with a Post-Baby Body

I've always found it challenging to feel good about my body...but especially since I've had my baby (and my body changed SO MUCH) I've struggle feeling comfortable & confident in my own skin! With the blogging conference ALT Summit coming up (and two fancy events to attend during it) my friend Briana, of Life Beats Project, hooked us up with dresses from Rent the Runway. The cost of our dresses was covered by RTR, but my opinion of them is just as high as it would have been if I paid for the dress myself. I was SO impressed with the site (especially the reviews feature...more on that later), how the dresses came right to my door, and how easy it was to return them! I will definitely use Rent the Runway again if I have a fancy event!

As much as I loved the service, I did struggle initially wondering how in the world I was going to find two dresses that I would feel confident in with my post-baby body. With the dresses I picked though, ladies, I felt like a MILLION BUCKS!

Since I want to help you feel that way too at your next fancy event, here are my 4 best tips for using Rent the Runway and dressing a post-baby body! Oh and just so you know, this post contains affiliate links (you da best!).

1. Pick the right shape

This tip makes all the difference! You can find a dress in your size, but if it's not the right shape (aka flattering for your figure) you're not going to feel confident in it! My body post-baby has bigger hips & thighs, and a little extra in the stomach region. So I picked dresses that accented my smallest part (my waist) then gave me extra room in the tummy and hip areas.

These are the dresses I picked.

MARCHESA NOTTE: Mena Dress

(LINK) I wore this dress in a size 10

ERIN: Such an Illusion Gown

(LINK) I wore this dress in a size 12

I felt so comfortable and beautiful in both, and I'm so happy with my choices!

I also love this dress my co-host Briana is wearing...she's in the middle! It gives plenty of room in the hips with a flattering waistline! It's the Through and Through Dress (LINK)

Here are some others that have that perfect shape for post-baby bodies:

Navy Mimi Bow Dress, Fleur Dress, Grapevine Gown, Ruby Red Gala Gown

2. Don't go without support

When I attended ALT Summit, I had just recently stopped nursing. My ladies needed a "pick-me-up" in the chestal region... if you know what I mean. Those who know me know I uphold a standard of modesty and having sheer or sleeveless dresses isn't an option... but even if that wasn't the case the Honey Slip still would have been my BFF with these Rent the Runway dresses. I need to wear a bra... with straps! The Honey Slip is a nude slip that allows you to have the coverage you need up top (to get the support you need & uphold your standards).

In these pics you can see what my dress looked like with my Honey Slip on the sleeve and on the back.

It worked perfectly for me. I felt comfortable, supported, and covered the whole night!

I wear a size Large Honey Slip.

Here's a pic of what the Honey Slip looks like in all its glory!

photo from Honey of California

Here are some others that would look AWESOME with your Honey Slip:

Grapevine Gown, Nightingale Gown, Wrapped in Blue Gown (my sister wore this one... it's Gorgeous!)

You can see my sister's post and how she wore the Wrapped in Blue Gown with her Honey Slip HERE.

PS. you can see me a couple times on Honey Slip's Instagram!

3. Read the reviews

I spent hours looking for the right dresses on Rent the Runway... did that just make it sound intimidating?? Why'd it take so long? I was reading the reviews!

It was awesome to look at the pics, see what size the girls were wearing, know whether the dress ran big or small, and see what the dress would look like on my body type! It helped me narrow down my dresses because I was able to see which dresses would have too much cleavage, which would be too short, and which had too tight shouldersa.

You can even sort the reviews to narrow the results to ladies similar to your size! I love that feature! It's like the best idea I've ever seen!

4. Size up

Rent the Runway has an awesome policy where you get a second size free! SIZE UP on that second size! I have a problem where I always think I'm skinnier than I am (it's only really a "problem" when I'm buying clothes online- other than that it's enjoyable)... especially after having my baby! It's always smart to get the size you usually are for the 1st size and then size up on the 2nd size.

ps. don't you love this Maeberry Vintage fur!
photo by Diana Putnam Photography

Oh and when you read the reviews pay attention to how the dress fits and see if you need to go a size up for the 1st size as well (aka if the dress runs small).

My motto is it's always easier to safety pin something smaller than to remove a couple ribs to fit in a dress that's too small. ;)

Oh and if neither dress is even close to fitting, RTR will overnight you another size.

I got my black dress in a 10 and a 12 and ended up wearing the bigger size! I'm so glad I sized up!

The moral of this story?? You can TOTALLY use Rent the Runway even with your post-baby bod! The key is to pick the right dress!

I hope these tips will help you when you're picking out something fancy! I was super nervous about using Rent the Runway because I was worried nothing would look good on me (in fact I didn't attend an event a couple months ago because I was too stressed about trying to find a dress that would be flattering), but I'm SO GLAD now that I've tried it! My whole perception changed when I finally figured out what style/fit I should be looking for on the site... suddenly all these options opened up for me! I felt beautiful these two nights at ALT Summit, and I hope you'll feel beautiful too!