YEECHOO.com – designer dress rental delivered to your door

Hong Kong is an amazing place for fashion, with so many different influences and amazing brands available. However, for girls who’ve just graduated, are in their first job or just can’t afford to spend the whopping amount of cash on luxurious designer dresses (i.e. most of us!), it can be a little disheartening!

That’s why I was so excited to hear about YEECHOO.com, a new online designer-dress rental company based in Hong Kong that stocks frocks by the likes of Alice + Olivia, Alexander Wang and Diane Von Furstenberg. For a fraction of the original price, you can rent a gorgeous designer dress for four days (or longer for an extra cost) – perfect for those special occasions or moments where you want to shine.

I snapped up the chance to trial YEECHOO.com’s service, and the first thing I did was get straight onto their website. Browsing the dresses, I could tell that they were all beautifully made, with luxurious fabrics and intricate detailing. Although designer pieces can often be a little strange or “out there”, YEECHOO.com founders Abby and Shan Shan have carefully chosen pieces that fit into Hong Kong life, with lots of cocktails dresses perfect for a night out on the town.

All you do is simply pick the dress you’d like and the rental period you need it for; a courier (or in my case, Abby and Shan Shan themselves!) will deliver it on the first day of your rental period – which can even be the same day you order if necessary! The courier will then come to collect your dress on the final day of your rental (or the following Monday if it’s a Sunday), and the garment is then sent for inspection and professional dry cleaning each time.

The first dress I tried was this fun tulle cocktail dress with a sequin and beaded cityscape by Kathy Hilton. The intricate beading made the dress feel extra special, and I noticed little pieces of amber scattered between the sequins – a nice touch! I also really liked the flattering shape of this dress with its flared skirt, perfect for a bit of dancing… Rental price $520, retail price $4450

I then tried a much more formal Kathy Hilton dress, an asymmetrical embellished evening gown that would be perfect for a ball or gala dinner. Again, I found the shape to be quite flattering; the only downside to this dress is that it’s pretty tricky to get into! Rental price $720, retail price $5200

Next up was this little Jay Godfrey number. Abby and Shan Shan mentioned that this is actually their most popular dress – and I can see why! The luxe shimmery blue fabric was subtle but interesting, and the ruffled material at the front not only looked great but also hid a multitude of sins! Rental price $450, retail price $3100

My final pick was the Odette Watermelon dress by Sachin + Babi. I was nervous to try this on, as it only came in a size 2 (!), but I just about managed to squeeze in – and actually, it was really comfy! The material was soft but also had a good stretch, making it feel more practical than some of the other dresses. The pop of colour is perfect for spring, and I particularly loved the sequin peekaboo at the bottom… the ideal dress for going out in! Rental price $460, retail price $3450

At the moment, sizing at YEECHOO.com is quite limited – currently, they only stock up to a US size 4 (UK size 8), which only just about fit me. Abby and Shan Shan are trying to bring in some size 6 dresses, but I hope they’ll make even more sizes available so that their concept to ‘democratise fashion’ really is fulfilled.

Overall, my experience with YEECHOO.com was extremely positive. I felt comfortable in most of the dresses, and I loved Abby and Shan Shan’s personal touch – they gave me plenty of options (despite the lack of sizes) and even brought along a couple of dresses I hadn’t asked for, just in case!

YEECHOO.com’s range of dresses are perfect for cocktail evenings and special occasions – they’re the types of dresses that you’d probably only wear once or twice if you bought them anyway – and the fact that you pay only a couple of hundred dollars for a dress that would cost thousands makes it even better! As many of the dresses are extremely detailed, I was worried that they could get easily damaged – but the YEECHOO.com girls reassured me that with each rental, there is $20 insurance for normal wear and tear… phew!

I would definitely order dresses from YEECHOO.com in the future for special occasions, particularly if they get more sizes in. Apparently they’re in talks to add even more amazing labels and accessories to their collection too (we hear whispers of BCBG, Roland Mouret, Lanvin, Red Valentino and Vera Wang) – hellooo designers!

Rental for four-day periods costs $300-1200; shipping (covering both delivery and pick-up) costs $40-100 depending on your location. See more information here

www.yeechoo.com

Photos by Sabrina Sikora Photography