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I’ve been a longtime subscriber of Rent the Runway’s monthly clothing rental plan, and there’s a lot I love about it: I get to test-drive trends I’m not quite sure I’d want to invest in for the long-term; I have flexibility with sizing (which is especially helpful, given lots of recent health-related weight fluctuations); I don’t have to go to the dry cleaner; I often nab pieces that are brand-new with the tags still on; and I get access to high-quality designer pieces that would otherwise never be accessible for my budget.

Renting clothing also allows me to take a gamble on a bold color or print I might not normally gravitate toward for fear it won’t be as versatile as my usual neutrals. That’s how I first came upon Apiece Apart’s Alessandra Sarong Shirt Dress in “Jardin,” a vibrant Kelly green. (Side note: I’d also gotten a bit of extra encouragement from a recent session with a color analysis expert who informed me that I, like Richard Gilmore, am an autumn — and this is shade supposedly quite flattering on me.) 

I got the chance to wear the dress during a warm(er) day of NYC’s “false spring” and surprised myself with how much I loved it. It’s well-made from 100% linen that’s soft and airy, not stiff or scratchy, but substantial (i.e. not see-through). The asymmetrical draped skirt is super customizable, so you can go for a bow or a knot, and decide exactly where you want the cinched waistline to hit and exactly how snug to your body you want the skirt to lay. I also appreciate that the “shirt” portion extends in the front, hitting a few inches above the knee, offering just the right amount of back-up coverage beneath the “sarong” portion of the dress. (Unintentional too-high leg slits have been an issue for me with wrap dresses in the past.)

But this dress is also incredibly chic and versatile: I wore it to a work event and de-beach-ified it by pairing it with (faux) croc-embossed knee-high boots. But of course, it seems made for summer — it would make an ideal beach cover up or hot-weather city outfit and could also easily be dressed up for an evening out. And while I really ended up enjoying the spring-y green hue, the brand also offers the style in a solid navy option, a blue-and-white floral printed version and a cream colorway with navy stripes. Wearing it made me want to book a vacation ASAP — but I’d also gladly rotate it back into my wardrobe as soon as the weather in New York warms up for real.

Apiece Apart Alessandra Sarong Shirt Dress, $445, available to buy here or rent here

Homepage photos: Courtesy of Apiece Apart

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