According to a survey one in six women admit to purchasing an item of clothing from a store, wearing it, and then returning it to the shop for a full refund.  An increasing number of women are turning to this new craze, labelled “Wardrobing”, for their fashion fixes.

Anita Naik, consumer editor at VoucherCodes.co.uk, who conducted the research, said: ‘Our research reveals that over a quarter of women who admit to ‘wardrobing’ feel guilty about it, but the pressure to look good on special occasions makes it feel like the only option for some to look good on a budget.’

So what about renting? Designer dress hire service Girl Meets Dress allows you to rent designer pieces with 95% off the retail price. “Rental is a way for consumers to extract all the value with none of the headaches,” says Anna Bance, co-founder of Girl Meets Dress, “women can now easily wear more relevant, trend led, time-sensitive fashions, while continuing to invest and buy only in those classic pieces which will stand the test of time.”  Wardrobing is a product of our ‘fast-fashion culture’, where trends are popular for a short time then become outdated and therefore worthless.

The proliferation of social media, including Facebook has a lot to do with an increasing social pressure which has heightened the growing desire for people to make a statement with their fashion and for a women’s inherent desire not to wear the same dress twice. As Daisy Buchanan mentions in a recent article for the Guardian, “Everywhere we turn, we’re being told to look different, to look better, to have the right outfit for every mood and occasion. We’re judged by our peers and our families, and now on Facebook and Instagram. People you haven’t seen since school can berate you for recycling a bridesmaid’s dress and wearing it to a christening.”

The survey also reveals that those who earn a living in the entertainment industry are the most prolific “Wardrobers” with over a third, 39 per cent, admitting to it. “Celebrities have always been borrowing dresses for special events,” says co-founder Anna, “and now that everyone is a mini-celebrity in their own world, all women can have access to this luxury.”

Anna admits wardrobing once before, which was one of the contributing reasons for founding Girl Meets Dress. Before the business was set up there was no other way to only wear an item of clothing once without then committing the act of wardrobing. Now you are able to wear a different dress for every occasion without the heart-stopping moments at the returns till. Renting not only decreases the alarming amount of clothing waste but helps to combat the alarming levels of debt. Girl Meets Dress takes away the risk-factor of Wardrobing, any snags or spillages which could potentially spoil a well laid refund plan are taken care of as the service is in charge of all the dry cleaning.

Although “Wardrobing” may be a way for women to look glamourous on a night out, in America this is called “Return Fraud”, and losing the US retail industry around $9.6 to $14.8 billion per year. Stores like ASOS have already taken steps to prevent this by marking some clothes with red tags to determine if the item has been worn or not. Other high street retailers have even required staff working in stores to “sniff” clothing that has been returned to make sure the item has not been worn.

As Lucy Osborne writes for the Daily Mail “If we could try more and buy less, we’d end up with so many items we truly loved that it would curb our desire for a pointless purchase just because it’s new.”

With the party season approaching, we’re always on the look out for something a little different here at GMD HQ. One of our new brands NLY offers incredible pieces in a wide range of colours – and with details such as beading and lace, there really is something out there for everyone. DKNY is also a new designer at casa GMD; known for its classic designs and incredibly flattering structure, we welcomed it with open arms like an old friend. Gorgeous Couture is a firm favourite with customers old and new, who rave about GC’s structure; “fits like a glove” has been mentioned numerous times about these dresses.

Keeping it long, black and simple, the DKNY Cleo Dress features a cheeky side slit for your ‘Angelina’ moments. A sure choice for celebs, we recently spotted Kate Beckinsale wearing a version of our long black dress in red. Teaming it with simple accessories, Kate really knows how to rock this dress. Kate you’re an inspiration – we salute you!

NLY Chloe Dress Pink is the perfect tone of baby pink for an evening dress. This shade compliments the skin and the crystals reflect the light off the décolleté. The nipped in waist is highlighted at the back by the straps that skim past each other, meeting in the middle, showing off the shoulders. This really is an elegant dress.

Our stylists recommend going all out with this Gorgeous Couture Lacey Maxi Dress and vamping it up with red lipstick. Black is a classic long ball dress, but what about trying a long maxi dress in midnight blue? The Lacey is floor length and sure to stand out from the crowd thanks to its unique hue and crystal waist detail.

We had to feature the Gorgeous Couture Harlow Maxi Dress in gold as soon as we hung it up in our office wardrobe. It is simply stunning, and as one of the new GC dresses, it’s already a definite winner. It’s in high demand due to the beautiful gold colour it comes in. The floor length dress is also swathed in GC’s signature material that is designed to give a draped effect. We love all our maxi dresses, but there is something very special about this dress!

These three red dresses have everything going for them. From £29 to £109 they are perfect for any event you have coming up. Sequins, velvet and lace, they scream texture. So go on, rent red dresses and you’ll never stop dancing the night away!

NLY Sway Dress – Sleeves, a backless draped detail and soft, luxurious velvet. What more could you ask for?! This LRD looks like any other red bodycon dress from the front, but with a twirl and a flick of your hair, a sexy drape detail reveals itself at the back. This red dress is sure to sway anyone’s opinion that you will, without a doubt, look drop dead gorgeous in it.

Honor Gold Lola Dress – The Kinks sang about Lola drinking champagne and dancing all night, and we reckon that this red dress is called Lola for that very reason; head straight for the dance floor on a night out. The three quarter length sleeves add a fun flirty element to the red dress, while the lace oozes sex appeal.

NLY Finale Dress – And for our grand final, let us introduce the Finale dress! You can’t help but shimmer in this red prom dress. The sequins catch the light and everyone’s attention. Who says you need a disco ball, this red dress will lure everyone onto the dance floor!

We can’t decide which our favourite is, so we’ll just have to leave it up to you to decide. If we’ve got you in the mood for LRDs, check out our other red dresses for more inspiration.

Greetings GMD Blog Readers! Buying Assistant Sophie writing today. My birthday is coming up at the beginning of November and I need a dress. The most important factors about the dress:

1. Let’s start with the obvious: my party’s at night so I need an evening dress!

2. I’m not going to lie, I want my friends to be jealous and what better way to do that than with a designer evening dress.

3. The weather’s getting cold so a dress with sleeves sounds like a good option.

4. I’m starting the night in a restaurant with my family so need a ‘family-friendly’ dinner dress.

5. Straight after dinner I’ll be meeting friends in London’s West End where we’ll dance the night away: hello party dress!

There are so many to choose from but I said to myself that I should aim for a top three. Having looked at the evening dresses online in the ‘It’s My Birthday’ collection, and after some debate in the office I gave the list I made to our fabulous styling team who helped me pick The Top Three. You can message them directly at: enquiries@girlmeetsdress.com Over the next few weeks, as the big day draws closer, I’ll be revealing the contenders. Here’s the first one!

I fell in love with the Valerie Junifer dress the moment I saw it, there was a lot of oohing and aahing! It is incredibly flattering. The sequins will shimmer as the dancing gets under way in the club, and the construction of the sleeves mean that I won’t get too hot. I’ll have the option of wearing tights with it during dinner and then as soon as I’m with my friends I can whip them off. This dress has started some serious competition, the other contenders better watch out!