For any girls still thinking of using Vow to Be Chic...well we can't. Below is the email I received this morning from them.
"So after an incredibly stressful month trying to get in contact with Vow to Be Chic for my girl's bridesmaids dresses, I received an email update from the company as seen below.
It is with great sadness that we share this news with you. As of today, we are shutting down operations at Vow To Be Chic. You are probably surprised, and like us, disappointed to hear this. We're heartbroken.
We are working hard to minimize the inconvenience on remaining customers. For those who need it, we have arranged alternative options for their bridesmaids' dresses.
We launched Vow To Be Chic in 2015 with an ambitious mission: to bring the wedding industry into the 21st century. While groomsmen had been able to rent tuxes for decades, no such option existed for brides and their bridesmaids. We wanted to change that.
We are honored to have helped so many women on their special day. We served tens of thousands of women and saved them over $6 Million. We are proud that our business was run by women, for women.
By definition, startups are change-makers, rule-breakers, and boundary-pushers. A startup ventures into unknown territory to try to make the world a better place and this comes with many challenges. Ultimately, we launched a company that was before its time. Women’s clothing rental is new to retail overall, and even newer to the wedding industry. Rental is also a capital-intensive business. In short, to prove out our concept, we needed more time and money, that unfortunately, we don't have. Our capital constraints mean we have no choice but to stop operations today.
We believe in rental and its role in the future of retail. We're hopeful that in the future someone will expand upon what we did at Vow.
Thank you so much for your support. We have the most wonderful customers - you have supported a by-women-for-women startup business, and you chose to rent, which not only saved money but also helped reduce waste. To the tens of thousands of women who let us play a small role in your special day, we’re eternally grateful. "
