I Got a Sexy Designer Dress Tailored and Delivered For My Birthday — For Just $300

POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

I was in the mood to do something crazy for my 24th birthday. It's not a particularly special age; I just wanted to throw myself a party — and I wanted a special dress to go with it. Being from New Jersey, I hilariously ended up in Atlantic City with all of my friends. (I like a good round of blackjack. Sue me.)

While I could have easily taken a quick shopping trip to the mall, I had recently stumbled upon a new app called Armarium. It's a quick and easy runway rental service and I had to try it. Based in New York, Armarium invites its clients to a showroom filled with a very select handful of dresses.

While you might be picturing flouncy pastel maxis fit for a wedding, the Armarium customer is more of a risk-taker. Unlike Rent the Runway — a site that offers similar services but more modest, playful brands like Monique Lhuillier and Kate Spade — Armarium's labels are cutting-edge. They're a bit more high-end and ultimately veer on the sexy side. The Armarium girl is going for a daring designer look. She might even want to flash some skin. She's going out, or in my case, straight to the casino after a fancy dinner.

I immediately booked an appointment with the team after scrolling through Armarium's available products. I had already eyed so many options for the upcoming weekend, and I wanted to try them on. Luckily, I got to preselect styles that were hanging in a dressing room for me upon arrival. But first, I talked fashion with the company leaders.

Armarium is brand new (its official launch date was in April 2016). Right now, the small team of stylists, called the Style Brigade, helps women walk through some of the most coveted and well-known designer pieces, most of which debuted on the runway just a couple of seasons ago.

These women, all well-versed in fashion, cater to the event you plan to attend, helping to accessorize your outfit with a clutch or jewels. And, if the dress you love needs to be tailored, your measurements are recorded in the showroom and your design is temporarily tweaked by the seamstress, free of charge, before being sent to you for wear. (I took advantage of this service, which we'll get to later.)

You hang onto your standout look for four nights before it's due back via messenger service. But remember: you're getting to wear a truly unique ensemble for a fraction of the retail price. I'll spoil the end of the story right now and let you know that it's worth it.

Read on for a full look at my Armarium experience — it's filled with high-slit, cutout dresses so sexy, I was afraid to walk when I tried them on. And of course, the romantic tale about how I arrived at my perfect match: a Fall 2015 Anthony Vaccarello number that made me feel like I'd just won a million bucks on my fabulous birthday at the Jersey shore.

The Armarium Showroom
POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

The Armarium Showroom

First stop: the Armarium showroom in New York. Sequined dresses lined the walls, organized on racks by color. I could immediately pick out some of my favorite pieces that I remembered from past runway collections — particularly those by Mugler, a supermodel and celebrity favorite.

POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

The Accessories Shelf
POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

The Accessories Shelf

Armarium offers bags and jewels from red carpet go-tos. Think: Lee Savage mirrored box clutches, Sara Battaglia fringed designs, and Jimmy Choo pouches and drop earrings by the likes of Salvatore Ferragamo and Alessandra Rich. If you want to rent an accessory alone, bags that retail for $2,000 on average are available for just below $200, while jewels that retail for $300 are in the $50 range.

POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

My Hunt For the Perfect Birthday Dress
POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

My Hunt For the Perfect Birthday Dress

I peeked through plenty of styles, settling on five or six looks to try on. While you only see one sample per design, the Armarium team has a few sizes of each dress in the back room. They had pulled out their most petite options for me, since I'm only 5'2". In fact, there were plenty of leather midis or cutout maxis the team recommended I steer clear of, simply because they'd be too oversize in the shoulders or waist area. Any piece could be temporarily cropped or tweaked at Armarium's tailor, an additional service the company offers.

The Options
POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

The Options

This one-sleeved star dress from Anthony Vaccarello was great. It was fitted, but the metal fringe finished a slit that was much too high for my taste.

POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

I loved this Mugler grommet mini. So much, in fact, that I almost chose it. The see-through metal adornments were just sexy enough, and the hemline hit me right above the knee. The only reason I passed on this one was because I felt like there had to be something better. The fitted look and cobalt shade were great, but the details didn't add up to "the one."

POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

No no, my friend, no no. That's exactly what's written all over my face. Can't you tell? I couldn't even believe the Style Brigade got me into this Anthony Vaccarello leather dress. That metal piercing you see at the side was the only form of closure between the top and bottom. "Try it on," the stylists said. "It will be fun!" they said. It was definitely just for fun, as the side-boob situation and barely there fabric made for a look much too risqué.

Falling in Love With "the One"
POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

Falling in Love With "the One"

As soon as I put on this Anthony Vaccarello asymmetric dress, I knew it was special. The buckle detail at the side showed off my curves and the accordion-style pleating revealed just enough of my leg. If I paired it with the black ankle-strap heels I had at home, it would be just right. But there was a problem . . .

POPSUGAR Photography | Samantha Netkin

The dress was too big at the side. The material flared out right below my arm and the buckle hung loose. Little did I know, the Armarium stylists had a solution. They took my measurements and sent the dress to a seamstress where it was tailored to fit. A temporary binding would fold and cinch the fabric. The team also worked to tighten the buckle, hooking it into another hole.

Saying Yes to the Dress

Saying Yes to the Dress

This Fall '15 Anthony Vaccarello look retails at $2,050 in stores. But for four nights, you can rent it from Armarium for just $300. The company takes care of cleaning the dress once you send it back and also arranges for a messenger service for both the delivery and return.

My design was accessorized with a Lee Savage Silver Cross Stack Clutch, which retails at $1,400. The rental price from Armarium is $170.

The Final Look
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Wasilak

The Final Look

Getting ready for my birthday dinner was almost too easy. My tailored dress and beautiful clutch had arrived in a convenient garment bag, perfectly protected for my commute.

I slipped into the dress seamlessly and couldn't even notice the temporary binding at the side. I wore my own Stuart Weitzman Nudist heels and toted along the Lee Savage clutch (it was decidedly heavy, but I got a great arm workout). As I made my way through the casino, the bubbly sound of slot machine music encouraging me on my way, I felt like I had already won a million bucks. In reality, I had lost $400. But hey, that's the power of a really special dress.