Name: Empress Garden Dress
Brand: Nanette Lepore
SKU: NL35
Price: 43 USD
Availability: OutOfStock
Rating: 4.5 (63 reviews)

Overall it is a very cute dress! I definitely could have gone a size smaller, but the size I had still worked out well.  There is a back panel that can be removed to get the full effect of the criss cross open back.  I removed it and did not wear a bra with it, sticky boobs are also a good option.  I would definitely recommend this dress!

Dress ran a little big- I suggest sizing down for your back up. Color was much brighter and prettier in person. Super comfortable and great to dance in. I would rent this dress again! 

I wore this for a bridal shower, and it was great! Easy to wear - including a 3+ hour drive each way. The back has crisscross straps that look cool, especially for evening, and there is a removable fabric panel if you want more coverage. 

I'm a 2-4 in dresses and the 2 fit perfectly. 

This dress was true to size. Fitted around the waist and loose around the hips. Great for hourglass shapes. Good quality fabric that held its shape and didn't cling. Overall, really liked it! Got a lot of compliments.

Loved, loved, loved this dress.  The removable back panel is genius and allows you to wear a bra with the dress.  I decided to remove the panel and wear a nu bra in order to make most of the fabulous back.  The structure of dress also provides support for busty ladies like myself.  Nanette Lapore's dresses always have great lines and are extremely well made.  This was the perfect dress for a fancy date night with my fella.  Perfect for highlighting a hourglass figure.  I've rented a lot of dresses from RTR and this one is probably my favorite!!

The back is amazing! Can not wear a bra, however, which is fine for me. 

True to size. The clasp sometimes came undone but wasn't that much of a pain to deal with. It was really comfortable and a great dress to dance in! I paired it with blush heels.

This dress was utterly gorgeous. I was able to wear it without a bra, but I think you could get away with wearing one if you kept the back portion in. There was a small button in back portion that I removed because I wasn't wearing the bra, but it would look fine with or without. It ran pretty large. I took the advice of everyone else and ordered a size down and I'm so glad I did. My measurements are 37-29-40 and I ordered the 8 and the 6 and wore the 6 which fit perfectly. The 8 however was way too big. The bust was a little tight, but in a good way and even if I was a little larger I probably still could have worn it. It was really comfortable and held its shape all night, the fabric was perfect! I'm so happy with it and definitely will order RTR again. I wore it with some studded flats and the Badgley Mischka Garden Party clip earrings and the AV Max Glitzy Glamour cuff. The party was a friend's sushi dinner and dance party.

I wore this dress for my graduation and loved it! Not to stifling under the gown in the summertime and very flattering structure. 

This dress was great. My favorite part was the back of the dress because it was different than most dresses I have worn. I wore it to an evening wedding and it was perfect for the venue. My friend in both pictures also rented from RTR, so it made the whole evening a lot of fun. If you're smaller up top, definitely size down. 

The color and pattern were beautiful.  The neckline has a hook and eye so you can make it more open or more conservative depending on your personal style.  Great first experience with rent the runway...my husband didn't want me to send it back.

I rented this for a bridesmaid luncheon! I received many compliments on this dress! The dress runs true to size. A classic dress with a modern twist on the back! Can't wait to rent this again!

This dress draped nicely. The skirt is slightly A-line but without too much fullness. The hook-eye closure at the top of the dress was a bit loose, but a small safety pin solved that problem. Just be prepared you may need to spend a little extra time adjusting that. Even though the back has an open cross-cross shape, the fabric panel underneath provides more than enough coverage. The color in the picture is accurate, it is similar to a salmon pink and I thought it was flattering on a fair skin tone. I was very happy with it. 

I wore this to a museum benefit party (Chinese Year of the Horse theme). The dress was very easy to wear. Comfortable.  I had to show a horse first and was a hot sweaty mess and knew my hair would stay in the show bun. I chose this dress because it had an interesting back and would be a quick change needing little in the way of special undergarments. Loved the dress. Got lots of compliments!!

Cute dress, flirty and flattering. I wore it to a wedding in the mountains and it was perfect. Looked great with nude wedges. Would definitely recommend! Also felt slimming.

This dress is fine quality.  It is a unique salmon color and has an interesting back detail.  I am usually a 6 or an 8 in designer dresses.  This 8 was snug in the bust...but I wore it anyway.  I probably should have worn a 10.  I guess I am in denial regarding my true size, but I felt like the top was petite sized (meaning short waisted and small) and the bottom regular.  There was plenty of room in the skirt part of the dress and I liked the length.  This would be great for an outdoor event.

I wore this to a friend's wedding on a rainy April evening- although I hate that picture of me, I was so happy with this dress! The back was THE best part. Since the dress has a little bit of stretch, I was able to eat and dance the night away in comfort. I did feel like it ran a bit large- I normally wear a 10 or 12 and the 10 felt a little roomier than I would have liked. But still totally gorgeous and wearable! :)

TERRIBLE photo, sorry! The color and pattern on this dress are cute and unique, but the photo on the website makes it appear as though the peachy/pink fabric goes about halfway up the back of the dress -- it *does not*! This is, essentially, a backless dress (with just the black criss-cross fabric). Thank goodness I had a black tank top to wear under it or I wouldn't have been able to wear a bra (and no bra, no dress)! The fabric is a little stiff and poufs out at the waist unless you keep smoothing it, but it was a cute, comfortable dress that was perfect for a pretty casual birthday date night. Wore it with black heels and a black cardigan because winter won't go away and it worked perfectly.

I love this dress! It is a beautiful color and fit really well!  The clasp on the V was very helpful and I didn't even have to worry about it coming undone.  Great dress!

I wore this dress to a semi-formal event at the Detroit Zoo. The dress fit well and was comfortable enough for walking around the zoo all evening, drinking, and eating. I received so many compliments the whole night!

The pattern is gorgoeous, it fits beautifully and it the cute black trim detail makes it both fun and wearable with whatever accessories you have. The fit is very flattering but I am usually a 2/4 and I should have gotten a 0 as the back-up since it runs pretty big and the skirt is poofier than it looks in the picture. For that reason, I took off 1 star but I would definitely recommend this for anyone, especially hourglass figure.

This dress was perfect for my birthday! I loves the orange color, then back was unique. However I felt the bottom of the dress had too much material, so when i sat i felt like a cupcake. The bottom was hard to control with all the extra fabric. I loved this rental but dont think id rent this one again

This is probably my favorite thing I've ever rented. The dress for amazing - I typically wear a 0 and it was true to size. The back was a nice edgy pop. Overall couldn't have been happier with this one. 

Loved the back. Wore to a friend's bridal shower. Very cute and fun.

Perfect! I got so many compliments on this dress. A bra cannot be worn with this dress due to the back, but I didnt find it to be a problem. 

This dress runs small. I'm normally a 2-4 and had to wear my backup size 0. Very flattering fit for pear shapes like myself. I wore it without a bra and without the back panel and it fit perfectly. 

I wore this to a wedding yesterday.  The fit was great - super flattering.  I received so many compliments on the color and the awesome detailing on the back.  This is the 2nd time I have ordered this this dress.  I truly wish I could just keep it.  I am 5'4" - 115 pounds, athletic build.... Flat chested.   Was able to wear a padded bra to, ahem, fill it out.  This dress would work for someone in the their 20's all the way through to someone into their 60s+ (I am 47).  

The only reason I'm giving this four stars instead of five is because the last dress I rented here was a stunning dream and no other dresses can compare! I was also a little surprised by the somewhat stiff fabric. But I enjoyed wearing this dress--it fit well, my friend described it as the perfect combo of sweet and sexy, and it was great for a Brooklyn wedding. 

Really liked this dress! The fabric is cool for a hot summer wedding. Especially with the open back. I'm 5'2" and around 100lbs, the size 0 fit perfectly with a little bit of wiggle room! Loved the pattern too, it was different but not too crazy. Got a lot of compliments :)

I rented this for a country style South Dakota wedding. I usually wear a size 4 and decided to order a 2 and 4 based on reviews. Unfortunately the 4 was unavailable but luckily I was able to make the 2 work. It looked super cute and I did receive many compliments, however, it was very short. I was unable to dance and had to have my husband stand behind me while getting in and out of the party bus :( 
I'm sure the 4 would have worked out much better. I would absolutely size up if you are at all worried about the length. I also wish this dress would have had pockets ;) Can't wait to try another one for the next occasion!  

I wore this dress for my daughter's Alice in Wonderland themed first birthday party. It was very comfy- fabric is slightly stretchy. My only gripe was the collar of the dress would not lay flat (as you can see in the picture). Overall, pretty dress and nice color.

I could fit in both the 4 and 6. But the fluffier skirt on the 6 just made the dress a little more edgy. It was a hot and humid night so the open back material of the dress helped. It was tight on top so no bra needed(I felt supported). After renting my husband and I looked up the designer, I went to visit her stores and bought a few dresses by her. She seems to really know what looks good on women. I hope rtr gets more dresses by her! They have this great quality to them. I want to rent more dresses like this one. I love learning and following all these designers - with each dress I rent. So fun. Really makes my nite more exciting. I feel like a more educated consumer! Thanks rtr! 

I really liked this dress, more than I expected!  The criss-cross in the back is very tasteful but adds a really fun detail.  The print is very cute.  And as other reviewers commented, the material is like a stiff cotton, which was not what I was expecting, but I really liked it.  The only downside was that it's very low cut.  I had to wear a black cami underneath; if I hadn't, I would have been way too exposed.  The fit was great.  I would recommend this dress!

   Perfect for an athletic body! I am 5'10'' and was just SHY of being too short. Perfect for a party.

I didn't end up wearing this dress but it was such a hard choice because this dress is so cute and it fit great!  I ended up going with my other style only because it was a little more formal.  The material is nice and thick so not being able to wear a bra with this dress wasn't going to be a big issue, at least for me.  And it has pockets which is always a plus in my mind! The color is great, the pattern is fun and I will definitely rent this dress again.

I loved this dress!  Removed the back panel for the full effect of this dress and had compliments from women all night long.  My husband actually wanted me to buy the dress!  Fit runs just a bit small...I normally wears a size 4 but ended up wearing the backup size 2 and it was perfect.  Love the ease of shopping and returning with RTR!! I am a devoted fan!

This dress was a beautiful color. I loved the back detail and the neckline. I also didn't think it was too short. I'm somewhere between an 8 and a 10 and the 8 fit nicely.

Empress Garden Dress

Nanette Lepore

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