There's a 6" difference in the waist between the 12 and the 14. Unfortunately, I fell within that 6" range, so I couldn't pull off either size (12 didn't zip, 14 was comically large). The top is stretchy, which I liked. The bottom is not stretchy at all. (Had there been a tiny bit of stretch in the bottom, I could have probably made the 12 work!)

Green Floral High Low Dress

Hutch

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Size Worn: None

Usual Size: 12

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 190lbs

Runs a little large, and the hem was shorter than I expected (had to wear low heels). Still, a phenomenal dress! So playful but still fancy enough to wear to a formal event. Love love love this dress!

Dipping Dots Gown

Jill Jill Stuart

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Size Worn: 6R

Usual Size: 8

Height: 5' 5"

This dress was super flattering and very fun to wear. I had to use fashion tape to fix some gaping in the back and the inner-most layer was a little tricky to keep in place (there are 3 layers, so even when the inner-most one rides up, you are still fully covered - it just creates some weird bulkiness). Otherwise, it was perfect! I loved it!

Madeline Sheath

Slate & Willow

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Size Worn: 4

Usual Size: 12

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 190lbs

I opted to wear the back up dress I rented for NYE instead of this one. I couldn't decide what I felt more like in this dress - a fancy star trek character or a back up dancer in the Oops!...I Did It Again video. Either way, not the look I was going for for this event. I also hoped the fabric would be a sturdier/more corset-like. Upside: this dress feels like pajamas. Downside (for me, at least): it shows EVERYTHING.

Sky Rocket Dress

Cut 25

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Size Worn: None

Usual Size: 12

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 190lbs

Absolutely loved this dress. The top is tight enough to be flattering without being uncomfortable. I wore these with 3" heels and had no trouble with the length whatsoever. The fabric is pretty light, but still appropriate for a winter wedding. In all, a great rental!

Twisted Up in Love Gown

ERIN erin fetherston

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Size Worn: 6R

Usual Size: 12

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 190lbs

I wore these with the Erin Fetherston Twisted Up in Love gown (green, floor length) to a black tie wedding the weekend after Christmas. I was the perfect addition for just the right amount of glam!

Classic Lady Earrings

Crislu

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Usual Size: 12

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 190lbs

This was the perfect necklace to top off my 1920's-inspired dress for a Gatsby-themed party. It was exactly what I was looking for!

Dress Me Up Necklace

RJ Graziano

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Usual Size: 12

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 190lbs

This dress is absolutely stunning. The lace is unbelievably intricate and makes the dress super fancy, but the color makes it appropriate for a slightly more casual, cocktail-attire event. I was a little wary of how the color would look in person, but it turned out to be gorgeous. I definitely recommend it! The dress is incredibly well made (no surprise) and, after some extensive Hollywood tape-ing, fit like a glove. It does run small, so be sure to either size up or at least get a back-up size bigger than you'd normally wear. The hips were moderately snug, the waste even more so.

Canary Bennet Dress

Reem Acra

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Size Worn: 4

Usual Size: 12

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 190lbs

I loved this fabric so much! Super light and shimmery, and totally perfect for a black tie wedding in the middle of the summer. I got complements all night and felt amazing. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the usual problem I have with Shoshanna dresses – the bodice never seems to fit as tightly as I’d like. Clearly, this doesn't keep me from renting her dresses! But it does leave me with the nagging feeling all night that the dress isn't as flattering as others might be. Totally minor issue, though. Overall, I loved this dress!

Jennifer Maxi

Shoshanna

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Size Worn: 2R

Usual Size: 12

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 190lbs

I rented this as a back up for a formal wedding and ended up going with my first pick, but could have easily worn this one. Thankfully I got a back-up size one size larger than I normally wear, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to give this dress four stars. But the larger size fit perfectly. I loved how it hugged my legs, but had draping that was forgiving in my mid-section. Because the details are so subtle, it can almost seem too plain - but I still loved it!

Sparkle and Shine Dress

Diane von Furstenberg

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Size Worn: 6

Usual Size: 12

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 190lbs

I loved this dress. It did make my bust look small, but I totally didn't mind. I wore this for a wedding at a big, fancy museum and was so pleased with how my outfit fit in. Totally recommend! Just be careful about sizing if you have a larger bust.

I went with another Bagdley Mischka for NYE. The color of this one is a darker gold than in the picture and for some reason looked kind of cheap to me. It was also way longer (to my knee) than I wanted for NYE. The fit was great, but I didn't really like anything else about this dress for my event.

Fifth Avenue Showstopper Dress

Badgley Mischka

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Size Worn: 4

Usual Size: 12

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 190lbs

I was worried this dress would be too short, but it turned out to be perfect. When I put the whole outfit together, I felt like I looked exactly the way I wanted to for NYE! I felt amazing in this dress, but only gave it four stars because I didn't think it photographed as well as I'd hoped. It seemed especially unflattering around my midsection (below my waste/above my hips) in photos even though I thought it looked great in person. Still, a fabulous dress! Just make sure you suck in where you need to for photos :)

Dancing Til Daylight Dress

Mark & James by Badgley Mischka

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Size Worn: S

Usual Size: 12

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 190lbs

I was more like 135 when I wore a size 4 and it fit perfectly. Exactly as pictured, no issues, and PERFECT for New Years!

Like Honey Dress

Milly

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Size Worn: 4

Usual Size: 12

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 190lbs

The color is gorgeous, but the fit was just okay. I prefer dresses that are forgiving on my lower half, which this one is, but the seam at the top hit a little higher than is flattering on me. Also, I definitely had static issues! But over all I liked this dress.

This dress is beautiful but not very adaptable. No amount of Hollywood tape could get this dress to fit my frame. I realized it was because my torso was too short - if it were my dress, I would have taken up the shoulders about an inch and it would have worked w/ Hollywood tape. Didn't have safety pins (which would have looked odd anyway), so I went with my back up dress. Also, I have a tiny rib cage, but on the size 2 and 4 the material where the clasp connected on the back flapped up making it look like it was too small on me, even though it wasn't very tight. Not a fan of that at all! Finally, the skirt has 2 layers that are sewn together at the bottom. When they arrived, both sizes were super static-y and the outer layer was sucked into the inner layer. Nothing I did fixed it, so yet another reason I went with the back up. As for the embroidery, it looked like a silver-y gold on my computer screen, but was definitely just silver which I didn't like as much.

I loved this dress almost as much in person as I did in the pictures. For clarity's sake, my measurements are 33 1/2" bust, 26" waist, 37" hips and a size 4 fit me best. It was a little snug in the hips and bust, but not by any means uncomfortable. The waist oddly fit perfectly in the front but was baggy in the back. I almost didn't wear it because of this, but my friends convinced me it was flattering and I'm so glad they did. I got tons of compliments all night and ended up being very happy with it! It was a tad short, especially for dancing, for the conservative country club the event was at - but that doesn't bother me :)

Delicate Scalloped Dress

Robert Rodriguez Collection

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Usual Size: 12

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 190lbs

This dress is beautiful but not very adaptable. No amount of Hollywood tape could get this dress to fit my frame. I realized it was because my torso was too short - if it were my dress, I would have taken up the shoulders about an inch and it would have worked w/ Hollywood tape. Didn't have safety pins (which would have looked odd anyway), so I went with my back up dress. Also, I have a tiny rib cage, but on the size 2 and 4 the material where the clasp connected on the back flapped up making it look like it was too small on me, even though it wasn't very tight. Not a fan of that at all! Finally, the skirt has 2 layers that are sewn together at the bottom. When they arrived, both sizes were super static-y and the outer layer was sucked into the inner layer. Nothing I did fixed it, so yet another reason I went with the back up. As for the embroidery, it looked like a silver-y gold on my computer screen, but was definitely just silver which I didn't like as much.

This was my back-up style and I didn't end up wearing it. I liked the material more in person than in the picture, but the fit wasn't right for me. The loose-fitting skirt is usually great for a pear shape, but the smallest part of my body is just under my bust line (my bra band size is a 32) and I always want that part to be snug to show it off! The empire waste was too loose for my taste and made me look larger than usual. It's probably a better fit for someone with a larger rib cage.