The closets of women on campus just got a little bit bigger.
Curtsy, a mobile application that allows users to rent casual and formal dresses, launched at LSU this month. The app aims to help college women find fashionable dresses for low prices.
The application first launched in January at the University of Mississippi. Ole Miss students and roommates Clara Agnes and Sarah Kipp founded the company after realizing they needed dresses for a sorority formal.
Knowing that they had already borrowed all their friends’ clothes, Agnes and Kipp toyed with the idea of perusing the closets of other women on campus, said LSU campus representative Margot McNeely.
Agnes’ brother suggested that the two create an app, and the business has grown from there. The company’s goal is to offer a cheaper alternative to shopping, allowing women to rent a dress rather than pay full price for something they will most likely only wear once.
“Girls have been sharing their closets with their friends forever. Curtsy just allows you to broaden that circle, while also making money off your own closet,” said LSU Curtsy campus director Virginia Stewart.
The application was well-received at Ole Miss, and with such high demand, the entrepreneurs expanded to other college campuses. Curtsy is now on 13 other campuses, including Auburn University, the University of Alabama, Mississippi State University and Clemson University.
The app is free to download in the Apple App Store, with a description written from the perspective of a sundress begging to be worn again and asking for a “night off this hanger.”
“College women have found that it’s much more convenient to rent a dress for the day at a cheaper cost and then return it to its owner,” McNeely said.
To make an account and begin shopping, users must register with their campus email address. After creating a profile, users can begin uploading photos of their dresses as well as the brand name, style, size, original retail price and rental price.
Rental price depends on the original retail price and the user’s personal preference — some may charge more than others. The company employs a $5 “Curtsy Coverage” fee, in case of accidents or damage, McNeely said.
Shoppers can “love” another user’s dress, and save the dress to their profile for future use.
The company operates by the motto, “Their closet is your closet,” as posted on its website. Users have the opportunity to try a dress on beforehand by contacting the owner of the dress in advance.
“I know how hard and expensive it can be to find dresses for formals and date parties, so it’s a great way to find dresses right here at LSU,” Stewart said.
Campus representatives have reached out to sororities and the University’s team plans to hold trunk shows at various sororities’ social events.
“Curtsy will make it more efficient and more affordable for all college women to find outfits for any occasion,” said McNeely.

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Curtsy