StyleLend's New App Lets You Rent a Dress From the Cool Girl Down the Street

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Local dress-rental startup StyleLend just launched a new iPhone app with a peer-to-peer stylehound-to-stylehound model.

Here's how it works: Would-be lenders upload pics of their designer dresses and handbags (from the approved list of brands, of course), and then shoppers-cum-renters browse through hundreds of listings with filters like category, size, color, price, and neighborhood. Once a match is made, the two parties have a chat, arrange a meeting, and voilà: done deal.

Indeed, it's the neighborhood aspect of the app that seems to have StyleLend most excited. It's betting on the fact that most women love the idea of connecting with others who live nearby—especially those with dream closets. And let's face it, it's a lot more convenient to grab a dress at the cafe on the corner (or near the office) than schlepping to StyleLend's China Basin office, one's only pre-app option.

Right now the app is only available in San Francisco; however, Los Angeles and New York are slated to have their own hood-centric versions in the near future.