Renting clothes is not a new concept. It has been around for years. Not long ago renting clothes was only something you did for special occasions – a tuxedo for a wedding or a dress for a charity ball – but not anymore.
Thanks to the pioneering platform Rent the Runway, renting clothes for any occasion became popular in 2019. Other companies quickly followed, and nowadays you can rent clothes for every occasion. Day on the beach or a night out with friends? No problem.
The benefits
There are many benefits to renting clothes so let’s discuss some. The first benefit is that renting clothes can be cheaper. For formal occasions such as a wedding, it is often expected that you wear beautiful and chic items. However, if you wear such clothes only one or two times you are not getting your money’s worth out of it. Therefore, in this case, renting is a better option.
The second benefit is that renting allows you to wear a large variety of clothes without losing closet space. With renting you have access to a gigantic amount of clothes. Thus you are able to wear clothes that you would normally not buy yourself. Besides, it is also quite useful for different occasions such as themed parties or interviews.
The third benefit is that you can show off with designer items that normally would be way too expensive. Be honest, have you ever wanted a certain designer item, but it equals 2 months’ worth of salary? By renting these items you can feel the luxury lifestyle without hurting your wallet.
The fourth and last, and in my opinion the most important benefit is that renting clothes is more environmentally friendly than buying clothes. By renting clothes you reduce the demand for the production of new clothes. This spares a lot of materials, energy, and reduces GHG emissions. Besides, this way fewer clothes will end up in landfills which is also positive. Overall, renting clothes reduces the impact of the fashion industry on the environment.
3 renting companies
Rent the Runway
So let’s start off with the company that started this trend: Rent the Runway. Here you can rent clothes for every occasion. From weddings, and prom to holiday wear and date night items. Next to this, you can rent designer items including well-known brands such as Gucci, Paco Rabanne, and Stella McCartney. Other items you can rent from the company are bags, sunglasses, and other accessories. You can become a member of Rent the Runway. With this membership you will receive designer items each month, so you always have something to wear. The memberships start off at $89 a month for 4 items per month.
For more information please click here
Style lend
Style lend is another company that rents out clothing. With Style Lend, you can choose from many gorgeous designer items from brands such as Chanel, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, and Yves Saint Laurent. Once you have found the perfect item you can rent it and it will arrive within 2/3 days. If an item does not fit you can return it, and receive a different size within 24 hours. You rent the item for a week, and then return it in a pre-paid package.
Sounds amazing right?! But….. that is not the only thing you can do with Style Lend. If you have a closet full of designer items you can lend out your closet. You can do this by uploading photos of your designer items to the website. Style Lend does recommend the items to be over $250 and to be no longer than 2 years old.
For more information please click here
Gwynnie Bee
Gwynnie Bee is the third renting company that I will mention. Just like Rent the Runway, you can get a membership where you will receive a subscription box with items of your choice. From this company, you can rent a lot of casual everyday wear, but they also have items for special occasions. Moreover, the company is very size-inclusive ranging from 10 to 32. Besides, if you fell in love with a certain item from the box you can buy and keep that item for a discount from the retail price.
Gwynnie Bee is currently only available in the US.
For more information please visit their website
