Fashion For Rent.
I really don’t need much of a reason to buy a new outfit for every event which is exactly why I am a personal stylist. This way I am can (get my fix) shop and curate without becoming the woman who lives in her shoe LOL! And let’s not forget the social media world we live in now. I have worked with clients in the influencing world and have concerns that if they are not wearing a new never been seen outfit before that it will affect their brand. It’s one of the things I hear that fuels my passion in doing what I do. Trust me a person on average only wears 20% of their actual wardrobe and that includes celebrities + influencers. When they are not in front of a camera, they are wearing their favorite 20% of their closet.
Sooooo, with that said, there is absolutely no reason to put any pressure on yourself to follow this way of thinking. Let us be real the waste created from the fashion industry is massive. The volume of clothing just in America alone the amount of clothing we throw away each year has doubled in the last 20 years, from 7 million to 14 million tons. In 2018, 17 million tons of textile waste ended up in landfills, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency, making up 5.8 percent of the total MSW generation that year. That is a lot of waste and most clothing ends up in landfills or incinerators. New York the American capital of fashion sends over 400 million pounds of clothes end up in the trash.
As enticing as it is to buy that amazing impulse outfit that you will only wear once, we really don’t need to buy a brand-new outfit for every different event in our lives. We can make an impact with the small choices we make everyday and fashion is no exception. One way to do that is rent your fashion. Whether or not you just need a new look for a special event or need multiple pieces to change out regularly fashion rentals is a great option. I really love the whole world of renting fashion it is sort of like next level thrift shopping. It is a great way to try new designers and looks without committing to the hefty price tag and bonus most of them give you the option to buy the piece at a membership rate. There are even maternity options which I think is genius. Really for any kind of transitional time in your wardrobe for career changes, weight fluctuations, a deadly virus that forces us into lock down.
I have listed out a few questions to think about when looking to get into the fashion rental game. It is important to keep these in mind when you are looking at all of the different packages. Take into account your lifestyle and budget. There are so many options available now days and I think as we move towards sustainable fashion there will a lot more options down the road.
What is your why? Are you wanting to include more designer pieces into your wardrobe without paying full price to buy them? Are you wanting to try pieces before you buy them? Are you looking to rent pieces just for special events?
What if any are the additional fees? Is dry cleaning and shipping included in the membership. These fees can add very quickly if you are renting a high volume of pieces every month. Are you able to pause, change, cancel the memberships without additional fees? If you need to be able to change the number of garments or shipping times frequently then making sure your membership includes these it will save you some bucks.
Do you want to try and buy? Not all of the memberships give you the option to buy the garments. If they do the discount rates on the retail price can vary depending on the company.
Are there additional fees? Make sure you look to see everything the membership includes. Some do not include cleaning and shipping fees. Some are a monthly membership plus garment rental rate.
At Rent The Runway they have three plans to choose from and the option to rent garments without needing to have a membership. You can choose how many garments will suit your lifestyle and you can keep them for as long as you want. You just return them in the reusable garment bags when you want to switch them out for new pieces. They have sooo many designer options. Designers such as Jason Wu, Tory Burch, Missoni and more.
How Much: The membership has three tiers to choose from depending on how many garments you want to rent per month. Membership starts off at $174 per month for 8 garments
Fashion Figure is made for women sizes 12–24 and XL–3XL who want endless styles to choose from. you looking and feeling your best. Not to mention, they carry accessories too so you can top off your look.
For 54.95 per month Fashion to Figure Closet members can rent three styles from the proprietary brand, and can return and repeat as much as you want. If there's an item you absolutely can't part with, FTFC will give you a discounted price of up to 50% off the retail price.
The That Girl closet you've been coveting is suddenly within reach. Vince Unfold is a good way to try out the brand's offerings, from breezy linens for an upcoming vacation to leather and velvet suits that'll make you look and feel your best.
For $160 per month Vince Unfold members will receive four at a time. You can wear them for as long as you wish within the month and exchange them whenever you want all month long. Vince Unfold also offers members a discounted price on all its offerings so you can keep the ones you want or return your items for a new batch.
Why you'll want it: If you love this brand and avoiding the crowds then this just may be your jam. You will get New York and Company's latest arrivals delivered to your door. They give members the opportunity to add up to 25 items to their virtual closet so there's a better chance of getting pieces you truly love. For $49.95 per month three of items will be shipped monthly; return and replace your selects as often as you want.
Style Lend is different in that they allow members to rent designer items from other people's closets. If you don’t have a large budget to work with but, want to wear designer cloths then for less than $8 per month this checks off all of those boxes. You get to rent designer bags, dresses, outerwear, anything from brands like Zimmerman, Self Portrait, Emilio Pucci, Chanel, Christian Dior instead of paying full retail price.
You can rent a designer piece for seven days, return it, then rent again. Because, you are renting directly from the garment owners, the inventory isn't as expansive, you're only renting items for a week, and can't purchase the items you love unless you speak directly to the seller and they are willing to sell it to you. This could also be an option if you have a large designer closet and you want to earn extra cash renting your pieces out.
How Much: Membership + rental fee for each garment. There are strict late fees so, if you are not great with shipping deadlines that could be an extra cost.
Banana Republic Style Passport
Banana Republic Style Passport is another clothing rental service that makes dressing for work quick and seamless process so you have more time for things that matter (lattes, sleep, podcasts).
How Much: For $85 a month you can rent three items at a time and wear them for as long as you want, or return them using your pre-paid label. You also have the option to get more items any time during the month (some services just do a single bulk shipment).
The cost: $85/month
Why should you only borrow fashion from your friends? Join in the communal closet at Tulerie, the peer to peer clothing rental app allowing users to rent and rent out the full spectrum of their wardrobes from each other. Each new member is vetted via Facetime so that you can feel confident sharing your favorite pieces.
How Much: There is no membership fee the pieces are priced individually. All you need to do is download the app, browse, then you can start make rental requests. You can also rent your own pieces out to earn cash on the app as well.
Gwynnie Bee's has some really cute pieces available to rent. Their website has stylist-curated categories like work and weekend so members can easily browse clothing for every occasion. The service caters specifically to women sizes 10 to 32 from brands like Calvin Klein, ModCloth, and Eshakti.
They offer free shipping, free dry cleaning, unlimited exchanges, and if you love the garment yu can keep it for a discounted rate. Before you even decide to commit to Gwynnie Bee, the company offers a free trial that allows customers to rent two items at a time for one month. After your trial period is over, the pricing increases based on how many items you want to take out at a time.
How Much: They have several subscription plans the loest starting at $49/month for one items
The Why: If Anthropologie and BB Dakota and one of my FAVORITES Farm Rio are your jam than this is the rental shop for you. They have so many options to choose from and you have the option to buy the pieces at a discounted price if you fall in love and must become its permanent care taker.
The How: For $88 per you can choose six new items every month. With over 150 designers to choose from you will never run out of looks to wear. You can keep any items send and send the rest back by the return date. There are no laundry or repair fees and you can pause or cancel your membership at any time.
