The Rental Clothes Trend | The Practical Fashion Lifestyle

It can be an invitation for a special occasion like a wedding, or a gala. Maybe you need an outfit for the upcoming job interview and you are really unsure what you should wear. Or maybe it’s simply a special night out with your friends or family and you want to look fancy and surprise everyone with your outfit choice. Whatever the reason may be, people shop for new clothes very often. But what if there was a way to wear the season’s fiercest trends without having to actually buy them? Guess what? There is!

The rental clothes trend has been spreading around the world like crazy, and more and more people are opting for this new way of dressing up. Clothing rental companies are providing an eco-friendly and economical way to keep up with new trends and dress up as you like, with the advantage of getting the chosen clothes delivered to your address!

When did renting clothes actually become ‘a thing’?

Just think about this: nearly ten years ago, a person wouldn’t even consider getting into a taxi with a complete stranger. Today we have Uber, and that’s completely normal and mostly safe. Deciding to spend the night in a stranger’s house rather than sleeping in a well-known hotel also seemed like an impossible scenario. Today we have Airbnb, which changed the way we see the travel industry. So, what happened?

Without even realizing it, people have accepted and started to live the idea of sharing and being open to try new possibilities various industries have to offer. Meanwhile, it’s no news that the fashion industry of fashion has become one of the most polluting industries worldwide. This is due to the fact that the world of fashion has encountered a higher demand for clothes.

Rental fashion is actually no news. There are companies which have actually been visible and operating for several years, but nowadays the increase of environmental issues has made renting clothes a popular way to dress up. And when you think about it, ‘sharing’ our wardrobes makes sense, if anything, for our planet’s sake.  

Why do some people often go for renting clothes?

There are a few benefits of renting clothes:

1. Trying out new brands and styles

And the best thing about it? You don’t have to commit to having them in your wardrobe forever! Now you can wear that dress you saw in your favourite designer’s latest show on a special occasion. You can experiment with new looks and even change your style to the core.

2. Save some wardrobe space

Perhaps you want to stick to basics in your wardrobe, and keep pieces of clothing that you wear on a daily basis. Maybe you have too many clothes and your wardrobe just can’t fit more. Or maybe it’s just that you don’t want to keep your pregnancy clothes, but you aren’t sure because you might need them again.

Guess what? There is a solution for this as well. Fashion rentals can fulfil ‘temporary’ fashion, such as pregnancy clothing, and some companies even offer fashion products such as street wear. So, your wardrobe awaits – free some space!

3. Wear a cool vintage piece of clothing

Rental companies offer a wide range of clothes. Who knows, you might find a cool skirt or dress you saw on the runway in the 90s but knew it would be too expensive to buy.

 4. Perfect for those with a zero-waste lifestyle

Show your love to the planet! Sharing fashion, i.e renting clothes eliminates the doubt of having to buy for one occasion, which just makes you a contributor to the fast fashion cycle. Plus, the increase of the clothes rental trend inspires the production of clothes that are more durable, which is again good in terms of sustainability.

Who is renting nowadays?

Yes, you probably guessed it. The millennial generation are more open to the idea of sharing, as they, generally speaking, value access over ownership. This means that the younger generation, who very often don’t want to be seen wearing the same outfit twice on social media, are more likely to rent clothes.

What’s really interesting is that renting involves both the older generation and millennials, as the first are those who actually choose to share their wardrobes more often. There are many people who have built up fancy, amazing wardrobes over the years. And now, they are willing to rent out their clothes to the younger generation. How cool is that?

Bookmark these websites, these are the best clothes rental companies!

1. Rent the Runway Unlimited

‘Unlimited closet, unlimited You’ is their motto. Who wouldn’t want to have a designer wardrobe on rotation for every occasion? Rent the Runway has been operating for more than ten years. So, we could say that it was the breakout start for clothing rental. It used to rent only formal wear, but now, with many customers adopting the new way of purchasing clothes, the company offers clothing for every occasion.

So, here’s how it works. On their website, the process of renting is explained step by step. For $159 a month, you can rent even four pieces at a time from your favourite designer and have them delivered to your doorstep in just two days. Plus, the company allows you to swap back a style if you aren’t satisfied with the clothes you picked.

 2. New York & Company Closet

Create your endless wardrobe with this amazing rental company. If you want to wear that street style ‘9 to 5’ look you see on Instagram, this is the place. You can get access to your favourite clothes for a monthly flat rate. Believe it or not, NY&Co’s monthly subscription includes unlimited access to all the clothes, including the new styles which are added every week. You can choose up to three outfits at a time, and when you send them back together, you can pick three more.

 The greatest thing about this clothing rental company? If you rent something that you really like, you can purchase it at a special discount.

3. Gwynnie Bee

From Calvin Klein, to Adrianna Papell and many more fashion brands that come in all sizes. This clothes rental service gives its customers the chance to choose from several different subscription options, so you can choose renting one or more items at a time. 

4. Tulerie

‘Buy what you love, borrow what you like’ is the motto this clothing rental service goes by. They go one step further and they give their customers the chance to borrow and share clothes with women both in their local cities and all around the world. Their app is perfect if you decide to go on a holiday or attend a special event. Each transaction requires a $10 shipping fee. Besides, if you want to find a way to get some extra income, sign up and lend that piece of clothing you haven’t worn in a while.

5. HURR Collective 

This clothing rental service offer something slightly different. It works like Airbnb, which means that instead of renting your flat, your rent your wardrobe instead. It’s the first ‘peer-to-peer’ service that adapts the same sharing aspect. So if you want to rent, you submit a request and then the lender can accept or decline that request within 48 hours. You can chat with the lender and ask about how that piece of clothing fits, and everything you want to know before the transaction goes through. Pieces can be rented from a day to up to a month.

Rental can be really fun, would you try it?

When clothing rental services appeared, people would only rent clothes for special occasions. Today, environmentally conscious consumers are adopting a new way of dressing up, causing a major change in everyday wear rental. So, this might solve our fast fashion problem. So, would you do it?