image: Rent the Runway
Where to Rent Clothes For Temporary or one-time Wears
Clothing rentals have been around for the last decade but have swept the field in the fashion industry over the last couple of years. Conscious consumers are looking for innovative rental services to support their shopping sustainably. We have highlighted the full spectrum of clothing rentals, from plus-size to children’s clothing and everything in between. Clothing rentals are a great option for when you are going to a wedding or special event and need a dress to wear only once. Choosing rental clothes grants the garment a longer life cycle, keeping it out of landfill for as long as possible. Many of these services offer not only clothes but designer bags, shoes, and jewelry galore! Renting clothes is a fun way to shop, allowing you to browse someone else’s closet instead of buying new. Have some fun experimenting with the rental services that best suit you and your style needs. Whether shopping in person tires you out, or you just don’t love wasting so much money on an expensive garment that you know you’ll only wear once, you can rest assured that there is a rental service that will solve all your fashion struggles!
HOW DO RENTAL SERVICES WORK?
Clothing rental services allow you to borrow seasonal and special occasion attire for a short period of time, rather than dropping a lot of money to buy something that you might only wear once. Some rental services allow you to rent from other people’s real closets, and some you rent directly from the service that stocks a variety of brands. While online shopping for your temporary purchase, you can easily find the perfect style by filtering your choice of style, color, occasion, and price. Some rental services offer a subscription, while others offer a one-time price for the rental garment. The prices vary greatly based on designer, label, and original price range, but you will get a discounted price while renting no matter what.
WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF RENTING VERSUS BUYING?
As many of us know by now, the fashion industry has a very negative impact on the environment. Most articles of clothing in our wardrobe serve one or two life cycles, then end up in the landfill, despite donating to charity shops. This is where the clothing rental industry drastically challenges that fact. The clothing rental service market is expected to reach a value of US$ 2.08 billion by 2025. Clothing rental services offer the most usage in the special occasion market, which serves as a great solution to buying fancy outfits that you will only wear once and at an expensive price tag. With clothing rentals, you are contributing to one of the many life cycles the item will have, keeping it out of the landfill for as long as possible.
We would also like you to be mindful of your carbon impact when shipping items back and forth. We believe clothing rental is excellent for temporary, one-time wear pieces, but we don't think this is something you should do for your everyday wardrobe. Instead, invest in quality, ethically-made pieces you intend to love for many years. And, of course, shopping secondhand and taking care of what you already have is a wonderful way to have a sustainable wardrobe!
Our Top Picks for Clothing Rental Services:
1) Rent the Runway
Founded in 2009, Rent The Runway changed the way women get dressed forever by pioneering the "closet in the cloud", giving women a dream closet full of an infinite selection of designer staples to rent. RTR became a starting point for the circular economy and made designer apparel accessible to women everywhere.
A membership gives you access to thousands of styles for a flat monthly price. RTR also offers one-time rentals if you're not ready to commit to a subscription. They allow fashion freedom, discounted price tags, and total flexibility, all with a sustainable footprint.
2) Tulerie
Tulerie is a peer-to-peer luxury closet-sharing app with sustainability in mind. The community is made up of like-minded women who are fashion focused and eager to expand their wardrobes in an eco-friendly way. Tulerie’s mission is to let sustainability and luxury coexist.
They strive to change the way you think about how you shop. So you can achieve that desire for newness and variety in your wardrobe in a modern, eco-friendly way.
3) Nuuly
Nuuly is an URBN brand, offering gently used styles from Free People, Urban Outfitters, Anthropology, BHLDN, and Terrain.
Nuuly wants to create a new shopping experience that inspires and connects its customers on an emotional level.
Nuuly adapted its ethos to meet the modern need for sustainable-minded experiences and services.
They reimagine what it means to shop, sell, own, share, and express individuality.
4) Fashion to Figure Closet
Fashion To Figure is a fashion subscription service that lets you rent clothing and accessories for a flat monthly membership fee. Just wear, return, and repeat! The company carries plus-size clothing, offering accessibility to even more women who want to reduce their fashion footprint while looking super stylish. Browse styles and choose the items you wish to rent. Once you wear your clothing and accessories out and about as many times as you like, you have the option to keep the pieces you love for up to 50% off and return the rest. Fashion To Figure uses an apparel cleaning process that uses biodegradable detergents, less electricity, less gas, and less water than doing the laundry yourself.
5) Gwynnie Bee
Gwynnie Bee is a service that offers unlimited styles for women. It was created by the founder, Christine, more than ten years ago. She was inspired by her childhood when her grandmother made her clothes that she would receive each week. The excitement of receiving a package of clothes made her feel confident, even as she was changing clothing sizes, a feeling she wanted to share with other women. With a subscription, you can explore top brands and curated collections. Get clothing delivered to your door and rock them as many times as you like.
6) Vince Unfold
Vince is based in Los Angeles and creates elevated yet understated pieces. The collections are inspired by the brand's California origins and embody a feeling of warmth and effortless style. They approach dressing with a sense of ease. Known for their range of luxury products, they offer women's and men's ready-to-wear shoes, home, and handbags for a global lifestyle. Rent and receive four items at a time to wear as often as you like. When you're ready, send back all the items in a prepaid bag. Exchange at your pace all month. Always enjoy free shipping and returns, or keep your favorite styles for a discounted price.
7) Borobabi
A rental service just for the littles ones (ages 0-6)!
The worst part about buying kids' clothing is how fast they grow out of them! That's why we love Borobabi's model. They curate several (sustainable) clothing pieces for your little one, & you get to decide which you want to buy, rent, or return. Borobabi's curation services come with a special touch because it's done by a team of real mom stylists across the U.S!
You can read more about Borobabi here.
8) Armoire
Armoire uses a fun style quiz to determine your unique style! Then, they will use real professional stylists to choose a selection of styles for you. With a promise of no more endless scrolling or dressing room frustrations, select your favorite styles and have them delivered to your door. They offer high-end styles in sizes 0-24 to satisfy every occasion and season. For each package you rent, the advanced carbon emissions are roughly equal to the effect of planting three trees. The process of Armoire’s clothes has a repeated average of 16 times before being retired! At the end of the garment’s cycle in Armoire’s closet, the operations team gets the clothing ready for its next life, taking care to attend to any repairs. Some items are creatively upcycled for a second act at Armoire!
9) Rainey's Closet
Rainey's Closet grew from the founder's personal experience when trying to coordinate outfits for her annual family photos session. After much time and money spent on an outfit that would only be worn once, she was inspired to create Rainey's Closet. They offer special occasion rental clothes and coordinating accessories for children. Consider it your child's dream closet! You get access to limited-run designer clothing, hard-to-find styles, and made-to-match accessories that are perfect for photo sessions, birthdays, flower girl outfits, and more. How it works: choose from thousands of styles and filter by a category, size, brand, reservation date, or color. Once you pick your dates and items, you will receive the clothes, attend the event, then return! You can reserve the outfits for 5 or 10 days. When finished, place everything unwashed in the original packaging and mail it back using the return label they provided. No subscriptions, no hassle!
10) Vivrelle
With Vivrelle, you can access a closet of hundreds of luxury accessories monthly. So if you love to switch up your bags and accessories, this luxury rental service is the one for you. Vivrelle is derived from two French words: "vivre," meaning "to live," and "elle," meaning "she." With Paris being the epicenter of fashion, they have infused that legacy into the brand by creating a name and a community that focuses on making women feel alive. Choose between four different subscription levels starting at $39. There are no return dates for items, allowing you to wear them over and over again as much as you want. Free and insured shipping both ways, always. You have the option to buy an item if you fall in love with it!
11) Nova Octo
Nova Octo is the choice go-to rental platform for luxury evening wear. They offer high fashion from the current season to archival pieces by the most coveted designers worldwide. They allow you to dress up for a special occasion without one-wear guilt. Their two-part name refers to astronomy and the circular fashion model: A nova is a star that expands in size and shines for a period of time before returning to its original state, and “octo” signifies infinity. The idea is about transforming for a night through their shared rental model. Their stylists advise you as you select your dream garment, whether in person at their showroom or online. They offer alterations, too, allowing for a customized fit.
12) Le Tote
Le Tote is a simplistic fashion subscription service that lets you rent clothing and accessories for a flat monthly membership fee. Once you choose your items, they will send you them within 2-3 days with free shipping.
Wear them as many times as you like! Keep the pieces you love for up to 50% off the retail price, and return the rest. Membership plans start at $59 a month.
With an optional $5 monthly insurance fee, you can rest assured that stains or tears are covered.
13) Haverdash
Haverdash offers a fun and easy way to get dressed! No more pressure to wear something multiple times and multiple ways. No more compromises between the practical and the fabulous! Return the clothes you borrowed for something new, or keep them forever for a discounted price. They offer a range of women’s clothing, including tops, skirts, pants, and more. Complete your personal closet with styles you covet but may not want to own forever. They always offer free shipping and dry cleaning, so you don’t have to! Subscription prices range from $20-$75.
About the Author
Emily Henry is a sustainably focused fashion designer, writer, and activist. She specializes in upcycled garments and spreads the importance of sustainability through her art and work.
MAKE SURE TO PIN THE PHOTO BELOW TO SAVE THIS POST FOR LATER!
WANT MORE SUSTAINABLE BRANDS? VISIT OUR BRAND DIRECTORY!
Our Brand Directory is home to hundreds of sustainable brands, from makeup to cleaning supplies, from underwear to shoes. We have broken everything down by category for easy shopping, along with discount codes unique to Sustainably Chic viewers.
