Renting clothes is not a new concept; celebrities have been doing it for years. However, the concept has been becoming an increasingly popular way to ‘shop’ in our day-to-day lives. There are various benefits to hiring your clothes, whether they be environmental, economic or even fashion oriented. So, here are our reasons why you should be renting your wardrobe.
Fashionable
Our generation’s attitude to fashion has been undoubtedly influenced by social media. People feel the need to invest in every micro-trend and, maybe even more alarmingly, people feel like they can only wear their outfits once. If these are both predicaments that you find yourself falling into, renting could be the perfect solution. If you like to wear something new for every night out, then you really should be renting these pieces. Not only does it allow you to express yourself through fashion but, as previously stated, it is a much more economic and sustainable option to buying something new every time. Similarly, if you want to try a trend-piece that you know won’t be a staple in your wardrobe, you can hire it and style it with the core-items that you already own and return it for someone else to try after.
Another fashion-orientated benefit to renting is that it allows you to experiment without commitment. Is there a certain style that you’ve been wanting to try but don’t want to fully commit to? You can rent pieces and see how wearable you find them, test whether they work with your current wardrobe and make an ultimate decision afterwards. This allows you to really play with fashion in a way that buying items doesn’t. This way you can have some fun with different styles and trends without having to buy into them if you’re unsure. Similarly, if there is a certain item or style that you like but it doesn’t really fit in with the rest of your wardrobe, you can still give it a go without having to work it in with your pre-existing items.
Economical
It will be no surprise to you that we are currently navigating a cost-of-living crisis; with this in mind luxuries, such as fashionable clothing, have become much less accessible for many households. While this context is very important and prevalent right now, the economic benefits of renting clothing pre-dates this current crisis. Take formalwear as an example, if you are attending an event and need an outfit specific to that dress-code, it just makes sense to rent your look rather than invest in an outfit that you won’t have many opportunities to wear. By Rotation, even has specific sub-sections for you to shop from depending on the event you’re attending. Whether it be a wedding-guest look or even a ski trip, By Rotation has you covered. Saving money by renting these less-wearable looks then allows you to re-invest this money into the staple pieces for your wardrobe.
Similarly, is there a designer piece that you have had your eye on but can’t afford to buy it? Would it be the perfect look for your birthday or engagement party? Again, renting could be an economic solution to this problem; you can find pieces from Fanci Club, Reformation and even Jean Paul Gaultier all available to rent for a fraction of the retail price.
Another economic benefit to renting is that you can rent out your pieces as well and actually earn some of the money back from the item. Think of all of the things that you’ve bought for specific events that you have never worn since, or those summer dresses that spend 8-months at the back of your wardrobe. You could be renting these pieces out instead of allowing them to gather dust in your home. Renting truly is a win-win system.
Environmental
The fashion industry is one of the main contributors to the climate crisis, in 2020 World Economic Forum reported that the “fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions and is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply.”
Similarly, The True Cost has shared that:
“The world now consumes about 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year. This is 400% more than the amount we consumed just two decades ago. As new clothing comes into our lives, we also discard it at a shocking pace. The average American now generates 82 pounds of textile waste each year. That adds up to more than 11 million tons of textile waste from the U.S. alone.”
It goes without saying, then, that something has to change within the industry. One of the most beneficial things that we can do to limit the environmental impacts of the fashion industry is to consume less. Investing in long-lasting staple pieces for your wardrobe and renting the rest when you need it, is the perfect way to cut-down your consumption as well as giving a new lease of life to items that may not be worn to their full capacity otherwise.
It’s Vintage Darling!
Finally, renting also offers access to some great vintage pieces. This means that you can track down and borrow some fantastic looks that you simply cannot buy anymore. In the same way we see celebrities and their stylists dipping into the archives, renting means that you can too.
Words by Amelia Gregory
Header Image by Hurr
