ARE you looking for a more sustainable way to try new styles? Maybe you’ve tried pre-loved fashion from charity shops, vintage clothing stores or sites like Vinted and Depop. But have you ever thought of renting your next piece?
Fashion rental is booming. It’s one of the best ways to try new pieces before buying and avoids huge waste. You may have a special occasion coming up and want to get a piece that will wow, without it being seen on everyone. At some point you might have experienced that awkward moment where you’ve bought the latest Zara piece, only to find it on another person at every event you go to. Let me introduce you to the world of fashion rental and help you avoid those awkward moments. Here are my three biggest pros of renting.
More sustainable: Do you find yourself rushing to buy a new piece for your next event and spend a fortune, only to wear it once, never to be seen again? If it sounds familiar, we’ve all been there. Fashion rental gives you the chance to be more sustainable by avoiding fast fashion pieces. You essentially save your money and the planet by investing in pieces that have a longer lifespan. And with a lot of the rental brands, if you truly love the piece after your first try, you can usually go on to buy them. A try before you buy model that has my vote!
Neelam Mistry-Thaker (Photo: Sheena Sabharwal)
Money saving: Tired of wearing the same old high street brands? Fashion rental gives you a chance to try higher end fashion for a fraction of the price and gives you the option to try brands you might not normally go for. It enables you to experience the luxury of a higher end or designer brand and see the quality in areas such as the fit of the item to the type of fabric used.
More variety: Get the opportunity to experiment more with your style without the full investment. Maybe you want to go a bit more boho or maybe a little more romantic for your next event. Experience a new style personality and more variety without a big upfront investment to change your entire wardrobe.
So where can you rent?
One of my favourite brands is Endless Wardrobe who offer three ways to shop; rent, buy new or buy nearly new. I spoke with co-founders Hannah Johnston and Rosie Gunn about the fashion rental market. Here’s what they had to say: “We built it for us, for women who care about fashion and sustainability, but aren’t thrifty shoppers working the secondhand or rental platforms. We wanted it to be as easy as shopping at ASOS.
“Our ethos is simple, if you’ll wear it once, rent, if you’ll wear it endlessly, buy.”
I’ve rented from Endless Wardrobe and the process is so simple. Rent for four, 10 or 16 days and once you’re done pop it back in the post for free. It is by far becoming my favourite way to shop. Would you now consider fashion rental?
Neelam Mistry-Thaker is a fashion expert, personal stylist and style coach.
Visit Instagram: @NeelamPersonalStylist and www.neelampersonalstylist.com
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