Clothing Rental On The Rise
The fashion industry has welcomed clothing rental with open arms. However, given its increasing popularity, we thought it is appropriate to explore what clothing rental is, its sustainability, and to see if clothing rental is on the rise through the offerings available to the UK public.
What is clothing rental (if you aren't already aware)?
Renting fashionable clothing allows customers to wear beautiful outfits to an event or special occasion, without breaking the bank, only for clothing to be left hanging in their wardrobes.
Whether you're going to a wedding or just want to try something new, in this Snapshot blog post we've taken a look into few sites that offer a sustainable way to get dressed.
Read on as we dive a little deeper into how clothing rental is on the rise, & uncover some of the latest rental contenders.
Rental platforms like my wardrobe have grown exponentially over the past few years, with thousands of followers sharing their great experiences renting luxury fashion items for their special occasions.
So, is clothing rental really on the rise?
A study by Westfield shopping centre found that the UK clothing rental market has a potential value of £923m and is forecast to escalate over the next few years.
While the concept has been prominent in the US for a while, unimaginative technology and an uninspiring fashion offering meant it was slower to take off in the UK. However, that has changed considerably due to the increase in fashionable apps and online platforms.
Online platforms are more appealing than ever, and physical stores also welcome a stylish new model for rental shopping.
is clothing rental sustainable?
For years, shopping sustainably meant spending hours fishing through charity shops. Clothing rental has positioned itself as a stylish solution by showing customers that they can wear the fashionable clothing they want, along with giving them the consoling knowledge of keeping them out of the landfill.
Clothing rentals also boast eco alternatives to dry-cleaning, such as steam-cleaning and making use of reusable packaging. Aiming to help keep the rental process as 'planet-friendly' as possible.
According to Grazia Daily, one critical driving factor behind the UK's rental desire is undoubtedly Guilt-free fashion consumption. A recent study from Voucher codes found that Britons spend roughly £16.2 bn a year 'fitting in with fashion tribes'. But, of course, this begs the question, how much of this expenditure in fashion retail lands up discarded?
Grazia also states; 'As well as contributing to landfill, our wear-once-throw-away mindset has fuelled the textile industry's 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year – more than international flights and maritime shipping combined.'
With the sustainability more prominent than ever, shopping consciously is a top priority.
How user friendly is renting?
The likes of My Wardrobe has made the rental game extremely user-friendly. Have a look at the below to see how simple it is to rent through their site. In addition, they have also teamed up with Klarna, offering renters the possibility to pay their rentals off.
Lets take a look at the current clothing rental contenders the UK has to offer
HURR | Rentals
HURR, designed to work for everyone. Whether you’re joining the revolution as a lender or a renter, using their platform couldn’t be easier.
In 2017, CEO Victoria Prew was struck by a home truth: fast fashion has created a demand for “newness” that has no place in a sustainable future. Something had to be done to remedy the bad habits of the industry.
A solution? Renting not buying. Getting women to rent instead, meant they could still get their kicks from the latest luxury trends and pieces, without burning a hole in their pocket or the planet.
From visiting lenders’ homes with camera in hand, to a desk at Google’s Startups Campus, to a pop-up in Selfridges, Victoria took an idea and made it a movement. HURR is now a tech-first platform with thousands of renters and lenders building a smart solution for fashion.
HURR is a community of like-minded, entrepreneurial women who are sharing more than just their wardrobes. They’re doing good by looking good.
Their mission: 'By Empowering Women To Extend The Lifespan Of Their Wardrobes, We’re Sending Fashion Round In Circles - One Rental At A Time.'
Hurr recently opened up a pop-up in Selfridges, offering the high-end customers their rental collection. This fashionable rental platform is one to watch
DCEY.CO.UK
Turkey’s first and largest fashion rental platform DCEY founded in 2010 by twin sisters Eda Franci and Seda Aksoy has recently launched in the UK.
The abbreviation 'DCEY' stands for Davet Çok Elbisem Yok, which translates to “so many invites, nothing to wear”. The platform offers a curated selection of high-end designer brands available to rent at a fraction of the price.
In the last 12 years, the platform has grown incredibly, renting over a thousand items per week, and DCEY sees geographic expansion into high-growth areas, such as the UK, as key to its wider strategy.
DCEY State on their website; 'Whether you need an outfit for a wedding, date night, garden party or any other special occasion, you've come to the right place. Why buy something if you're only going to use it once? Instead, try fashion in a more sustainable, affordable and circular way.'
Selfridges rentals
Curated by their expert buyers, Selfridges Rental helps you rent your favourite styles from leading designers and brands at Selfridges. It’s all part of their pioneering initiative, Project Earth, which explores new ways to shop and help do their bit for the planet.
Not only can you rent online, but you are able to peruse their rental options in store and try on. Browse through endless designer outfits and filter to styles you are interested in.
My Wardrobe
MY WARDROBE HQ is the UK’s first fashion rental marketplace; a leading destination for renting and buying contemporary and luxury womenswear fashion.
MWHQ believe fashion rental is the solution to consuming fashion in a sustainable way.
Discover clothing and accessories that they have sourced from brand partners as well as items from the wardrobes of celebrities and influencers including Arizona Muse, Poppy and Chloe Delevingne, Olivia Buckingham, Roxie Nafousi, Caroline Fleming, amongst many other stylish women across the UK. The items you find on this platform are a mix of new and past season; items that go beyond the past few seasons and are chosen due to their desirability, trend and designer. MWHQ is truly circular; rent an item and love it.
MWHQ's unique model means you can buy it! Then, when you want to share it and earn some money from it, list it back on the platform.
What can we take away from all this?
Clothing rental is on the rise! From the stylish assortments available to the simplicity and ease of rental, clothing rentals are a great alternative to unnecessary overconsumption.
So whether you are a "try before you buy" type of customer or an online shopping pro, clothing rental is easy and affordable and will leave your eco-guilt at the door.
We hope the above article has shed some light on the clothing rental arena and will be front of mind when you plan your next special event outfit.
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