WHY TO START RENTING YOUR CLOTHING: A guide to renting your clothes

Have you ever wondered about renting a piece for your wardrobe? Maybe you have an occasion you need something new for? Or perhaps even a closet rework is in the books and you simply don't know if it's right to take the plunge? 

If you’re a designer fashion junkie and have Gucci handbags collecting dust in your wardrobe (lucky you!), then you might want to try out renting yours out.

Renting pieces for your wardrobe is the next big thing and also the next best thing too. The UK clothing rental market is predicted to be worth £2.3 billion by 2029 and with more clothing rental apps than ever before, it’s never been easier to monetise your wardrobe. Start now and reap the benefits of the industry’s growth.

TRY SOMETHING NEW

Ever wanted to change up your style for an occasion, rework your wardrobe heading into a new season or try a new brand but you're not sure whether it's worth the spend? Renting may be the way to your fashion loving heart in more ways than one. Whether your focus is on a brand you're yet to invest in, a style that's new to you or simply a special piece for an occasion that you've never attended before, renting is the ideal way to experience all of the above. It checks all the boxes with opportunities to try a little something new, test a brand out with no strings attached and feel amazing for a special occasion. 

Of course one of the huge benefits that's easy to see when thinking of renting for the first time, especially considering those pieces that you know won't see you through multiple occasions, is the opportunity to save a little money. Packing for a once in a lifetime vacation, attending a loved ones wedding, styling yourself for graduation or simply feeling the pull for a spring cleaning doesn't mean your budget has to have elasticated sides. Short term loans especially can be fabulously affordable and saving some money now means being able to rent a little more later down the line too - a win win in everyone's eyes.

THE RENTAL EDIT

Did you know so many of your most loved brands are available to rent right now either online or even in select stores?

SAVE SOME MONEY

Of course one of the huge benefits that's easy to see when thinking of renting for the first time, especially considering those pieces that you know won't see you through multiple occasions, is the opportunity to save a little money. Packing for a once in a lifetime vacation, attending a loved ones wedding, styling yourself for graduation or simply feeling the pull for a spring cleaning doesn't mean your budget has to have elasticated sides. Short term loans especially can be fabulously affordable and saving some money now means being able to rent a little more later down the line too - a win win in everyone's eyes. 

INDULGE IN FASHION

Renting pieces to fulfill your fashion agenda is the ideal way to indulge in whichever way you want to this season. Refresh with brand new out there accessories, take a long term loan of a classic coat that will last you through an entire seasons worth of weather and simply have some fun with styles, brands and cuts you may not have had the opportunity to before. Fashion and style should always be fun and if there's a way of bringing that joy into more wardrobes than ever and it becomes even more accessible than what are you waiting for?olutely no doubt that rental fashion is on the rise. As we all become painfully more aware of the impact that the production of clothing is having on our planet, many of us are trying to shop less, buy better and, on some occasions, turn to rental, rather than always buying something new.

So many great rental platforms have emerged in recent years, and fashion houses are also getting in on the action by investing in the idea. However, if you have never rented a piece of clothing, the process can definitely be daunting.

A GUIDE TO RENTING OUT YOUR CLOTHES

Here, we round up all the tips and tricks you need to know before you embrace the rental-fashion world, whether you are renting something for yourself, or lending out your own wardrobe.

Tip 1:Take some time to familiarise yourself with the Hurr platform and iOS app – begin wish-listing the items you like, with over 10,000+ listings there truly is something for everyone. The rental process itself is incredibly straightforward, you simply choose the pieces you’d like to rent, select a delivery date and you’ll be connected to the lender via our in-platform messaging. Rentals start from as low as £16, so I would say start with some ‘safer’ pieces that you know you’ll love, or brands you’ve worn before, then you can build up to more daring rentals, pushing yourself out of your style comfort zone a bit more.

Tips 2: You can select a delivery date of your choice, but we would recommend getting a day or two before you need, this gives you plenty of time to try it on and avoid any last-minute stress. If you are tight for time or worried about fit, we have a permanent pop-up in Selfridges so you can try on as many pieces as you’d like, and take them away with you on the day.

Tips 3: The more you use rental, the more it becomes part of your every day life. Many of our customers aren't renting for high-days and holidays, but renting for the everyday – date nights, job interviews, picnics in the park.

As a peer-to-peer marketplace, you can also list your own wardrobe. We’re not saying 'never buy new', we’re saying 'buy less and buy better', knowing that you can shop responsibly, wear it, then put it on the platform. After three rentals you’ve made your money back. Ultimately, we want to inspire our community to be both renters and lenders.

Tips 4: If you are a first-time renter, I think it's a good idea to look at brands you already know and trust. You know the sizing, you know how they fit, you know what to expect. But also have a stalk on Instagram, we have an incredible community of people who love styling their rentals differently – so take inspiration from someone with a similar shape to you and hunt it down on site. 

Tips 5: As a renter, you are expected to treat rented items as if they are your own, but obviously we understand that accidents can happen. We have created our £5 Damage Protection add-on, this helps give you peace of mind and covers any bigger damage or stains should you have a run in with a spilt drink.

Tips 6: It takes under 60 seconds to list an item. You simply take photos; upload them; and wait for the rentals to roll in. We help with the returns and dry-cleaning process for our lenders to, again to make it as easy as possible.

Tips 7: I think rental is naturally associated with wedding-guest dressing, which is certainly a huge category, but what’s been really interesting over the past few months is actually the increase in brides renting, not just the guests. Lockdown has caused so much disruption, meaning brides have sometimes had just weeks to turn around a wedding – so we do have lots of brides coming to us in a last minute panic. We also now have a dedicated bridal section in our Selfridges’ pop-up which has been incredibly popular. Renting your wedding dress is the future.

Tips 8: In the UK, customers spend £2.7 billion on outfits which they are wearing just once. Social media has somehow created this myth that if you’ve had a picture in it, you can’t wear it again, which means we are just wasting an obscene amount of clothing. Rental enables consumers to still have that newness, but without contributing to unnecessary consumption. 

Tips 9: There are plenty of apps and sites you can use to get started, they include, By Rotation, Hurr and My Wardrobe HQ, which also lets renters buy some items, so is a great way to sell your designer gems too.

By Rotation is an app, which can be downloaded on both the Apple store or Google play store, but Hurr and MWHQ can be accessed on a desktop, which can be easier to browse for some.

QUESTIONS YOU MAY WANT TO ASK

How much can I make?

This entirely depends on what and how many items you have to rent out, but By Rotation recommends listing items for 5% of their retail price.

On this basis, you’d need to rent out each item 20 times to make your money back in its entirety.

My Wardrobe HQ has rental prices from £4 up to £118 per day, while bags range from £4 to £147 per day depending on brand and retail price.

Do rental sites take commission?

Yes. My Wardrobe HQ is free to join but manages entire listings, from photographing items to managing transactions. They charge 40% commission for this service.

By Rotation can manage your rental listings too, and for this they charge 15% fee from the lender and a 15% fee when a transaction occurs – plus any cleaning fees or damages. However you can manage it all yourself, and they’ll only take 15% commission.

Hurr charge a 15% service fee to lenders and 15% service fee to renters, so you’re looking at 70% of the rental fees going straight into your pocket.

What if my items get damaged?

As MWHQ manage listings, they’re responsible for repairing and cleaning items with minor wear and tear. However they charge penalties for significant damage.

By Rotation have a very low damage rate and both renters and loaners are reviewed, so you can turn down a renter if you have any concerns about the safety of your item.

If an item is damaged beyond repair, Hurr charge the renter the full market value of the item – so worst case scenario, you could buy a replacement (if still available).

Can I rent out my wedding dress?

Wedding dress rental has gone up over the past few years, with London’s first sustainable wedding dress shop Brides Do Good opening in Fulham last year. It sells pre-loved designer wedding gowns from designers including Vera Wang and Temperley London.

By Rotation accept wedding dress loans, as does MWHQ, and they tend to be around £30-£80 per day.

woman carrying black and white chanel purseShutterstock

How long does it take for me to get paid?

By Rotation pays 5-7 days after the rental period ends, while Hurr pays 4-5 days after the item is returned. MWHQ pay fees monthly.

Do clothing rental sites cater for plus size women? Will I be able to rent out my plus size clothing?

MWHQ have items up a size 20 (although there’s only one size 20 item listed online). Similarly HURR only have 4 items from sizes 20-28 and By Rotation have 14 items from sizes 20-28.

While it’s clear there’s not enough plus size clothing on rental sites, on the plus side your items have a lot less competition.

Is clothing rentals sustainable?

It’s no secret that overproduction and overconsumption in the fashion industry have negative environmental impacts.

Clothing rentals allow consumers to rent clothing for a certain amount of time. The consumer can then return the clothing at the end of their rental period without purchasing anything.

This is an environmentally friendly way to shop, which reduces waste and pollution. So, you’re not only earning money, but also reducing your carbon footprint.