Extend your wardrobe, while lowering your footprint, with rental or second-hand fashion.Next time you want a change of outfit, that special dress or killer heels, think about how often you actually wear items of clothing and consider rental fashion as an alternative to unnecessary purchases.
 

Why hire clothes?


Gone are the days when we feel the need to accumulate more and more material things. The same goes for our clothing. Aside from owning a capsule wardrobe comprising good-quality classics, such as perfect-fit jeans, a white shirt, blazer, pumps and so on, many of the clothes we buy to keep are really for one-off, special occasions.When did you last buy an expensive, high-fashion dress? For a friend’s wedding, right? When did your male friend last wear a suit – at a job interview or for a meeting with clients? These events crop up sometimes, and yes, we need to have the appropriate items to wear – but you don’t want to keep wearing the same outfit to every such formal occasion.The first way to sustainably expand your wardrobe is with second-hand shopping. Purchasing pre-loved fashion items reduces the production and transportation of new items, and limits fashion wastage. By making fashion more circular, such simple choices help to lower the carbon footprint of the whole industry. Not to mention, second-hand clothing stores usually offer some incredible vintage and trendy styles that never go out of fashion. Another practical solution that nurtures the environment is rental fashion.While the options to hire a tuxedo, designer dress or graduation gown have existed for years, the opportunity to rent out everyday wear is still relatively new. Here’s the lowdown on rental fashion.

Benefits of renting

Save space – there’s no need to store clothes which we only intend to wear for certain occasions, during particular seasons or life phases, such as the third trimester of pregnancy or a short-term business contract.

Save money – the total cost of renting out good-quality clothing is much less than if you were to purchase them brand new – and the value-for-money in only paying for the duration you really need these items makes hiring much more attractive for your budget.

Stay trendy – hiring from top high street fashion stores or designer boutiques means you stay ahead of the latest styles for the current season without having to save ahead for that hefty investment of a hot-off-the-catwalk clothing item.

Keep your look fresh – renting clothes means you get to experiment with a whole range of looks without committing to items for a whole season – perfect for influencers, social butterflies and style chameleons!

Where to start

Look out for your favourite Italian designer labels like Gucci, Prada, Armani and Versace as hiring options, or check out online rental stores:

www.dressyoucan.com allows you to scan online for something special, including accessories and footwear to complete your look. There’s also a DYC showroom based in Milan.

https://drexcode.com/en/ was established by Italian entrepreneurs Federica Storace and Valeria Cambrea as a web boutique for renting sophisticated looks from top designers.

https://frontrowtribe.com/en/ was founded by Italians Gabriela Pancini and Olimpia Pitacco and offers a wonderful selection of labels fit for any red-carpet style event.

www.armoire.style/ and www.renttherunway.com have rates for unlimited rentals and an app to try out styles.

www.nuuly.com allows you to rent out high fashion items from three beloved labels, Urban Outfitters, Free People and Anthropologie, allowing six items per month, so you can keep changing your look regularly without needing to hoard excess clothing.

https://www.hirestreetuk.com/ is a UK high street rental brand that encourages you to buy less and love more.

Let’s all help protect our planet by not contributing unnecessarily to the excessive manufacture of the clothes we wear every day.