I’m a Rental Girly :: Tips for a Successful Rental Clothing Subscription
Are you looking to switch up your look this summer? Are you going on a trip and feel like you have nothing to bring? Consider renting! You can explore patterns and color without fully committing to the price tag. There are so many rental options out there and I’ve tried most. I can help you decide which rental company can work for you.
First off, it helps if you are confident in your online shopping. If you’re the type of person who orders the same thing in multiple sizes then renting will take a little time for you to get used to. Knowing what looks good on your body type, looking through photos of other renters, and reading the reviews can really help in your decision making. Once you order from a particular brand a few times then you don’t need to do as much research. Here are my top rental contenders in order from my favorite to least favorite.
Rent the Runway
By now I’m sure most of you have heard or even tried RTR. It is the first rental company of its kind which means they are a bit more seasoned than any other rental company. I tend to use RTR when I have a special trip or event coming up. They offer a lot of fancier dresses along with accessories that you can pair with it. They also have fast two day shipping and offer several monthly plans that you can choose from. Two of the plans allow you to swap items so you get 2-4 shipments a month. Each item also has a ton of reviews and renter pictures, making it easy to get your perfect fit. I find that I can almost always get the item I want. RTR is also easy to buy and they offer a lot of deals on past season items. I think for a first timer, RTR is a great option to dip your feet in and find out if renting is for you.
Nuuly
Coming in right behind RTR is Nuuly. Nuuly is owned by Urban Outfitters / Anthropologie so the items are a bit more casual and great for everyday wear. Although they have a lot of sparkly fun items that I like to rent for Mardi Gras. They do have a lot to choose from which can feel overwhelming at times. Nuuly offers one plan which is six items per month for $98. You can’t swap out anything so I recommend reading reviews and looking at photos of renters to make sure you get the right fit. Like RTR, Nuuly also has a lot of reviewers which makes it easy to figure out your size. I find the shipping takes anywhere between three to seven days, so make sure to order in advance if you’re getting items for a special occasion. Nuuly is pretty straight-forward and allows you to take your time with the items and not feel rushed to send back and pick more items out. They usually tend to have the items, but occasionally would be rented out by the time I’m checking out so sometimes you have to act fast if there is a particular item you’re eyeing. I find that the purchase options are high and I’m able to find better prices on other sites when there is an item I really like.
Fashion Pass
Fashion Pass is $125 a month, two orders a month with five items per order. Fashion Pass is great if you like to purchase clothing items you rent. The purchase price tends to be very reasonably discounted. This subscription does not have a lot of options and I found that items went out of stock very quickly so you have to act fast. They have a smaller assortment of casual to fancy items so your time scrolling isn’t as time consuming as the first two companies I mentioned. Shipping time took between two to five days. Since there aren’t that many reviews on items I did have a little trouble with sizing. However, the purchase price of items make this subscription worth it if you like to try things first and then buy when you like it.
ModLuxe.Rent
This is the newest company so I think they will get better with time. Currently, this one is my least favorite for a few reasons. This subscription works differently in that you don’t know which specific items you’re going to get in the month. You put all the pieces you love in your closet, you can place certain items on priority and they will try to give you those priority pieces in your shipment. However, there’s no guarantee what you will receive. The main positive I love about this subscription is the brands they provide. I felt as though they were different from the options on the other sites. They also have an excellent deal for the first month: $25! There aren’t a ton of reviews or pictures you go look through, so this is definitely one you need to know your body in order to get the right size. The purchase prices are also very high, so I was definitely not buying any of the items I was renting. I think in a year or two I might try again after they’ve figured it out a bit more. However, I still recommend trying because the first month is a steal for $25.
This summer, I plan to try out Armoire and see how that goes, and I’ll be sure to update this list if I think it’s worth it! A lot of people are nervous about ruining items and having to pay for the item. I’m usually very careful with my items, but of course, accidents happen. I’ve found that if you just message the company explaining, their customer service tends to apologize and take the blame. I’ve never had an issue or had to buy an item. And, I’ve only received a couple of items that actually come broken (usually a zipper issue) and they refund me immediately after messaging. Overall, renting has changed my spending habits and allowed me some freedom for trying things I normally wouldn’t buy. I find it fun to rent wacky prints or get completely decked out for a wedding where you’re in a million pictures and can send that item right back without a big checking deficit. I’ve turned a bunch of friends into renters as well. Also, I feel good about reusing clothing items and knowing that I’m not contributing as much to fast fashion where the clothes end up in a landfill.
