Last Updated on September 5, 2022
Looking for an easy way to make your wardrobe more eco-friendly? Fashion rental sites are the first place you should start.
Borrowing clothes from others has become increasingly popular as awareness of the damage the fashion industry is causing to the environment is slowly growing.
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To give you a quick overview, the fashion industry contributes 8 to 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions — that’s more than the aviation and maritime industries combined.
Of course, I know that the burden of rectifying the damage shouldn’t be put on the individual, but I also believe that even small things can help when it comes to the bigger picture.
Making seemingly small changes to your daily routine can help to chip into the bigger positive impact that can be made with the help of others. Every little helps, as they say.
As someone who loves fashion and dressing up, I know how hard it is to be given limiting options. You might think it’s either fast fashion or sustainable clothing — nothing in-between. But there’s another option that might even be better than adding pieces to your wardrobe permanently.
Yes, I’m sure you’ve already guessed that I’m talking about clothing rental sites. They work exactly how you think they do. You choose from a set of garments, pay to rent the piece you like, wear it (mindfully, so others can enjoy it too in great condition), and send it back.
Now more labels than ever are available on fashion rental sites, with brands including By Megan Crosby, Rixo, Staud and Ganni available on Hurr, By Rotation and more.
If you’re curious to try them out, here are the best ones I’ve discovered.
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By Rotation
Founded by Eshita Kabra-Davies, By Rotation aims to help close the loop through its app, where you can lend your mid-range to luxury pieces or rent items offered by other members.
It’s like a marketplace for people who want to lend and rent, and the transactions are done directly by the people involved.
Hurr
Founded in 2017 by Victoria Prew, Hurr has fast become one of the UK’s biggest rental sites, with a Selfridges pop-up to boot.
Hurr has a managed stock of items — from luxury clothing to bags and shoes — that can be rented.
All you need to do is sift through their offerings, pick your pieces and have them scheduled for delivery. Each item is dry cleaned and delivered the next day.
With labels like Ganni, Staud, Rixo, Fendi and more, it’s hard to know where to begin!
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My Wardrobe HQ
A wardrobe of pieces from more than 500 designers? That’s what My Wardrobe HQ promises. But aside from being able to rent the pieces — which, by the way, you can return for free if you weren’t able to wear them — you can also buy some of them for a discounted price.
Rotaro
Rotaro aims to not only help in diminishing the amount of clothing that goes into landfills but also be as sustainable as it can in every part of its business.
The brand packs its garments into reusable bags and boxes and sends them out in a carbon-neutral manner.
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The Devout
Wanna curb your monthly shopping cravings? The Devout can help you with that.
The brand offers a monthly subscription that lets you rent five pieces for £79. The fee covers everything from laundry to insurance to delivery.
Hirestreet
Try veering away from the high street and check out Hirestreet.
One thing to note about the brand is that it offers rental credit on unworn items so you can check out two or three of the same piece in different sizes if you’re unsure of which one fits you to a t.
