The average American spends over $1,500 on clothes each year and most of those clothes, more than 80% of them, quickly end up in landfill.
This is not sustainable and it’s a huge waste of both resources and our money.
Fast fashion has made “disposable clothing” a thing but why buy if you can rent?
For a small fee, you can keep your wardrobe on the cutting edge of fashion, create almost no waste and keep your costs down too.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best clothing rental services, each of these businesses is making fashion more sustainable.
Rent The Runway
Rent the Runway works on a fixed monthly fee basis. The more you pay, the more items you can get and the more often that you can swap them out.
So, their cheapest option is $69 for the first month, and then $89 ongoing, and it gets you four items each month which you can swap once.
And at the other end, their unlimited service (as many items and swaps as you like) works out at $149 for the first month and then $199 from then on in.
It’s also worth noting that the more you pay, the better quality of garments that you can access.
We’re also happy to report that Rent the Runway also recycles clothing when it reaches end-of-life and their cleaning service uses green methods, it’s as close to circular fashion as you’re going to get from a rental service.
Gwynnie Bee
Gwynnie Bee is an excellent choice if you’re a non-standard size and struggling to get what you want from other rental companies.
They offer sizes from 0 to 32 and you can enjoy membership for as little as $49 a month.
One thing we really like about Gwynnie Bee is that they have reviews from the first person to try a garment on, so you can see if it’s sized appropriately.
Combine that with their excellent sizing tool and you should be able to keep swaps to a minimum which is good for the planet.
Armoire
If you want something minimalist and chic, Armoire’s curated approach to clothing is excellent and though it costs a little more per month than some other services, you get at least $1,000 worth of clothing with each swap.
Their top program, the unlimited, may cost $249 a month but you get unlimited swaps and over $5,000 of clothing at a time!
We really like that you can also buy any item that you really like at a discounted price, so if you fall in love with something, you can keep it without breaking the bank for it.
Bag Romance
A lady’s bag is one of the most important things in her wardrobe and this service recognizes that.
However, it’s important to note, there’s no monthly subscription and you pay rent based on how long you want a bag and how much it’s worth.
Please note: their service is currently suspended due to Covid-19 but is expected to return in July 2021.
Haverdash
Looking to keep your spending to a minimum and you’ve already raided the best thrift stores?
Then Haverdash is the best budget option for rental shoppers.
You get unlimited amounts of clothing and swaps for a measly $59 a month!
However, you can’t pick the items you will receive, instead you build a virtual closet and the company ships something new from that each time around.
There is no contract lock in period which is a good thing and you don’t need to pay extra to have the items dry cleaned as it’s included in the monthly fee.
There’s no doubt about it, Haverdash is amazing value and you still get access to designer brands too!
Fashion To Figure
Fashion to Figure is aimed at plus sized ladies who expect a great range of options to choose from for a sensible price, very sensible at $54.95 a month, in fact.
You can rent up to three styles at a time and there are unlimited swaps throughout the course of the month.
If you really love an item, they will discount it for you when compared to the retail price, which is a nice touch too.
Rocksbox
What’s clothing without jewelry to set it off with? That’s where Rocksbox comes in and they will supply you with 3 gorgeous pieces each, for a month, for just over $20.
If you want to keep anything, then you can buy it and they will discount the cost of your month’s membership from the cost!
Shipping is free both ways and we feel that Rocksbox is the most interesting jewelry rental service out there but it’s a space that’s under-served for now and we’d expect to see more entries to the market soon.
Final Thoughts On The Very Best Clothing Rental Services
We think the next big thing in ethical and sustainable fashion is going to be rental services, it just makes sense.
You get to stay on the leading edge of fashion, it costs less than buying stuff and it stops many garments from going straight to landfill before they’ve fulfilled their purpose.
In short, clothing rental services are a win for us, the industry and the planet.