The key to my heart comes in the color pink and has a label stamped on it seen typically on the runway. Unfortunately for your girl, that guilty pleasure doesn’t agree with student loans and a college wallet. I mean, there’s a reason my go-to gourmet dinner tends to be a steaming hot bowl of ramen noodles. Luckily, I’ve found a way to rock the best looks and still pay for my textbooks. My ladies, lemme tell ya, This. Will. Change. Your. Life.
Stop paying for your clothes, when you can rent them. Even better, rock that designer wardrobe for nearly 80 percent less. Nope, I’m not kidding. With sustainability being the newest thing, (heck ya, be nice to mother earth) more and more clothing rental services are beginning to take over the fashion industry.
Check out the companies that are totally changing the game.
Why I’m obsessed:
Not only is this one of the original luxury FASHION rental services, Rent the Runway released their new subscription service, unlimited. Reviews across the board consist of girls raving about the new system. Not only that, RTR offers one of the largest selections of designer clothing (and accessories!) with a TON of real girls posting pics and reviews of their choices. The selling point for me is the option to enter your body “fit preferences” — height, weight, bust size, body type, primary size, AND back-up size. It takes the guesswork out of sizing and you can see it on a body type similar to your own. Brands include Tibi, Rejina, Pyo, Club Monaco, Tory Burch, Reformation, Moschino, Jason Wu, Zimmerman and more.
How it works:
RTR has made it easier than ever for their customers. Each month, you get to rent up to four pieces at once. The best part? You can swap out any of those four pieces an unlimited amount of times, totally getting your money’s worth. If your order is placed before 1 pm EST, RTR will ship it out to you the same day. Seems like a pretty sweet deal if you ask me.
The Cost:
$159/month ($99 for the first month).
NUULY
Why I’m obsessed:
I’ll be the first to admit, I spend a decent portion of my paycheck on the URBN family of brands. Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People are more appealing to me than a ton of designers. That’s why, when I found out the parent company, URBN started a rental service, I. Freaked. Out. A cute top and adorable pants that I could rent for everyday wear? Say no more. But Nuuly does not discriminate. Need a fab evening look for your hot date? Yep. They got that too. The company is not exclusive to just UO, Anthro, and FP, they actually carry clothing from over 100 third-party brands. Nuuly only just launched in July of 2019, however, they are already making waves in the rental industry.
How it works:
The process is fairly simple and quick. Sign up on the Nuuly website and fill out your profile. You’ll answer a few personalized questions to make your shopping experience up-to-par and enter your credit card to confirm the subscription. Choose up to 6 pieces a month and you will receive your package within the next one or two days, depending on when you order. Shop from their curated looks, or branch out and explore other options.
The Cost:
$88/month
FASHION TO FIGURE CLOSET
Why I’m obsessed:
Fashion to Figure believes that women of all sizes should be celebrated (damn, right!). There’s a gap in the fashion industry for plus-size women, and FTF wants to change that. The company exclusively focuses its brand on celebrating women’s figures and meticulously designs its clothing to hug and accentuate every curve (in, like, the best way possible). The company states, “Fashion is a state of mind, not a size range.” FTF carries looks in sizes 12-24, XL-3XL, and now thanks to their “closet,” you can rent ‘em too! P.S. Added bonus: Don’t worry about washing your pieces, FTF has got that covered.
How it works:
Fashion to Figure states: “FTF Closet by Fashion To Figure is a clothing rental service that keeps you on-trend 24/7 thanks to unlimited access to hundreds of styles. Get a ‘gram-ready closet for a flat monthly price!” Create your dream closet and rent 3 styles a month, but keep your pieces as long as you would like. It takes the pressure off of you and you get a chance to see if you really love it (and erhmmm, maybe purchase it in the process?). HOWEVER, if you have an exciting month planned out, you can rent and wear up to 9 pieces for a flat rate.
The Cost:
3-Garment plan for $54.95/month.
VIVRELLE
Why I’m obsessed:
Everyone needs the perfect handbag to go with that (rented) outfit. Don’t want to drop thousands on it? Then say hellooooo to Vivrelle — the best accessory renting service I have ever found! Offering hundreds of designer bags and jewelry, Vivrelle gives you that perfect put-together piece that ties the whole look together. I mean they don’t say diamonds are a girl’s best friend for no reason.
How it works:
Vivrelle makes the process pretty damn easy. You have the option of renting one designer piece for as long as you would like. When you get sick of it, switch it out! If you decide that you can’t part with the piece, you can purchase your item for a special members-only price. Mmmmm, tempting.
The Cost:
Starting at $99/month.
This is great, and I love RTR theres even a student discount for it. Just add your pictures and your hashtags!
-Payten