Dress rental sites have never been more popular. Why? Because they’re a great way to practice sustainable fashion, as well as saving money – especially if you tend to buy a dress for a special occasion without wearing it again.

You’d be surprised how much we spend on clothes every month – which contributes to the estimated £140 million of clothing that ends up in landfill in the UK. This is especially relevant at the moment when there are fewer occasions for us to go out and therefore dress up.

Shika, founder of luxury rental site FRONT ROW, says, ‘The pandemic has further polarised views around materialism, over-consumption and sustainability. The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world after the oil industry, it is one of the most resource-intensive industries in the world. Fashion has always been about the new, but that needs to change and the industry has a major role to play in creating a circular economy. As consumers we have power, increased demand and support for circular fashion models, has already directly resulted in more brands offering take-back programs, using sustainable materials. It’s important for us to ask ourselves some hard questions before shopping, am I going to wear this again? If not, then would it be better to rent it or can I resell it? The future is no longer in front of us. It’s circular.’

Luckily, as dress rental has increased in popularity, so has the clothing selection. Sites like HURR, where I actually rent out my own wardrobe, are editor-curated for the best dress edit, with of-the-moment brands such as RIXO, Ganni, STAUD and more. You can for example borrow a Rixo dress for a week for around £50 instead of buying it new for £200+.

Other sites allow you to borrow that designer handbag you’ve always wanted but can’t quite justify buying. Whichever item you’re after, here are the best dress rental sites.

1. HURR

About: This peer-to-peer dress rental service (you can also hire accessories and bags) has its finger on the fashion pulse, ensuring you get the latest trends delivered to your doorstep, but where it really hits the mark is the technology it uses. Founders Victoria and Matthew recognise the urgency of a dressing crisis, so they’ve served up a real-time ID verification, geo-tagging and AI-powered fashion stylists to ensure HURR is the most secure and trusted way to share your wardrobe.

Brands: Rixo, Sleeper, Ganni, Victoria Beckham, STAUD, Dior, Rejina Pyo and more.

How it works: This is a peer to peer service, so lenders are responsible for posting their own clothes, unless you choose to use HURR’s concierge service, which does it all for you, but you’ll get a lower commission. Plus you need to get approved before you start lending or renting, ensuring a legit service for everyone.

If you’re renting, you can search by category (dresses, accessories etc), occasion (brunch, out out etc) or designer. Then narrow down your search by date, size

How much? It depends on the item, but usually around 20% of the RRP, and the shortest rental is for 7 days. For both renters and lenders, HURR takes a 15% commission. Try it now at the HURR Collective.

2. FRONT ROW

About: The platform launched in 2016 and now stocks hundreds of items from over 50 international luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Dior and Chanel, many of which are not available from other rental platforms in the U.K. They also provide access to new season and cult fashion pieces hot off the runway.

Brands: As well as global high end designers like Jacquemus, Chanel, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Gucci and Burberry, they also have a great collection of Indian evening wear from some of the best Indian designers such as Manish Arora.

How it works: Choose a style, book an appointment at the Mayfair showroom or online to ‘try it on’ and rent it out for 5 or 5 days. Once you’re done wearing it, use the prepaid label to return it via UPS collection or drop-off.

How much? The rental price is between 10 – 25% of the retail price. The site charges a flat rate of £15 for delivery and also take a £50 block until the item is returned. The £50 is a requirement from insurers and will be released when the item is returned back in its original condition.

Onloan

About: The dress rental subscription platform works directly with brands on a wholesale basis with current and past season stock, they are not peer to peer. They positioned their subscription model purposefully because they want to support the industry and its designers, allowing them to gain value from the ongoing longevity of a garments life cycle.

Brands: Sustainable leaders like Mother of Pearl, Maggie Marilyn, Stine Goya, Shrimps etc.

How it works: This is a monthly rental service, so you can get the most wear out of your chosen items as you’d like. You return them at the end of the month and choose something for the following one.

How much? £69 per month for two items (total items worth on average £500), £99 per month for four items (total items worth on average £1000).

3. ROTARO

About: Backed by a team of industry insiders and co-founded by former WGSN trend forecaster, Georgie Hyatt and partner Charlie Knowles created ROTARO from the belief that the future of fashion is to buy good basics and rent good fun. ROTARO renters can find their favourite styles from contemporary luxury designers to refresh their wardrobe or as a platform to discover new brands.

Brands: Rixo, Ganni, Reformation, Cult Gaia, Vampires Wife, Zimmerman, Jacquemus, Cecilie Bahnsen and Stine Goya, offering a variety of sizes (UK6 – UK16) and styles that strive to be body inclusive and positive.

How it works: Find your style, then select how long you want to rent it out for, Rotaro offers next day delivery.

How much? You can rent dresses from as little as £15 on Rotaro.

4. ENDLESS WARDROBE

About: Endless Wardrobe works differently to peer-to-peer sites so rather than anyone being able to list their wardrobe, they buy the garments direct from partner brands, like De La Vali and Alexa Chung. There’s also a new feature that lets customers shop each style in three ways; rent, buy new and buy good as new.

Brands: Alexa Chung, De La Vali, Free People, Whistles and more. This is great for premium high-street rentals.

How it works: As the range is curated by the brand, there are multiple sizes in almost all items, and as they own the stock, they control all the logistics. Customers can book their rental up to three months in advance right up until the day before. They can choose from a 4, 10 or 16-day rental period, with a slight price increase for longer rental periods – holidays for example. Price includes delivery and dry-cleaning. Customers can order an extra size or style and return this unworn for a refund.

How much? Around 10-20% of the retail price. See more at Endless Wardrobe.

5. BY ROTATION

About: Founded by expat investment banker Eshita Kabra-Davies, By Rotation is a dress rental platform based on inclusivity, with the aim to democratise quality fashion and make it accessible to all. It’s all controlled by the community rather than the other way round making it truly peer-to-peer. It also does not buy any inventory – so it is entirely sustainable.

Brands: Dior, Jacquemus, Vetements, Chanel, Zimmermann and more.

How it works:Download the free app and start browsing, there is no waiting list. The item can either be exchanged in person, via Royal Mail Tracked or via delivery partner Peyk. The lender is in charge of cleaning and cleaning solutions are offered by partner Clothes Doctor.

How much? Around 5% of the retail price. The minimum rental period for any clothing or item can be as low as 1 day, and the app charges a 15% commission.Download the ByRotation app.

6. MY WARDROBE HQ

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