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Renting clothes has never been more in vogue. These days, dozens of services allow you to do it, from Rent the Runway for designer duds to Nuuly for everyday outfits to Rocksbox for jewelry to Vivrelle for handbags. According to experts, they can serve everyone—not just bonafide fashionistas. To get started on most platforms, all you need to do is choose a rental plan (that is, how many items you want to rent per month), select your items, and wait for them to arrive. When you’re done, you can send them back and repeat the process. Sound appealing? Keep reading to hear from personal stylists about all the reasons you should rent your clothes after age 50.
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When shopping for items for your wardrobe, you likely look for classic pieces with longevity. Well, renting allows you to do the opposite.
“Someone over 50 has defined their style and started to curate a high-quality, timeless wardrobe,” says Sahra Schukraft Brandt, personal stylist and founder of Shop the City. “By renting, they can add some fun, youthful, maybe trendy pieces to those core pieces to come across more stylish and have some more versatility to their wardrobe.” You can test-run that hot new color without committing to it for the long term.
Each season, there’s an “it” bag you see everywhere. And while you might be dying to carry it during that season, you might be nervous you’ll find it tired or overdone by the next. Renting eliminates that problem.
“I think accessories can take a look to a new level, and being able to swap out a handbag is an easy way to do this,” says Grace Thomas, founder and lead stylist of Builtgracefully. “Some rental companies now offer designer bag rentals, so you can carry around that metallic Chanel or the newest Bottega Veneta clutch for a month or two until you’re ready for something new.”
Vivrelle, Bag Borrow or Steal, and Rent the Runway are great places to start.
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Once you’re signed up for a rental service, you’ll never have to worry about what to wear to your next big event again.
“I work with women who are professionals and business owners, and they often have to attend black tie and cocktail affairs throughout the year for things like sponsorship or fundraising events,” says Tonya Seavers Evans, founder of Style Strategist Image Consulting. “Renting clothes allows them to have a new gown for events like these that they may not wear again without repeating the same dress.”
Your rental service can also be used to create looks for conferences and important work meetings, Seavers Evans adds. That boost of confidence is priceless.
Each year, 92 million tons of textile waste winds up in landfills, the equivalent of one garbage truck per minute. “The best benefit [of renting clothes] of all—for Mother Earth and us—is sustainability,” says Elizabeth Kosich, certified image stylist and founder of Elizabeth Kosich Styling. “Renting wardrobes is the perfect solution for this, making it the ultimate eco-friendly act.”
Instead of purchasing a cocktail dress or ski jacket that you’ll wear once, renting allows you to slip into one that will be worn many times.
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Money also comes into play. For example, many of us can’t afford to add five new items to our wardrobes on a monthly basis. “It’s expensive to keep up trend-chasing and certainly not sustainable economically,” says Kosich. “Renting clothes keeps you on-trend without breaking the bank.”
While retail services do cost money up front (most platforms start around $85 per month and work their way up depending on your plan), it’s still a bargain considering the value of the clothing you can borrow.
Time is the ultimate luxury—and renting gives some back to you. “Shopping, curating, and styling a wardrobe takes effort,” says Kosich. “It’s a time investment that can repeat as often as each season.”
Instead of needing to hem and haw over each piece or visit your local shopping center, you can select items with the click of a button. On many platforms, there are even customer reviews for each item, making the selection process even easier.
