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Rent your festive look
Words Amie Elizabeth White
The party season is upon us, meaning its time to glow up, show up, and get our fanciest fits out in public whilst we can. But this year we made a promise to our readers and to the world, so we aren’t going to be wasting time with wasteful fashion. Instead, we’ll be shopping smart and feeling fabulous by renting our festive fits. And we’re letting you in on our secrets…
MYWARDROBEHQ – this one is for you who have a real occasion. Think red-carpet gowns and your dream designers, but for as little as £7 a day. And it’s so simple to get it. You select your dress and the size you want, then select the time period and dates you want to rent it. It’s as simple as waiting for the delivery and returning when you’re done. They also do accessories, so you can rent those perfect Chanel earrings and the Bottega Veneta bag you’ve been lusting after. My picks? This bubblegum pink dress from The Attico that I’ll be renting for £27 per day.
The Website: https://www.mywardrobehq.com/
HURR – this was one of the first rental sites that I ever came across online, but on the 27th November, HURR opened a pop-up store that allows customers to rent dresses for one night only in the run-up to Christmas Eve. This is the first time HURR is granting one-day rental where customers will be able to collect their item and return it on the next day, any day of the week. For those out of London, you can still rent for a longer period of time via the website. Brands include Anthropologie and Shrimps for as little as £15, hard-to-find pieces such as Simone Rocha’s H&M collection or long-gone Miu Miu pieces, heading up to select items by The Vampires Wife for £300. HURR also gives you access to the sellers, so if you like a dress or two from a particular seller, you can look to see everything else they are listing. Oh, in case you weren’t already tempted, there’s a lot of Zimmerman, for as little as £63. My pick: The GANNI feather mini dress for only £58.
The Website: https://www.hurrcollective.com/
Rotaro – So this is for you last minute Lucy’s as they offer next day delivery throughout the UK if you order before 12 noon. You select your outfit and how long you want to rent it for, and the jobs done. All garments travel carbon neutral and are packaged in reusable Rotaro bags that you re-post when you have finished with your festive fit. So yes, you really can shop guilt-free this party season! My picks: The ice white dress by Rotate Birger Christensen for £35. An outside event? You’ll see me in THAT Stand Studio Coat for £49.
The Website: https://www.rotaro.co.uk
Selfridges&co – This is one of my favourite places on Earth, physically and virtually, so you can imagine my excitement when they launched their rental service. You can select your dream piece to rent for 4, 8, 10 or 20 days, a dream that comes straight to your door. Deliveries, returns and dry-cleaning services are complimentary, and they use prepaid reusable packaging. I couldn’t pick just one from here: For the family meal, hit up Emilia Wickstead for £127. For NYE, I’m looking at Rotate Birger again for £48.50. and for the one where the ex-boyfriend appears, its got to be Jacquemus for a mere £60. The Website: https://selfridgesrental.com/
Hirestreet – This is your go-to for High Street pieces, with occasion wear from the likes of ASOS, Nobody’s Child and more recently, M&S. Rent items between 4 and 30 days, with the option of insuring everything… Just. In. Case. My favourite thing about this site is that you can go to their “Modelled by You” page and view how everyone wore their pieces. My pick from this site? The LEXI Sheridan dress for £50. The Website: www.hirestreetuk.com
Endless Wardrobe – This is also more of a high street feel, with brands such as Free People and Whistles featuring on the books. The vibe is less party-gown and more garden party, but it’s a great option for those who are more boho inclined with their style. You can rent, buy new or buy nearly-new, and get free returns for unworn goods. The good thing about this is that if you rent your dress and decide that you love it when you’re wearing it, you can select “Keep Forever” on your order page and they will discount the rental price from the buy-it-now price. My picks: This Whistles dress is perfect for a cosy-casual Christmas Eve lunch. Rent from £29, or buy nearly-new for £110.
The Website: https://www.endlesswardrobe.com/
There’s also ByRotation, which is an app-only rental service. Whilst I haven’t yet browsed this site, another invitation and I might just cave in…
Shopping smart has never been so rewarding.
Amie Elizabeth White