The only time I’ve ever used / thought to use a rental scheme is for very special events that I go to a couple of times a year and have no reason to own that dress. Would never use these platforms for normal clothing it seems such a waste of money!
oh interesting, why do you think? have to say I've never rented for something other than an occasion (holiday, birthday, wedding, party etc) bc it's quite expensive, but I've considered the subscription service for particularly busy months of work and travelling!
I’ve been renting dresses for special occasions for a couple of years now and I love it! I want to see more rental options from brands as this can potentially move us away from cheap materials and low quality construction to higher quality clothes that actually lasts and can be worn many more times.
There are 2 big issues with these modern rental services with the subscription models. 1) the shipping isn't trivial waste 2) the clothes wear out faster than you think. All the processing of the clothes is supricingly energy and resource demanding and we do not take care of rented clothing as well as our own. The clothes get more wears within a year, but very rarely during its lifetime. Rentals for events makes perfect sense and has been common for decades. The fact that renting a wedding dress or bridesmaids dresses was considered a novel idea shows how bad he consumerism has gotten.
In my country, that is pretty common to rent a clothes for special occassion or event like Comic-con, Kartini Days, Independence Days etc. Even, its common to rent your wedding dress including family wedding attire in my country. It has very sustainable option coz not everyone can afford wedding dress, and not everyone want keep the wedding dress.
I can see the appeal and viability of rental clothing for special occasions, but I don't see it catching on for casual wear. I feel like that only appeals to very a specific, very limited audience. And I don't see it working as an alternative to fast fashion, since I don't think it would appeal to the same audience that buys a lot of fast fashion. Rental fashion is more expensive, and keeping track of rentals and returns is extra work.
interesting!! don't disagree that it's more work which might turn some people off, but I think it might at least have an audience with ppl who care about fashion and don't want to give that up but also care about sustainability... like you said maybe a limited audience but it could grow / get better as renting gets more frictionless! after all, people weren't always trying to keep up with so many trends on tiktok which could be considered just as much work 😅
Personally I am getting really tired of subscriptions and having to pay for stuff every month instead of just a one time upfront cost, so I don’t see myself renting clothes, perhaps only for once-in-a-lifetime events.
Interesting video but I’m not sure if I agree with all your points. First of all finding clothes in size UK 18+ is a nightmare. Choices are so limited. Secondly, I believe renting is an option if you want to wear something once or twice. If Hurr wants to charge £70 for a dress worth £700 it doesn’t make sense to rent if you want to wear it more often. Not to mention that you can find those items on sale and own them for the price or rental. I believe at the moment rental is good for very expensive bags or jewellery but for it to be good for clothing the companies have to drastically reduce prices and include full sizing
interesting - I based the size inclusivity discussion on stats and headlines but obviously personal experience / perception is just as important (if not more so) - would you say it's getting better slowly? or has there been no progress for you in the past few years? I guess for your other point, I do agree that if you were thinking of renting the item more than once it doesn't make sense but I think if you want to try new things / have novelty in your wardrobe / not own too much and want to pay for the privilege then its an good option over fast fashion!
had fun researching this video but i think i actually had more fun researching our changing approach to shared ownership / the growing access over ownership trend .. kinda want to make a separate video diving into it more 🤨
I took would be very interested in this. Something that crossed my mind watching this is that we as a society are so impoverished that owning our own clothes is becoming something we're communalising, rather than fixing the root cause of the problem, namely government running society into the ground and greedy big business practice being a part of that. I hope I'm wrong but looking at my younger siblings, I don't think so.
I don't like the idea of renting everything, in the end you are a slave with no choice, chained to your work desk. Make your own, fix it, reuse it, don't buy it if you don't need it, seems more sustainable to me. The idea of sharing cars instead of investing in public transport is a dead end, as is renting everyday clothes or renting a house. We need systemic social solutions, not a dystopia where just a few individuals own everything and keep the rest on a short leash.
oh hell nah. I'd rather D.I.Y. all of my clothes and learn to make them fit ME than have to deal with other people's smells, stains, stretch and tears. Special once in a life time event is one thing, everyday clothes is an other. Plus, the need to always have something new is something that partially goes away when you spent weeks working on and customizing the pieces you already wear.
interesting!!! and why I definitely think rental is a solution for a certain demographic who's not thinking like this and is more of a fast fashion mindset - personally have never had a bad experience with the clothes I'm renting being unpleasant but maybe I've been lucky!
@katierobinson you point out where I differ and it all makes sense- I've never shopped fast fashion and I seek longevity and uniqueness. I'm a lifelong thrifter.
ah! I'm literally studying this (Circular Solutions, Service-as-a-Product models). There's a lot of way to go but also a lot of promising in-roads! also re: shipping emissions... a dress would need to be shipped to each of the would-be renters if they bought something new online instead.
I think significantly improved virtual try-on could help prevent a lot of shopping fast fashion just to try on things. Maybe part of it is a personal styling service included in a subscription by a fashion brand.
I think maybe it would help but I'm not sure if it would be a significant reduction, bc virtual styling wouldn't show the poor quality of the items or reduce the need to consume trends, but would love to hear your thoughts!
I like the idea, especially for events! But I personally couldn't go through with putting my garments or accessories for rent because I have such an eye for detail and would notice if something of mine had been accidently damaged.
oh interesting, I think if that was the case you could ask for compensation but obviously you'd still not be happy to have your clothing damaged 😮💨 it's definitely a trust system!
I struggled to find renting actually live up to all its promises. I used Rent the Runway for items to wear for work trips. However, every time the items came I liked/fit into only one or two of the items. And you can’t “trade” in items for that month without paying more. Additionally, I had items arrive with broken or missing buttons. In the end renting has a long way to go before I think it’s worth it. I also was paranoid of getting anything on the garment. Every month I felt like I was wasting money to wear 1 or 2 new items.
oooh I haven't had the same quality issues with anything I've rented but I'm definitely paranoid that something will happen to the item and it's in the back of my mind interesting you say it has a long way to go, what would you improve??
@@samaraisnt I complained but they basically told me I would need to bump up to the the higher subscription if I would want to return the items that didn’t fit/damaged for new ones that month. I live in the US tho so I don’t know if that affected my experience/clothes.
I tried renting my clothes quite a long time ago, maybe 6 years ago and I was quite dissapointed. As a petite person nothing really fitted me correctly. I didn’t really like most of the style of the clothes they rented. We could purchase the clothes if we wanted so I did keep one shirt. I was very much not in the sustainable mindset back then. And it was quite expensive to do it regularly as it was a subscription service. But recently I went on their website to see if maybe they would sell some of their inventory and they did. They were so much stuff ! And all of it was synthetic ! I couldn’t find ONE item that wasn’t synthetic. I felt pretty disgusted by this. I think this pretty close to being fast fashion. Maybe it’s a little better but their model resides on this system so I wouldn’t recommend unless you are really a huge consumer of fast fashion. And it might push you to buy more things, especially if you keep the fast fashion mentality.
I can totally understand renting something like a ski jacket, but I wouldn't be a fan of renting dresses etc where they actually touch your skin. Especially polyester that absorbs smells. I have a couple of party dresses and I just re-wear them and repair them as needed. I've seen some videos of brides reusing the material for their wedding dresses, turning it into pieces of formal wear/everyday clothing! I'd love to do that
oh interesting, personally I have no problem wearing something that will sit on your skin - maybe I don't think about it enough or just trust the washing process but in my experience everything I've rented has visibly been clean and non smelly!! can definitely see that if you don't care about outfit repeating (as you shouldn't!!!) your approach would be perfect, but even as a sustainable girly I like to experiment with different looks so for me renting is a great way to scratch that itch without buying 😌
@@katierobinson nw!! Jessica Kellgren-Fozard makes great videos both about disability related stuff and also her gorgeous vintage wardrobe if you were interested :))
Yeah I’m a disabled person and I was just coming to say the same thing! The reason it feels icky is because it’s a change of language built expressly on the idea that not being able to do something (aka being disabled) is a bad thing and we don’t want to call people a bad thing. But that’s build on the idea that you can’t be disabled and also live a good life. Like “nooo you’re not DISabled you’re ~differently~ abled 😌” thanks ma’am but I’m still NOT ABLE to make it through this museum without a wheelchair. I hear it most often used by able bodied people (or disabled people working through internalized ableism) who think it’s a more kind term, without realizing that it suuuucks to hear lol
As in, it’s not just a thing of which terminology is preferred in the community imo, it’s a language expressly built on an ableist idea despite it being presented as a kindness. But that’s like half of ableism in general 😭
I've always thought it made sense for formal wear. Everything else...maybe. I knew someone that used one of these services where you could buy the clothing if you liked it enough and she said it kind of expanded her selection, but it is expensive in the long run. I personally would rather just buy something I love and wear the heck out of it. And for that reason, I don't think I'd want to rent out my clothing because what if someone ruined something I really liked? Interesting topic! I just think we need to normalize owning less. Have you read "The Year of Less" by Cait Flanders? If not, I highly recommend it!
it's definitely a premium service but if people are willing to pay for access to new clothes then it's a sustainable option over buying too much! agree that sometimes I'd rather buy something and keep it to myself - guess it really depends on what it is, your lifestyle etc! ooh I haven't, I'll add it to my tbr pile thanks 🫶
As a supply chain analyst, I'm concerned about durability,if these clothes can realistically be rented more than once. Textiles, even when good quality, are a delicate material. Between multiple users and multiple transports the risk of the garment getting damaged or worn down seems like few garments would actually be profitable & sustainable to rent.
oh interesting, that's something I hadn't considered as much, but in my experience the clothes I've rented haven't had an issue with quality (often they're better quality than fast fashion) even though they've been rented to a few people and no issues with shipping... wonder if there's stats on this!
Ive had some clothes for almost 20 years now (I’m 34) I frequently travel with them wash them on warm setting etc I personally don’t find clothing that delicate 😳
If you don't already own or can't borrow, renting clothes for special occasions is a great alternative. I'm not so sure the same goes for trendy or everyday clothes
I've rented everyday clothes off and on for years and my experience matches what you're talking about. It scratches my itch to try something new without having to use fast fashion, and then when I love an item and find myself wearing it over and over, I buy it (used, from the rental company) and keep it. And then I never buy special occasion dresses, only rent them. I think it's reduced my overall shopping by a lot.
a lot of sorority girls have started to use nuuly and RTR to get cute formal clothes for events! I think this is so smart as i think sorority themed events can create a ton of waste
oooh interesting, love that it's working for a specific demographic!! college can definitely be a wasteful part of life and reducing clothes for parties and events is definitely useful!
I have always wanted to try out rental services but have hesitated due to not knowing the exact way they clean the clothes. I have very sensitive skin and can only use laundry detergent brands that I know and trust that won't aggravate my eczema. I do know some dry clean their clothing but that can be a con in terms of the environment.
I hadn't considered this as a barrier actually - I have semi sensitive skin and have never had an issue but if it may be harder if you typically have a worse reaction... wonder if it's something you could check with a platform before renting?
I don't think I'll ever rent an item just to show it off, like with the bags examples. I agree it can be better for the environment, but so is thrifting and doing clothes swaps with your friends and many other options. I hope renting fashion help people transition towards freeing themselves from the need of newness.
I tried a rental service once & while it was nice to try some styles that I wasn’t sure I would wear enough to justify buying, it ultimately just made me anxious. I was so nervous that I would damage clothes I didn’t own & would then have to pay for them. I wouldn’t recommend renting anything you couldn’t afford to buy if something happens & you have to pay the current value of the item! Also, the service I used dry cleans everything between customers & dry cleaning is both environmentally damaging & not the best method for cleaning a lot of fibers. One item I rented was a fuzzy fleece jacket that had obviously been rented/dry cleaned multiple times already & the texture was ruined from the chemicals. The proper way to wash it if I had owned it would have been cold water wash/air dry. So that was kind of frustrating
I wouldn't mind renting clothes to get an opportunity to try on silhouettes/colors that I'm interested in but scared to buy blindly (I don't live in an area where i can try clothes on in stores), and i love the idea of renting special occasion clothing, but the idea of renting more seriously than that is not something i like. While I recognize that there are a lot of contextual issues with people's relationships to clothing, ultimately the way our society is structured, where we are constantly spending money but never actually own anything, is bad in my opinion, and extending it to clothes is not... great. Like, i think obviously there's a huge difference between the loss of physical media and the idea of clothing rental as an alternative to fast fashion! But to the philosophy of "well we're already used to renting all our films and houses, what's clothes?" I think the best solution would be to invest in smaller amounts of clothing we plan to own for life, not to accustom ourselves to a lifetime of renting and never owning. (I know my viewpoint could be taken as quite materialistic but from a class perspective I honestly find it terrifying that we just accustom ourselves to never owning anything because truly owning like, a house or a car is impossible for most of us, and I don't want that philosophy to just seem normal to us.) In a way fast fashion is similar, in that people are constantly buying cheap clothing (that's killing the planet!) but they never *own* a beautiful wardrobe that expresses themselves. If the attitude towards renting is the same as the fast fashion mindset that's not a solution (and as you say, wouldn't work longterm anyway because rental services would have to have the latest trends on hand always) but i do like the idea of renting as a good remedial step towards trying things on and finding our personal style! In short: as part of a shift towards viewing fashion not as endlessly shopping for a dopamine fix and a competition with other IG users, and towards viewing it as self-expression, renting sounds lovely, and seems as though it could have a long future ahead of it. But as a replacement for fast fashion, heinous.
Amazing video, as always! 👏😊 Lots of interesting points! Really looking forward to your interview with Eshita! Along the lines of what Eshita had to say about people renting items to try them before buying- I think fashion rental could be a great way for people to discover, expand, and/or evolve their personal style! 👌 One additional downfall to clothing rental I thought of is the time limit of the rental process…Knowing that you have the item(s) for a limited amount of time before you need to decide whether to send it back or purchase it could result in a pressure-induced impulse decision to purchase the item when you’re not 100% sure….And the pressure to purchase doubles if you couple that with any “discounts” these clothing rental companies most likely offer to people who do decide to buy the item(s). About a month ago, I bought an unworn Calvin Klein button up shirt for my mom from The Salvation Army for $6.00, which had original tags AND a “Stitch Fix” tag still attached…👀….I don’t like Stitch Fix’s model (I think the probability of liking most of the items they send you is likely very LOW because a “stylist” chooses for you based on your answers to a questionnaire), HOWEVER, the pressure to buy the items you DO like would 100% still exist because the rental time-limit + buyer discounts would still remain. And this theory is definitely supported by my experience of finding an unworn shirt, which originated from a clothing rental company, at a charity shop.
great thoughts!!! I hadn't looked at stitch fix's model but it sounds like a bad idea from what you've described, "personal style" being sold in the same way as fast fashion 🥴
I would consider renting for a one-off occasion like a wedding or a specialised sports holiday, but I wouldn't rent casualwear. I like the freedom to get out the needle and thread and alter things so that they fit. I couldn't imagine paying to rent a handbag, but good luck to those who do.
I’ve been tracking the cost per wear of my clothes for the past 9 years and I think it will be cool for me to do a cost comparison of owning vs renting
ooooh I'd love to hear your results!! would be surprised if owning isn't cheaper, maybe the cost of buying fast fashion constantly vs renting would be a closer race?? idk
Oh wow that’s my comment! Thank you so much for making this video 😊 I really enjoyed hearing all your thoughts on the subject. I am still not totally sold on rental as a good solution, however I didn’t know about peer to peer rental and actually that seems like a really interesting model I need to look more into! I will also definitely be checking out the rental sites you mentioned for secondhand pieces.
oooh sorry I meant to tag u in the description but I'm a little spaced out with a cold 😭 thank you for suggesting it!!! like I said I think it's ok to see it as sort-of-sustainable rather than 100% good or bad, but I'm happy to hear I said something you hadn't considered!!
To be honest I would rather have rental stores giving their stuff to second hand stores (as they need to select clothes which have a decent quality to last multiple rents), then the cheap stuff people often buy when they want to try something out or want something new regularly.
There's no way I'd rent out my own wardrobe. I just have everyday clothes in there that I love and treasure and couldn't imagine someone else wearing. Also, I don't think anyone would want to rent what I've got. So I'm safe.
@@katierobinson I would rent something myself. If I go to a special occasion or have an event I want to wear something extra-nice for, then yes. I am not aware of any rental services in Germany. Perhaps there are and I just haven't searched hard enough. With all the red tape involved in starting a business here, I'm unsure anyone would try who hasn't got extremely deep pockets.
@@katierobinson what I've also seen here are outfit boxes. Like outfits in a box sent to you to try before buying certain items or the whole outfit. That's very focused on having things sent to a person to purchase and not rent... Not super, tbh.
I really like the idea of shared ownership over clothes. Our current society seems very obsessed with what we own and that we want our own clothes, books etc. While sharing can be so beautitul. I'm part of a clothing loop in which we share clothes through clothing bags we bring to each other. I really like it, I often put something in it that I havent worn in a while and it will get a new life for someone else. Also it helps me with the feeling of still getting new clothes, while not buying it
Be careful though, shared ownership is one thing, rental is different. Rental is for profit, with a company or an individual with more ressources renting/taking money from an individual with less ressources (typically). The company/renter still has full ownership of that object and is in a position of power compared to the one renting the object.
17:00 doesn’t work…most fashion consumers don’t live in the UK, they live in the US or throughout Europe. They did a study on the emissions of returning/shipping to the rental service back n forth over the course of the garments life vs buying and renting was much worse! Your using UK shipping is limiting because it’s tiny. Might as well say “Renting within Rhode Island is very sustainable!” While, yes, I’m sure it is-most people don’t live in that place and shipping anything there is going to be low emission but with things like that we need to look at things at a macro level over a micro level it misses the big picture by a lot. with love!
Absolutely not. The fact that it was AirBnB, Uber, fashion rentals... No. Clothes are so personal. Clothes should fit the person wearing them. Clothes can carry disease and insects. The only time it's really acceptable is the special occasion rentals. Tuxedos, wedding dresses, red carpet dresses, expensive items that get worn once on a day when the wearer is exceptionally well groomed. We know and accept that renting housing is worse than owning your own home. We know and accept that renting streaming services is worse for the customers that owning their own hardcopy. This feels like we are forgetting how to be human. That we're forgetting how to live. People forget that rags used to be a resource. These days, our cleaning rags are bought new, are disposable after one use. I don't think there is a craving for newness in everyone. I feel like it's the addictive streak that many of us have, focussed onto 'new' instead of 'food' or 'alcohol'. It also feels a lot like palming off responsibility, like it's the fashion equivalent of veganism - "I don't eat meat therefore no animal died for my food" no, the animal still died, but it was an elephant who trampled the crop or rabbits in the fields or every insect in a ten mile radius instead of the one cow. "I don't buy new clothes so I don't have to worry about sweatshops, or child labour, or toxic runoff from making polyester and rayon". Infuriating. Was not expecting to feel so heated over this, sorry for the rant.
Renting is a cop-out for the skint and the desperate. They want to "flex", they want the attention...but really, they are just making themselves poorer than before. What if they scuff that Birkin? What if they damage the clothes? Even tiny scuffs/spots may mean that they will have to pay eye-watering charges or even the full price. And somehow I cannot see an unemployed gen Z-er paying for a Birkin.
I think a lot of platforms do offer protection in case something like this happens, where you pay for the insurance at checkout and they reimburse the lender if something goes wrong - definitely depends on what platform you use and obviously whether it's intentional damage or not 🥴 personally I don't think it's a cop out, I see it as a way of access to new items and things you wouldn't buy for your forever wardrobe, have fun with fashion but needs to be in a responsible way
@@katierobinson, let's talk about the main point here: if somebody is not willing to buy something "forever" as you say, why would they want to wear it anyway? Why would they wish to pretend (lie) that they own something they are not willing to buy? What does it say about them? Is her/his self-esteem so low they need to lie? And what does it say about the brand/maker? If any random Tesco till assistant can promenade herself with that said Birkin, what does it do to the value of Hermes? It makes Hermes branding cheap as peanuts. Wearing Hermes would equal to the Marc Jacob's tote bag craze amongst the folks on the dole. I make bespoke clothes. Clothes that are made for one person and one person only- my valued customer. I spend days, weeks and sometimes months working with my customer on that perfect item of clothing. It's made for them, not for any Karen out there. I would abhor seeing a jacket I poured all my skills and love into, to be worn by a frumpy woman who wants to flex for a day or two.
@@jvnd2785 unfortunately I think we have different thoughts on this I think renting is a way to democratise and make fashion more accessible and fun for everyone, and that anyone can wear anything they like without caring about a brand's image or whether it reflects their position in society or financial situation
@@katierobinson, I have no issue with different opinions. Just one point: do you understand what democracy means? It means that if 50,1% of people decide on something, it comes into effect. So what do you mean by "democratisation"? I'll tell you- and you may not like it. It means communism. And hard communism too. You cannot fool somebody who was born in the former Soviet Union, my dear. Another thing: Is it "fun" for the slave labourers who make the clothes you find "fun" to wear and discard at a whim? You really need to start thinking about others rather than your own self-adoration. It will make you a better person.
@@jvnd2785 lol dude you run a cute sealioning gig but maybe stfu if you dont know what you're talking about. Also "my dear"? holy shit you're creepy af.
The Clotheshorse podcast covers rental in detail and doesn’t consider it a sustainable solution. I do agree that for more specific situations like weddings it may be a better option that consuming a lot, but as a day to day alternative to shopping it’s not the best option! 🥲
@@katierobinson they talk about how they used to work for a clothing rental service and saw that clothes immediately upon return would get thrown out because cleaning it and sending it back out cost too much money. And a whole lot more. Definitely worth checking out if you want an insiders perspective.
The only time I’ve ever used / thought to use a rental scheme is for very special events that I go to a couple of times a year and have no reason to own that dress. Would never use these platforms for normal clothing it seems such a waste of money!
oh interesting, why do you think? have to say I've never rented for something other than an occasion (holiday, birthday, wedding, party etc) bc it's quite expensive, but I've considered the subscription service for particularly busy months of work and travelling!
I’ve been renting dresses for special occasions for a couple of years now and I love it! I want to see more rental options from brands as this can potentially move us away from cheap materials and low quality construction to higher quality clothes that actually lasts and can be worn many more times.
agree! I think it's a nice way of accessing nicer quality clothes for particular events!
This, to me, is akin to living in a hotel. There may be some advantages, but...and isn't it ultimately more expensive?
interesting thought, I do think it's a certain premium but if people are willing to pay it for the convenience / access then why not 😌
There are 2 big issues with these modern rental services with the subscription models. 1) the shipping isn't trivial waste 2) the clothes wear out faster than you think. All the processing of the clothes is supricingly energy and resource demanding and we do not take care of rented clothing as well as our own. The clothes get more wears within a year, but very rarely during its lifetime. Rentals for events makes perfect sense and has been common for decades. The fact that renting a wedding dress or bridesmaids dresses was considered a novel idea shows how bad he consumerism has gotten.
In my country, that is pretty common to rent a clothes for special occassion or event like Comic-con, Kartini Days, Independence Days etc.
Even, its common to rent your wedding dress including family wedding attire in my country. It has very sustainable option coz not everyone can afford wedding dress, and not everyone want keep the wedding dress.
I can see the appeal and viability of rental clothing for special occasions, but I don't see it catching on for casual wear. I feel like that only appeals to very a specific, very limited audience. And I don't see it working as an alternative to fast fashion, since I don't think it would appeal to the same audience that buys a lot of fast fashion. Rental fashion is more expensive, and keeping track of rentals and returns is extra work.
interesting!! don't disagree that it's more work which might turn some people off, but I think it might at least have an audience with ppl who care about fashion and don't want to give that up but also care about sustainability... like you said maybe a limited audience but it could grow / get better as renting gets more frictionless! after all, people weren't always trying to keep up with so many trends on tiktok which could be considered just as much work 😅
there’s a rental service for UO which is FF. They also throw in Anthro, both are overpriced. I feel like there’s probably a market for that idk.
Personally I am getting really tired of subscriptions and having to pay for stuff every month instead of just a one time upfront cost, so I don’t see myself renting clothes, perhaps only for once-in-a-lifetime events.
Interesting video but I’m not sure if I agree with all your points. First of all finding clothes in size UK 18+ is a nightmare. Choices are so limited. Secondly, I believe renting is an option if you want to wear something once or twice. If Hurr wants to charge £70 for a dress worth £700 it doesn’t make sense to rent if you want to wear it more often. Not to mention that you can find those items on sale and own them for the price or rental. I believe at the moment rental is good for very expensive bags or jewellery but for it to be good for clothing the companies have to drastically reduce prices and include full sizing
interesting - I based the size inclusivity discussion on stats and headlines but obviously personal experience / perception is just as important (if not more so) - would you say it's getting better slowly? or has there been no progress for you in the past few years?
I guess for your other point, I do agree that if you were thinking of renting the item more than once it doesn't make sense but I think if you want to try new things / have novelty in your wardrobe / not own too much and want to pay for the privilege then its an good option over fast fashion!
had fun researching this video but i think i actually had more fun researching our changing approach to shared ownership / the growing access over ownership trend .. kinda want to make a separate video diving into it more 🤨
Would love this!
@@isabelladumitrescu2543 can't promise anything but I'm definitely thinking about it 👀
I took would be very interested in this. Something that crossed my mind watching this is that we as a society are so impoverished that owning our own clothes is becoming something we're communalising, rather than fixing the root cause of the problem, namely government running society into the ground and greedy big business practice being a part of that. I hope I'm wrong but looking at my younger siblings, I don't think so.
I don't like the idea of renting everything, in the end you are a slave with no choice, chained to your work desk. Make your own, fix it, reuse it, don't buy it if you don't need it, seems more sustainable to me. The idea of sharing cars instead of investing in public transport is a dead end, as is renting everyday clothes or renting a house. We need systemic social solutions, not a dystopia where just a few individuals own everything and keep the rest on a short leash.
oh hell nah. I'd rather D.I.Y. all of my clothes and learn to make them fit ME than have to deal with other people's smells, stains, stretch and tears. Special once in a life time event is one thing, everyday clothes is an other. Plus, the need to always have something new is something that partially goes away when you spent weeks working on and customizing the pieces you already wear.
I'm with you, making my clothes my own physically, and emotionally by tying memories and feelings to them.
interesting!!! and why I definitely think rental is a solution for a certain demographic who's not thinking like this and is more of a fast fashion mindset - personally have never had a bad experience with the clothes I'm renting being unpleasant but maybe I've been lucky!
@katierobinson you point out where I differ and it all makes sense- I've never shopped fast fashion and I seek longevity and uniqueness. I'm a lifelong thrifter.
@@TheThriftyTherapist love this for you!!!!! gotta do what works for your style 🫶
ah! I'm literally studying this (Circular Solutions, Service-as-a-Product models). There's a lot of way to go but also a lot of promising in-roads!
also re: shipping emissions... a dress would need to be shipped to each of the would-be renters if they bought something new online instead.
oooh would love to hear your thoughts from your studies!!!
I think significantly improved virtual try-on could help prevent a lot of shopping fast fashion just to try on things. Maybe part of it is a personal styling service included in a subscription by a fashion brand.
I think maybe it would help but I'm not sure if it would be a significant reduction, bc virtual styling wouldn't show the poor quality of the items or reduce the need to consume trends, but would love to hear your thoughts!
I like the idea, especially for events! But I personally couldn't go through with putting my garments or accessories for rent because I have such an eye for detail and would notice if something of mine had been accidently damaged.
oh interesting, I think if that was the case you could ask for compensation but obviously you'd still not be happy to have your clothing damaged 😮💨 it's definitely a trust system!
I struggled to find renting actually live up to all its promises. I used Rent the Runway for items to wear for work trips. However, every time the items came I liked/fit into only one or two of the items. And you can’t “trade” in items for that month without paying more. Additionally, I had items arrive with broken or missing buttons. In the end renting has a long way to go before I think it’s worth it. I also was paranoid of getting anything on the garment. Every month I felt like I was wasting money to wear 1 or 2 new items.
oooh I haven't had the same quality issues with anything I've rented but I'm definitely paranoid that something will happen to the item and it's in the back of my mind
interesting you say it has a long way to go, what would you improve??
did you complain and get your money back? this has me lowkey scared 😬
@@samaraisnt I complained but they basically told me I would need to bump up to the the higher subscription if I would want to return the items that didn’t fit/damaged for new ones that month. I live in the US tho so I don’t know if that affected my experience/clothes.
I tried renting my clothes quite a long time ago, maybe 6 years ago and I was quite dissapointed. As a petite person nothing really fitted me correctly. I didn’t really like most of the style of the clothes they rented. We could purchase the clothes if we wanted so I did keep one shirt. I was very much not in the sustainable mindset back then. And it was quite expensive to do it regularly as it was a subscription service.
But recently I went on their website to see if maybe they would sell some of their inventory and they did. They were so much stuff ! And all of it was synthetic ! I couldn’t find ONE item that wasn’t synthetic. I felt pretty disgusted by this. I think this pretty close to being fast fashion. Maybe it’s a little better but their model resides on this system so I wouldn’t recommend unless you are really a huge consumer of fast fashion. And it might push you to buy more things, especially if you keep the fast fashion mentality.
I can totally understand renting something like a ski jacket, but I wouldn't be a fan of renting dresses etc where they actually touch your skin. Especially polyester that absorbs smells. I have a couple of party dresses and I just re-wear them and repair them as needed.
I've seen some videos of brides reusing the material for their wedding dresses, turning it into pieces of formal wear/everyday clothing! I'd love to do that
oh interesting, personally I have no problem wearing something that will sit on your skin - maybe I don't think about it enough or just trust the washing process but in my experience everything I've rented has visibly been clean and non smelly!!
can definitely see that if you don't care about outfit repeating (as you shouldn't!!!) your approach would be perfect, but even as a sustainable girly I like to experiment with different looks so for me renting is a great way to scratch that itch without buying 😌
11:57 Just to let you know that the preferred term is usually disabled over differently abled! 😊
@@nala3055 oh ty for pointing it out!!!!
@@katierobinson nw!! Jessica Kellgren-Fozard makes great videos both about disability related stuff and also her gorgeous vintage wardrobe if you were interested :))
there’s not a consensus I’ve heard differently abled preferred. Totally valid if you prefer disabled though. 😊
Yeah I’m a disabled person and I was just coming to say the same thing! The reason it feels icky is because it’s a change of language built expressly on the idea that not being able to do something (aka being disabled) is a bad thing and we don’t want to call people a bad thing. But that’s build on the idea that you can’t be disabled and also live a good life. Like “nooo you’re not DISabled you’re ~differently~ abled 😌” thanks ma’am but I’m still NOT ABLE to make it through this museum without a wheelchair. I hear it most often used by able bodied people (or disabled people working through internalized ableism) who think it’s a more kind term, without realizing that it suuuucks to hear lol
As in, it’s not just a thing of which terminology is preferred in the community imo, it’s a language expressly built on an ableist idea despite it being presented as a kindness. But that’s like half of ableism in general 😭
I've always thought it made sense for formal wear. Everything else...maybe. I knew someone that used one of these services where you could buy the clothing if you liked it enough and she said it kind of expanded her selection, but it is expensive in the long run. I personally would rather just buy something I love and wear the heck out of it. And for that reason, I don't think I'd want to rent out my clothing because what if someone ruined something I really liked? Interesting topic! I just think we need to normalize owning less. Have you read "The Year of Less" by Cait Flanders? If not, I highly recommend it!
it's definitely a premium service but if people are willing to pay for access to new clothes then it's a sustainable option over buying too much! agree that sometimes I'd rather buy something and keep it to myself - guess it really depends on what it is, your lifestyle etc!
ooh I haven't, I'll add it to my tbr pile thanks 🫶
As a supply chain analyst, I'm concerned about durability,if these clothes can realistically be rented more than once. Textiles, even when good quality, are a delicate material. Between multiple users and multiple transports the risk of the garment getting damaged or worn down seems like few garments would actually be profitable & sustainable to rent.
oh interesting, that's something I hadn't considered as much, but in my experience the clothes I've rented haven't had an issue with quality (often they're better quality than fast fashion) even though they've been rented to a few people and no issues with shipping... wonder if there's stats on this!
Ive had some clothes for almost 20 years now (I’m 34) I frequently travel with them wash them on warm setting etc I personally don’t find clothing that delicate 😳
That's awesome to hear and I forget that most of the rentals will be above "fast fashion" quality and less easy to damage.
@@jessicaharlan8996 could definitely see how fast fashion would struggle to survive past a few wears / ships!
If you don't already own or can't borrow, renting clothes for special occasions is a great alternative. I'm not so sure the same goes for trendy or everyday clothes
I've rented everyday clothes off and on for years and my experience matches what you're talking about. It scratches my itch to try something new without having to use fast fashion, and then when I love an item and find myself wearing it over and over, I buy it (used, from the rental company) and keep it. And then I never buy special occasion dresses, only rent them. I think it's reduced my overall shopping by a lot.
exact same for me!!
a lot of sorority girls have started to use nuuly and RTR to get cute formal clothes for events! I think this is so smart as i think sorority themed events can create a ton of waste
oooh interesting, love that it's working for a specific demographic!! college can definitely be a wasteful part of life and reducing clothes for parties and events is definitely useful!
I have always wanted to try out rental services but have hesitated due to not knowing the exact way they clean the clothes. I have very sensitive skin and can only use laundry detergent brands that I know and trust that won't aggravate my eczema. I do know some dry clean their clothing but that can be a con in terms of the environment.
I hadn't considered this as a barrier actually - I have semi sensitive skin and have never had an issue but if it may be harder if you typically have a worse reaction... wonder if it's something you could check with a platform before renting?
I don't think I'll ever rent an item just to show it off, like with the bags examples. I agree it can be better for the environment, but so is thrifting and doing clothes swaps with your friends and many other options. I hope renting fashion help people transition towards freeing themselves from the need of newness.
I tried a rental service once & while it was nice to try some styles that I wasn’t sure I would wear enough to justify buying, it ultimately just made me anxious. I was so nervous that I would damage clothes I didn’t own & would then have to pay for them. I wouldn’t recommend renting anything you couldn’t afford to buy if something happens & you have to pay the current value of the item! Also, the service I used dry cleans everything between customers & dry cleaning is both environmentally damaging & not the best method for cleaning a lot of fibers. One item I rented was a fuzzy fleece jacket that had obviously been rented/dry cleaned multiple times already & the texture was ruined from the chemicals. The proper way to wash it if I had owned it would have been cold water wash/air dry. So that was kind of frustrating
where did you rent that your clothes wasn’t insured?? i’d like to avoid!
I wouldn't mind renting clothes to get an opportunity to try on silhouettes/colors that I'm interested in but scared to buy blindly (I don't live in an area where i can try clothes on in stores), and i love the idea of renting special occasion clothing, but the idea of renting more seriously than that is not something i like. While I recognize that there are a lot of contextual issues with people's relationships to clothing, ultimately the way our society is structured, where we are constantly spending money but never actually own anything, is bad in my opinion, and extending it to clothes is not... great.
Like, i think obviously there's a huge difference between the loss of physical media and the idea of clothing rental as an alternative to fast fashion! But to the philosophy of "well we're already used to renting all our films and houses, what's clothes?" I think the best solution would be to invest in smaller amounts of clothing we plan to own for life, not to accustom ourselves to a lifetime of renting and never owning. (I know my viewpoint could be taken as quite materialistic but from a class perspective I honestly find it terrifying that we just accustom ourselves to never owning anything because truly owning like, a house or a car is impossible for most of us, and I don't want that philosophy to just seem normal to us.) In a way fast fashion is similar, in that people are constantly buying cheap clothing (that's killing the planet!) but they never *own* a beautiful wardrobe that expresses themselves.
If the attitude towards renting is the same as the fast fashion mindset that's not a solution (and as you say, wouldn't work longterm anyway because rental services would have to have the latest trends on hand always) but i do like the idea of renting as a good remedial step towards trying things on and finding our personal style! In short: as part of a shift towards viewing fashion not as endlessly shopping for a dopamine fix and a competition with other IG users, and towards viewing it as self-expression, renting sounds lovely, and seems as though it could have a long future ahead of it. But as a replacement for fast fashion, heinous.
Amazing video, as always! 👏😊 Lots of interesting points! Really looking forward to your interview with Eshita! Along the lines of what Eshita had to say about people renting items to try them before buying- I think fashion rental could be a great way for people to discover, expand, and/or evolve their personal style! 👌 One additional downfall to clothing rental I thought of is the time limit of the rental process…Knowing that you have the item(s) for a limited amount of time before you need to decide whether to send it back or purchase it could result in a pressure-induced impulse decision to purchase the item when you’re not 100% sure….And the pressure to purchase doubles if you couple that with any “discounts” these clothing rental companies most likely offer to people who do decide to buy the item(s). About a month ago, I bought an unworn Calvin Klein button up shirt for my mom from The Salvation Army for $6.00, which had original tags AND a “Stitch Fix” tag still attached…👀….I don’t like Stitch Fix’s model (I think the probability of liking most of the items they send you is likely very LOW because a “stylist” chooses for you based on your answers to a questionnaire), HOWEVER, the pressure to buy the items you DO like would 100% still exist because the rental time-limit + buyer discounts would still remain. And this theory is definitely supported by my experience of finding an unworn shirt, which originated from a clothing rental company, at a charity shop.
great thoughts!!! I hadn't looked at stitch fix's model but it sounds like a bad idea from what you've described, "personal style" being sold in the same way as fast fashion 🥴
I can definitely see myself renting a v fancy or unique xmas sweater for an event, seeing as it’s only worn once or twice a year
good example!!
I would consider renting for a one-off occasion like a wedding or a specialised sports holiday, but I wouldn't rent casualwear. I like the freedom to get out the needle and thread and alter things so that they fit. I couldn't imagine paying to rent a handbag, but good luck to those who do.
I’ve been tracking the cost per wear of my clothes for the past 9 years and I think it will be cool for me to do a cost comparison of owning vs renting
ooooh I'd love to hear your results!! would be surprised if owning isn't cheaper, maybe the cost of buying fast fashion constantly vs renting would be a closer race?? idk
Oh wow that’s my comment! Thank you so much for making this video 😊 I really enjoyed hearing all your thoughts on the subject. I am still not totally sold on rental as a good solution, however I didn’t know about peer to peer rental and actually that seems like a really interesting model I need to look more into! I will also definitely be checking out the rental sites you mentioned for secondhand pieces.
oooh sorry I meant to tag u in the description but I'm a little spaced out with a cold 😭 thank you for suggesting it!!!
like I said I think it's ok to see it as sort-of-sustainable rather than 100% good or bad, but I'm happy to hear I said something you hadn't considered!!
just tagged u now 🫶
To be honest I would rather have rental stores giving their stuff to second hand stores (as they need to select clothes which have a decent quality to last multiple rents), then the cheap stuff people often buy when they want to try something out or want something new regularly.
very good point, definitely agree if it's secondhand rental over fast fashion I'd pick the former!
There's no way I'd rent out my own wardrobe. I just have everyday clothes in there that I love and treasure and couldn't imagine someone else wearing.
Also, I don't think anyone would want to rent what I've got. So I'm safe.
haha fair enough, if you're precious about your clothes then it could be a nightmare if something goes wrong 😭 would you rent something yourself?
@@katierobinson I would rent something myself. If I go to a special occasion or have an event I want to wear something extra-nice for, then yes. I am not aware of any rental services in Germany. Perhaps there are and I just haven't searched hard enough. With all the red tape involved in starting a business here, I'm unsure anyone would try who hasn't got extremely deep pockets.
Aha I found one in Berlin apparently.
Correction: Austria.
@@katierobinson what I've also seen here are outfit boxes. Like outfits in a box sent to you to try before buying certain items or the whole outfit. That's very focused on having things sent to a person to purchase and not rent... Not super, tbh.
I really like the idea of shared ownership over clothes. Our current society seems very obsessed with what we own and that we want our own clothes, books etc. While sharing can be so beautitul. I'm part of a clothing loop in which we share clothes through clothing bags we bring to each other. I really like it, I often put something in it that I havent worn in a while and it will get a new life for someone else. Also it helps me with the feeling of still getting new clothes, while not buying it
Be careful though, shared ownership is one thing, rental is different. Rental is for profit, with a company or an individual with more ressources renting/taking money from an individual with less ressources (typically). The company/renter still has full ownership of that object and is in a position of power compared to the one renting the object.
this sounds so lovely! is it a local initiative or is it via an app etc?
17:00 doesn’t work…most fashion consumers don’t live in the UK, they live in the US or throughout Europe. They did a study on the emissions of returning/shipping to the rental service back n forth over the course of the garments life vs buying and renting was much worse! Your using UK shipping is limiting because it’s tiny. Might as well say “Renting within Rhode Island is very sustainable!” While, yes, I’m sure it is-most people don’t live in that place and shipping anything there is going to be low emission but with things like that we need to look at things at a macro level over a micro level it misses the big picture by a lot. with love!
Absolutely not. The fact that it was AirBnB, Uber, fashion rentals... No. Clothes are so personal. Clothes should fit the person wearing them. Clothes can carry disease and insects. The only time it's really acceptable is the special occasion rentals. Tuxedos, wedding dresses, red carpet dresses, expensive items that get worn once on a day when the wearer is exceptionally well groomed. We know and accept that renting housing is worse than owning your own home. We know and accept that renting streaming services is worse for the customers that owning their own hardcopy. This feels like we are forgetting how to be human. That we're forgetting how to live. People forget that rags used to be a resource. These days, our cleaning rags are bought new, are disposable after one use. I don't think there is a craving for newness in everyone. I feel like it's the addictive streak that many of us have, focussed onto 'new' instead of 'food' or 'alcohol'. It also feels a lot like palming off responsibility, like it's the fashion equivalent of veganism - "I don't eat meat therefore no animal died for my food" no, the animal still died, but it was an elephant who trampled the crop or rabbits in the fields or every insect in a ten mile radius instead of the one cow. "I don't buy new clothes so I don't have to worry about sweatshops, or child labour, or toxic runoff from making polyester and rayon". Infuriating. Was not expecting to feel so heated over this, sorry for the rant.
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Renting is a cop-out for the skint and the desperate. They want to "flex", they want the attention...but really, they are just making themselves poorer than before. What if they scuff that Birkin? What if they damage the clothes? Even tiny scuffs/spots may mean that they will have to pay eye-watering charges or even the full price. And somehow I cannot see an unemployed gen Z-er paying for a Birkin.
I think a lot of platforms do offer protection in case something like this happens, where you pay for the insurance at checkout and they reimburse the lender if something goes wrong - definitely depends on what platform you use and obviously whether it's intentional damage or not 🥴
personally I don't think it's a cop out, I see it as a way of access to new items and things you wouldn't buy for your forever wardrobe, have fun with fashion but needs to be in a responsible way
@@katierobinson, let's talk about the main point here: if somebody is not willing to buy something "forever" as you say, why would they want to wear it anyway? Why would they wish to pretend (lie) that they own something they are not willing to buy? What does it say about them? Is her/his self-esteem so low they need to lie? And what does it say about the brand/maker? If any random Tesco till assistant can promenade herself with that said Birkin, what does it do to the value of Hermes? It makes Hermes branding cheap as peanuts. Wearing Hermes would equal to the Marc Jacob's tote bag craze amongst the folks on the dole.
I make bespoke clothes. Clothes that are made for one person and one person only- my valued customer. I spend days, weeks and sometimes months working with my customer on that perfect item of clothing. It's made for them, not for any Karen out there. I would abhor seeing a jacket I poured all my skills and love into, to be worn by a frumpy woman who wants to flex for a day or two.
@@jvnd2785 unfortunately I think we have different thoughts on this
I think renting is a way to democratise and make fashion more accessible and fun for everyone, and that anyone can wear anything they like without caring about a brand's image or whether it reflects their position in society or financial situation
@@katierobinson, I have no issue with different opinions. Just one point: do you understand what democracy means? It means that if 50,1% of people decide on something, it comes into effect. So what do you mean by "democratisation"? I'll tell you- and you may not like it. It means communism. And hard communism too. You cannot fool somebody who was born in the former Soviet Union, my dear.
Another thing: Is it "fun" for the slave labourers who make the clothes you find "fun" to wear and discard at a whim? You really need to start thinking about others rather than your own self-adoration. It will make you a better person.
@@jvnd2785 lol dude you run a cute sealioning gig but maybe stfu if you dont know what you're talking about. Also "my dear"? holy shit you're creepy af.
The Clotheshorse podcast covers rental in detail and doesn’t consider it a sustainable solution. I do agree that for more specific situations like weddings it may be a better option that consuming a lot, but as a day to day alternative to shopping it’s not the best option! 🥲
oh interesting, I may go listen to that! what do you think are there strongest arguments?
@@katierobinson they talk about how they used to work for a clothing rental service and saw that clothes immediately upon return would get thrown out because cleaning it and sending it back out cost too much money. And a whole lot more. Definitely worth checking out if you want an insiders perspective.