7 Best Clothing-Rental Services for Every Occasion
Updated: Apr. 19, 2024
Want to save space in your closet, revamp your personal style without the commitment or reduce your carbon footprint? Try one of these clothing-rental services.
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You’ve been invited to a black-tie event—lucky you! But while it’s fun to get dolled up, it can be a drag to find the right outfit at a reasonable price. Still, there’s no need to spend hours roaming the mall or pay designer prices to wear a fabulous ball gown. With clothing-rental services, you can scroll through your phone to find the perfect piece at upward of 90% off the retail price.
Clothing rental is not a particularly new concept, but these subscription services are more visible than ever with the rise of beauty and fashion subscription boxes and the popularity of clothes recycling. It’s exactly what it sounds like: You pay a fee to rent clothing to wear once or a couple of times, then return the item to the company.
There are plenty of reasons you may want to rent clothes. Maybe your body is changing during pregnancy, or you’re on a weight-loss or weight-gain journey. With a rental, you get clothes that fit without the commitment or cost of constantly buying new things in different sizes. Clothing rental is also perfect for people who have public-facing jobs (like TV hosts, CEOs or influencers), the fashion forward and anyone who frequently posts shiny new outfits on social media. Once you have your capsule wardrobe in place, it’s easy to rent standout pieces that will make your closet look like it’s ever-changing.
Even better, clothing rental can teach you how to save money, especially if you love wearing high-end pieces or designer brands. It may also be better for the environment, although you still have to factor in the emissions from companies shipping items to you and dry-cleaning them after you’re done. But if you online shop already, buying fast fashion and then quickly cycling through items you tire of, it may be more eco-friendly for you to rent rather than purchase.
Finally, renting clothes can save you precious closet space, allow you to try new patterns and prints, and encourage you to reinvent your personal style as you see fit. Here are our top places to rent clothes, whatever your style.
Best overall: Rent the Runway
Cost: $94 per month for the four-item plan, $144 per month for the eight-item plan and $235 per month for the 16-item plan
Rent the Runway is the original clothing-rental service. Founded in 2009, it focused on designer pieces you could rent for up to 90% off the retail price. It gained traction as a service that provided designer duds—the type of formalwear that normally cost thousands of dollars—via à la carte rentals lasting four to eight days. More recently, it has expanded into monthly subscriptions, which still offer formalwear but also include casual pieces, maternity lines, jewelry, purses and outerwear.
The cheapest subscription will get you four items per month with a retail value of up to $350. The higher-priced plans will get you eight or 16 items a month with a retail value of $3,000. In Manhattan, you can order and receive clothes the same day. Outside of New York City, you can get clothing shipped to you within a couple of days. When you’re done, box ’em up, use the prepaid shipping label and drop the package at your local UPS or at select Staples stores.
Pros:
- Thousands of items, including formalwear, bridal, casual, maternity, jewelry and accessories
- No monthly membership required for clothing purchase or one-time rental
- Machine-learning tech ensures the right fit
Cons:
- More expensive than other sites
- Some pieces look more worn than others, but you won’t know until you receive the item
Best for every day: Gwynnie Bee
Cost: Ranges from $49 per month for the one-item plan to $199 per month for the 10-item plan
Like Rent the Runway, Gwynnie Bee prices plans based on the number of items you get per month. But this clothing-rental service offers six subscription options (for one, two, three, five, seven or 10 items), giving you even more flexibility. All plans include unlimited exchanges, shipping and returns, and cleaning.
Because Gwynnie Bee started as a plus-size clothing-rental service, you’ll find a great selection of items in sizes 10 to 32. That said, the company offers smaller sizes too. You’ll find great basics to mix and match, including sweaters, pants, work dresses, blouses and jeans. Brands include NYDJ, Calvin Klein, Maggy London, Vince Camuto and Lauren Ralph Lauren.
Pros:
- Good work and casual options
- Sizes range from XS to 5XL
- Free or discounted trial available
- Can buy items you really love
Cons:
- Does not offer formal options
- Mostly mid-level brands
Best for extended sizes: Fashion to Figure Closet
Cost: $55 per month for three clothing items and two accessories per box; unlimited boxes
Meet your new favorite clothing subscription box, plus-size shoppers. Fashion to Figure Closet caters to sizes 12 to 24 and XL to 3XL. It has both work and night-out attire, as well as sexy and trendy items, clothing in bold colors and plenty of accessories. If you love what you rent, you can buy the item for up to 50% off the retail price. The company also has final-sale pieces available to purchase for thrift-store prices—as low as $3.
Although there are two membership options—one gets you three items of clothing a month, while the other gets you three items of clothing and two accessories—both will run you $55. You get unlimited boxes per month, meaning you can get new items as soon as you ship the other ones back.
Pros:
- Extended sizing available, from XL to 3XL
- Can buy items you really love
- Two- to three-day shipping
- Other members can leave reviews, ratings and photos about an item’s fit
Cons:
- Clothing from lower retail price points than other sites
- Caters to plus-size customers only
Best on-trend styles: Nuuly
Cost: $88 per month for six items
Sign up for Nuuly to rent items from 300 brands, including Urban Outfitters (its parent company), Anthropologie, Free People, Levi’s and Anna Sui. With more than 15,000 styles to choose from and sizes ranging from petite to 5XL (plus maternity options), you’ll have no trouble finding what to wear. And style is no obstacle: Nuuly carries trendy pieces like jumpsuits and cutout overalls, as well as timeless picks like sweater dresses, jean jackets and blazers. The company pays for shipping, cleaning and repairs—just drop off your reusable tote at a UPS store.
And heads up, bargain hunters: Nuuly is also one of the best places to sell old clothes online. Use the Nuuly Thrift platform to sell men’s, women’s or kids’ clothing and accessories and get Nuuly Cash with a 10% bonus to spend on the site or at Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, BHLDN or Terrain.
Pros:
- Large range of sizes, brands and items available
- Affordable price point
- Shared profile with Nuuly Thrift for easy log-in across sites
Cons:
- Limited black-tie options
- Skews to a younger audience
Best for a corporate job: New York and Company Closet
Cost: $49 per month for three clothing items and two accessories per box; unlimited boxes per month
New York and Company is a household name, but you may think of it as just another brick-and-mortar store. Not so! The brand also offers a clothing-rental service that provides subscribers with clothing and accessories like jewelry, bags and scarves. While you’ll come across some designer pieces (like Kate Spade) in the form of accessories, the clothing is New York and Company’s own label.
From jackets to joggers, crop tops to cardigans, on-duty and off-duty options abound. But the brand’s strong suit is business attire. Just add items you like into your virtual closet, and you’ll be able to rent right away. Shipping is free, and you’ll receive a prepaid USPS label for returns.
Pros:
- Lots of work-appropriate attire
- Features a collaboration with Gabrielle Union
- Offers optional $5 insurance to cover a stain or missing button
- Option to buy an item at up to 50% off the retail price
Con:
- Lack of brand variety
Best for maternity clothing: Le Tote
Cost: Ranges from $79 per month for five maternity items to $129 per month for 10 maternity items and five accessories
Whoever says maternity clothing is frumpy has clearly never met Le Tote. Featuring brands like BCBGeneration, Rachel Roy, Vince Camuto, French Connection and Splendid, this reasonably priced clothing-rental service gives expecting moms a lot of options for everything from cozy sweaters to classic dresses. Sign up for the maternity package to get access to both maternity and non-maternity clothing, so you can look stylish no matter where you are in your pregnancy. Le Tote also has nursing-friendly options for your postpartum journey.
Although it costs $20 more than the traditional package, you’ll be saving a lot of money by not buying maternity clothes you’ll wear for only a few months. And there are plenty of plans to choose from: five-, eight- and 10-item clothing plans (at $79, $99 and $119), a plan with five clothing items and three accessories for $89, a plan with seven clothing items and three accessories for $109 and a plan with 10 clothing items and five accessories for $129. You can also change, pause or cancel at any time, like right before you’re about to give birth.
After, try one of Le Tote’s eight classic plans for non-maternity clothing. You can choose from three clothing-only options (ranging from $59 to $109 per month), three packages that provide clothing and accessories (ranging from $79 to $119 a month) or two unlimited plans at $79 each.
Pros:
- Huge savings for someone who is frequently changing sizes, like during pregnancy
- Pick exactly what you want to rent from the styles available
- Option to buy an item at up to 50% off the retail price
- Two- to three-day shipping
Con:
- Maternity memberships cost more than traditional Le Tote subscriptions
Best for kids: Rainey’s Closet
Cost: Priced per item; most five-day rentals are about 25% of retail value, plus $9.95 flat-rate shipping
For the most stylish kid you know, check out Rainey’s Closet. You can search by category, size, occasion or brand to find the perfect items for your little ones. Whether you need formal flower girl dresses, sparkly tutus for a ballet recital or stunning crystal headbands (that may last only a few minutes on their heads), this clothing-rental service is a go-to for growing kids.
Rent items for five or 10 days, let your kids wear them to their hearts’ content and return them via UPS. Rainey’s Closet will take care of the rest.
Pros:
- Caters to kids
- Great for special occasions
- Clothing for girls and boys
- Sizes range from infant to size 16
Cons:
- Kids and maternity only, no traditional adult fashion rentals
- Clothing selection for boys is limited
- You may have to pay retail for the item if your child heavily stains or tears it
FAQs
Whether you’re signing up for a clothing-rental service, meal-subscription box or subscription service for men, it pays to know what you’re getting into. With that in mind, we’ve answered your most pressing questions about renting clothes.
How do clothing-rental services work?
Most services will ask you to make an account on the website before you start receiving clothing. From there, you can add pieces to be shipped to you automatically or “heart” your favorites. The company will send you clothing that you can wear for as long as you like (or a set amount of time, depending on the service). When you’re done, return them via post office or mail carrier with a prepaid label.
Will I save money using a clothing-rental service?
You can definitely save money by renting clothing, especially if you’re buying new pieces of clothing all the time. You can also save time by avoiding in-person shopping; just add an item to your online closet at your convenience.
If I want to keep an item, can I purchase it?
Yes, clothing-rental companies will allow you to purchase beloved rental items for a fraction of the retail price. It will be preowned, but many items are still in great condition.
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Originally Published: January 05, 2023
