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We\u2019ll never forget how stunned Carrie Bradshaw was to learn that her prospective assistant Louise was renting a Louis Vuitton purse, in the movie Sex and the City. And although Bradshaw eventually gifted Louise her own designer handbag, her assistant was onto something. It\u2019s hard to believe that was a decade ago, as renting fashion is becoming the new norm.<\/p>\n
Shortly after the film was released, Rent the Runway<\/a> stepped onto the scene with similar intentions and more product offerings. The start-up company set out to offer customers that couldn\u2019t afford designer apparel the luxury experience (keyword: experience). Initially, the women-founded company targeted special occasions, such as weddings and proms. However, RTR recently launched Unlimited<\/a> and Update<\/a>, subscription plans that allow users to rent on the regular.<\/p>\n Style Lend<\/a> is another rental option for special occasion wear, however instead of renting from a warehouse you\u2019re renting directly from other women\u2019s closets. Both Style Lend and RTR feature fashion-forward, designer apparel. Meanwhile, other rental subscriptions, such as Le Tote<\/a> (starting at $59\/mo) and Gwynnie Bee<\/a> (starting at $69\/mo), cater to everyday attire with lower-priced plans and popular, affordable brands typically found in department stores. Le Tote offers maternity styles, while Gwynnie Bee is known for being size inclusive. Still, RTR\u2019s latest tier, Update ($89\/mo), boasts a competitive price that will have you wanting to try on the finer things.<\/p>\n With the retail apocalypse<\/a>\u2014not to mention Amazon crushing everything in sight\u2014it\u2019s safe to say brick-and-mortar retailers are paying close attention to the rental revolution. Earlier this year, Gwynnie Bee introduced CaaStle<\/a> (\u201cClothing as a Service\u201d), a platform that allows traditional retailers to implement their own rental services. Ann Taylor and New York & Company are among the first stores onboard, now offering Infinite Style<\/a> ($95\/mo) and NY&C Closet<\/a> (starting at $49.95\/mo), respectively.<\/p>\n This rental trend isn\u2019t exclusive to clothing. In fact, a number of car companies, including Volvo, Cadillac and Porsche, are now offering subscription services. According to Fast Company<\/a>, \u201cSubscription models, which provide more flexibility than a typical long-term lease, may give automakers a leg up in a retail landscape increasingly shaped by ride-hailing services.\u201d Joymode, on the other hand, is a Los Angeles\u2013based rental service that offers experiences in the form of camping equipment, at-home movie night supplies and virtually anything you can think of. The company\u2019s tagline is \u201cDo more. Buy less.\u201d<\/p>\n While Louise rented handbags (from Bag Borrow or Steal<\/a>) because she couldn\u2019t afford them, today shoppers don\u2019t want to be carrying around all that baggage, even if they could. As we\u2019ve mentioned before, consumers are valuing experiences over possessions. They are trading brand loyalty\u2014even for coveted designers like Louis Vuitton\u2014for an unbranded aesthetic<\/a>. And finally, they are using their dollars to vote and support purpose-driven companies. We\u2019ll never forget how stunned Carrie Bradshaw was to learn that her prospective assistant Louise was renting a Louis Vuitton purse, in the movie Sex and the City. And although Bradshaw eventually gifted Louise her own designer handbag, her assistant was onto something. It\u2019s hard to believe that was a decade ago, as renting fashion […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":11300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[701],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
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\n<\/b>From a conscious consumer<\/a>\u2019s standpoint, renting apparel (and other goods) just makes sense. In her bestselling book \u201cThe Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,\u201d Marie Kondo<\/a> taught us how to purge everything that doesn\u2019t bring joy to our lives. This took a major hit to our closets, but we adapted with a capsule wardrobe: buying fewer, better basics built to last. Since then, we\u2019ve been stuck in a bit of a limbo. We don\u2019t want to go back to our fast fashion ways, and yet the minimalist wardrobe can be a little, well, boring. By renting, we get to explore the latest trends in fashion and beyond without the commitment\u2014or guilt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"