13 Genius Hacks To Make The Most Of Your Fashion Rentals

“Thanks, it’s rented” has become the new “Thanks, I got it on sale,” the top-tier response to an outfit compliment. It’s happened to me on several occasions — I’d compliment a stranger’s look in the street, and beaming with pride, they’d tell me it’s rented and from where.

The amount of times I’ve experienced this in recent months tracks. The rental business is booming. Nuuly, a 5-year-old rental app, reached a record of more than 300,000 subscribers in December, while Rent the Runway, the OG subscription site that launched in 2009, saw shares soar by 170% in 2024. It’s even driving more players to join the market including Vivrelle, a luxury bag and jewelry membership club; Pickle, a semi-community closet that allows you to rent and lend; and Bnto, an AI-powered fashion subscription service that launched last summer.

Apart from the sustainability draw, renting is perfect for those who enjoy changing up their wardrobes or want to experiment with their looks. “If you’re usually a minimalist, renting is the perfect excuse to step out of your comfort zone,” says Sixuan Li, founder and CEO at Bnto. “Go bold, experiment with color, or test-drive a trend, without the constant buyer’s remorse.” It’s also great for commitmentphobes. If you don’t like a piece after a while, no problem. Just send it back.

This is especially true for designer items, like bags. Blake Geffen, founder of Vivrelle, says, “I realized there was a huge opportunity for a service that makes luxury pieces accessible to elevate everyday life. With Vivrelle, you’re sharing a closet of the most coveted accessories.” Think: Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Bottega Veneta, and more.

Don’t be intimidated by the brands, though — rental prices are affordable. Nuuly, for example, charges $98 for six items per month, while Rent the Runway charges $94 to $119 for five items per month, based on closet access. Meanwhile, Vivrelle offers a bag a month for as low as $45, with higher-end designer monthly fees starting at $119 a month. A Zara haul is typically more expensive.

Whether you’re a rental newbie who wants to know how to navigate the sites or a longtime subscriber who wants to get more out of your subscriptions, I’ve gathered the best tips and hacks for maximizing your rentals.

Rent Vs. Invest

If you’re trying to figure out what items are best rented, you should consider the following questions:

• Are they trendy?
• Are they more experimental for my tastes?
• Are they seasonal?
• Do I have the closet space for this?

“There are definitely some specific categories you’ll want to rent rather than invest in,” says Sky Pollard, head of product at Nuuly. Microtrends like brat summer or the mob wife aesthetic are a couple of examples. Pollard says, “[For] TikTok microtrends that you know won’t last longer than a month or two, rental is great to give you the flexibility to try the aesthetic for a month and not have it take up space in your budget.”

Bulky, seasonal pieces are another category. “Statement coats and winter sweaters are both great items to rent versus buy,” she says. “They can often be bulky, and closet space is precious.”

Renting is also a great way to build your vacation wardrobes. Do you have a ski trip lined up but don’t plan on becoming an Aspen regular? Rent! Insulated ski coats, jumpsuits, and winter-friendly pants are all available. Plan on taking a lot of photos on your beach getaway? Snag resortwear for your destination vacation.

Then there’s wedding season. “Formal looks for weddings and galas that you would likely only wear once are also perfect pieces to rent,” says Pollard. While there’s nothing wrong with outfit repeating, sometimes these kinds of events just require a more diverse mix of options.

Don’t Sleep On Maternity Wear

Those expecting know how difficult it is to recalibrate wardrobes to accommodate a growing baby bump. Rather than buy a whole new set of clothes, consider renting maternity clothes instead.

“Something people might not realize we have is an assortment of maternity items for customers who are expecting. Who wants to invest in a wardrobe you will only need for a few months?” Pollard says.

Luxury Bags Are The Next Rental Frontier

Rentals aren’t limited to clothes. You can also build the designer handbag wardrobe of your dreams with rental sites dedicated to bags, like Vivrelle. Ever wanted a Chanel Boy? Or a Bottega Veneta Jodie? You can rock them for as long as you like, then switch up when you’re feeling a new vibe. Or just supplement your collection with, well, more.

Geffen says, “Our members love the flexibility of borrowing something bold, like a Prada Sequin Cleo Bag for vacation, then swap it for an elegant Saint Laurent Satin Le 5 a 7 Mini Hobo for a wedding.” It’s perfect for “trying new styles and wearing brands they may not have already owned” — even ones beloved by Hollywood’s biggest it girls.

Unless your budget is unlimited, paying for a rental subscription makes more sense than spending on multiple four-figure purses, especially trendier ones. The math has never mathed harder. Plus, should you love them, you can buy them for a discount. Score.

You Can Send Them Back Dirty

If you’re overwhelmed by the idea of doing laundry before returning the pieces, remove that from your to-do list. Apparently, you don’t need to clean borrowed items before sending them back. All brand reps interviewed agree: Cleaning is care of the rental service. Even stains and loose buttons are covered.

Major caveat: If something *extremely* unfortunate happens (e.g., you accidentally sit on a pile of sh*t in your rented pants, like in the now-viral subway poop story), please clean it. Please. Should something happen, don’t hesitate to reach out to the customer support teams and explain your concerns.

You Also Don’t Need To Clean It Before Wearing

Cleaning processes for rental sites are thorough — as they should be — which means they’re ready to wear upon receipt. If you need convincing, Pollard says, “We have a team of in-house laundry experts at our state-of-the-art professional cleaning and repairs facilities.”

Between Nuuly’s wet and dry cleaning methods, steam tunnels to disinfect the actual bags, and a 16-point inspection for quality, you’re covered.

Be Wary Of Return Dates

It’s true that some services don’t have fees for late returns (Nuuly); some may even let you keep an item for as long as your heart desires (Vivrelle). Since that’s not the case 100% of the time, you should always check how your particular rental site treats late returns.

There could actually even be an incentive to return things early. Li says, “Drop your box with the return carrier one to two days before your billing cycle renews. Once it’s scanned, your next box unlocks shortly after.” Most boxes come with prepaid return labels anyway.

You Love? You Can Buy!

If you do end up loving a piece, you don’t have to return it — you can buy it for a discounted rate. However, when you buy determines an item’s pricing. The longer the pieces are in rotation, the better the deal.

At Bnto, Li explains, “Newer pieces start at 10% off. As items rotate through rentals, the prices go down. If you’ve been eyeing something, renting it later could mean snagging it at a steal.”

Depending on the site’s policies, the pieces you can shop aren’t necessarily limited to what you’ve borrowed. Nuuly introduced the Thrift Shop, with rental-ready styles on final sale at steep discounts, up to 70% off of retail. Pollard says, “Purchases from the Thrift Shop ship free in your next Nuuly box, and they don’t take up a rental spot.”

There Are New Pieces

If you’re still iffy about the idea of wearing something a dozen others have before, there are new pieces in circulation — you just need to know how to identify them when shopping.

According to Li, one major clue that pieces are new is the sale price. “A low sale price (10% to 20% off) means it’s in the early phases of renting and it’s barely been worn,” she says. The most obvious giveaway: the tags. “If it still has tags, it’s fresh off the racks, and you’re the first to rent it.” And if the item has tags? No need to keep it, just toss.

Pollard adds, “If newness is important to a customer, the best way to access it is to navigate to ‘View All Styles’ and sort by newest. This is a great way to keep up with the assortment that refreshes on a daily basis.”

Be On The Lookout For Bonus Credits...

Apart from first-time subscription discounts, some sites offer credits based on your participation. Bnto, for example, offers a $5 credit for writing a review, and $20 credits for renting monthly, referring friends, or tagging on socials.

...And Bonus Perks

Some of the sites partner with other brands (across lifestyle, beauty, food, and more) for discounts or coupons. Per Vivrelle’s Geffen, “We currently work with over 80 brand partners to bring exclusive benefits to our members, whether it be Four Seasons Hotels or Dr. Dennis Gross.”

Vintage & Limited-Edition Pieces Are Also Avail

Fashion girls often have their favorite vintage collections or limited-edition collabs that have eluded them through the years. Well, if you’re lucky, rental sites might just have them.

Geffen says they have everything from “major luxury designers, unique pieces from collaborations, vintage finds, and limited-edition bags.” For example, Vivrelle has pieces from the highly coveted OG Louis Vuitton X Murakami collection, which was recently reinterpreted. She says what makes the Vivrelle experience special is the brand’s “ability to connect people with the pieces that inspire them and make them feel part of fashion history.”

Other sites also house more obscure contemporary designers, as well as vintage pieces.

Treat It Like A Community

A great resource when browsing are your fellow renters. So read reviews. You can even filter them on certain sites by “Size Rented,” “Height,” and “Body Type” to customize your search even more. And when you’re done with yours, write one too and pay it forward.

Check Back Often

Across the board, new drops happen regularly. So heart your favorites and build your wishlist closets. If that gets overwhelming, most sites come up with curated edits based on events and occasions (e.g., weddings and parties or gameday), as well as trends. You can also follow the sites on social media or subscribe to their newsletters for exciting drop announcements.

Sources cited:

Blake Geffen, founder of Vivrelle

Sixuan Li, founder and CEO at Bnto

Sky Pollard, head of product at Nuuly