Are we really ready to rent what we wear?

Industry insiders weigh in on how a piece of clothing that may no longer feel new to you can actually be new for somebody else

The idea of renting has become the new normal in many areas of our lives. We’ve bought into borrowing because it gives us access to a cool ride that takes us to an exotic location, a home that we can stay in, furniture that fills up the space and even someone to keep us company. For those of you who didn’t know, it’s now possible to rent a friend in some parts of the world for under $50 an hour! However, does the ease and comfort with which we rent condos, cars, couches and the company of another person extend itself to fashion? Are we really ready to rent what we wear? We get industry insiders from across the globe to answer this question.

The reservations

While renting clothes is not a new concept, it still has a certain stigma attached to it. Those who have been in the business find themselves facing two key challenges. “Nascent renters want a fresh piece or something that has never been worn by anybody. Additionally, people fear that if their peers find out they are renting an outfit, they might judge them from a socio-economic perspective. Quite a few rent but don’t want anyone to know they visited us,” says Shilpa Bhatia, founder of The Clothing Rental, a platform focused on renting occasion wear to both men and women.

Ashri Jaiswal-Mittal, who co-owns Ziniosa–a luxury rental website that houses everything from Vera Wang dresses to Valentino belts–has encountered similar apprehensions. “When we launched in 2018, some of our customers preferred to remain closeted customers, where they wouldn't tell others about us,” she says. Former financier and founder of UK-based social fashion rental app By Rotation, Eshita Kabra-Davies, finds that these concerns can be addressed by offering reassurances which involve likening renting fashion to other traditional forms of renting. “We have to shift the mainstream perception around renting clothing by reassuring people that it is no different than sleeping in someone's Airbnb apartment or even using towels in a hotel,” she says.

Why should you rent fashion?

In addition to reassurance, another way to put these reservations to rest is listing down the many reasons to rent. There are the obvious bonuses–renting is easier on the pocket, it tackles scarcity of space and most importantly it appeals to the conscious consumer in us. “With the rise of fast fashion and the ‘wear once’ mindset, the amount of clothing we consume has doubled over the last 15 years, and 30 per cent of our garments haven't been worn in over a year. The textile industry produces approximately 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, more than the aviation and shipping industries combined. We are setting out to convince everyone that we no longer need to buy fast fashion and can instead share quality clothing with each other. After all, what may no longer feel new to you can actually be new for somebody else,” says Kabra-Davies, highlighting how renting gives us access while eliminating excess.

There are other less common but just as compelling reasons to rent fashion, often specific to certain models. For instance, subscription-based platforms are increasingly being side-lined in favour of those proving to be more practical. By Rotation, where cult classics from the likes of Jacquemus and Ganni routinely swap hands, is one such example. The peer-to-peer platform is often dubbed the Airbnb of fashion as it enables users to rent what they need and lend what they don’t through interactions with each other. This has two added advantages–you’re able to form friendships with like-minded individuals and earn passive income. “Users who joined with doubts are hooked after trying ‘rotating’ just once because of the mere satisfaction that comes with seeing someone else wear and love your items. It makes you feel proud because you know you’ve done something good for the planet and made money in the process,” says Kabra-Davies.

Jaiswal-Mittal also has less-talked-about incentives to share. “Renting saves you time spent in malls. It allows you to experiment with your style and to try a luxury product before you decide to invest in it,” she says. Her point of view is supported by Ziniosa’s most-rented items, which include investment pieces such as Sabyasachi clutches and Gucci Marmont bags.

A gradual rise

Unlike several other businesses, fashion rental services weren’t beneficiaries of the Covid-19 pandemic, at least in the beginning. People became wary of putting on clothes worn by someone else and the reasons to rent diminished as our social calendars wore an empty look. “The pandemic hit us hard. Most of the fashion industry caters to events and with those on pause, we saw a huge dip in demand,” says Bhatia. However, things are starting to look up again, not only because the number of social engagements are increasing with us edging towards some semblance of normalcy but also because we’re emerging from the pandemic as more mindful consumers. “The pandemic has made everyone understand the importance of sustainable fashion. Millennials and members of Gen Z have started taking pride in openly accepting that they prefer to rent and re-wear rather than buy something new. More and more people are renting from us now, telling their friends about it and also tagging us on social media. They no longer shy away from the concept of circular fashion, in fact they feel it's the 'cool' thing to do,” says Jaiswal-Mittal who has expanded her product offering to cater to an increase in demand.

Kabra-Davies also attests to a change in perception. “I think that we are all going to become much more considerate about our consumption post pandemic. Being at home and surrounded by your possessions really makes you think about what you do need and don’t, making you appreciate what you have. People are slowly realising what actually matters, and quality over quantity is such an important value to embrace,” she explains, while also cautioning that this shift can’t be left in the hands of consumers alone. “I believe consumers are becoming aware, but there is still a lot of work to be done by large corporations in changing their production methods and how they push consumption,” she concludes.

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