We’ve all been there, rifling through our wardrobes to try and find something to wear for an upcoming event.
Weddings, an important interview, or a fancy dinner that you completely forgot about.
Through this panic we have formed a reliance on fast fashion sites and their miraculous next day delivery, but could clothing rentals provide a more sustainable and cost-effective solution.
A recent study from Hubbub, a charity that campaigns for sustainability, found that more than half of young women buy new clothes once a month, saying they feel that they need to be seen in a different outfit every time they go out.
Renting clothing doesn’t seem to be considered as an option, only as an afterthought when fast fashion doesn’t arrive in time.
Emily Guest, 48, owner of the Nottinghamshire based clothes rental boutique Occasion Hire, specialises in women’s formal wear and has over 140 “high-end high street and designer” dresses.
Including the likes of Ralph Lauren, Vivienne Westwood and Ted Baker.
The initial opening of the store was simply due to affordability, but shortly afterwards she began thinking about the environmental side of the business.
The boutique first began in Emily’s spare bedroom in 2020, but was only open a matter of weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic stopped her from trading until July this year.
Emily knowingly says that the business is yet to develop with only around 20% of her dresses being rented out so far.
She stated: “I expected younger people to be more conscious of affordability and sustainability” as most of her rentals are to an older demographic.
Emily selected a Vivienne Westwood cotton dress to show me, explaining that it would be £600 new but just under £40 to rent from her.
She continued: “Everyone deserves to wear an expensive dress at a fraction of the cost, at least once for a one-off event.”
She added on that is “heart-breaking” to think people are embarrassed about re-wearing clothing.
Hubbub found that 1 in 6 people feel embarrassed re-wearing an outfit if they have posted it on social media already.
Emily doesn’t dismiss the struggle of women feeling like they have nothing to wear.
She said: “That’s why it’s called a wardrobe, because of the daily battle with it.
“I hate to think of dresses being bought only to wear once and then hanging unworn for eternity.”
There is still a certain controversy surrounding the sustainability of rented clothing and whether it is actually a sustainable option.
Emily said: “I see what people are saying, because with online rentals you have to pay for shipping and it’s then up to the provider to invest and catch up to sustainability. The worst things are the shipping and how its cleaned, and that’s why I’ve tried to avoid those things.”
Occasion Hire is simply a walk-in clothes rental without a shipping process, to save on carbon emissions as well as cost.
Items are hand-washed using Norwex, a sustainable detergent, while delicate pieces are steamed creating a more environmental way of dry cleaning.
She said: “It’s a longer process, but it’s by far a more environmentally friendly process, so I’d rather do it.”
The business is a reflection of Emily’s environmental conscious.
She added: “I’ve always been environmentally minded, my mum used to laugh at me and call me an eco-warrior when I was younger.”
Even going as far as getting rid of her car and saving shower water for her plants.
Fast fashion and sustainability expert Rose Marroncelli, PhD researcher and lecturer in International Fashion Business at Nottingham Trent University agrees that it is difficult to trust most clothes rental services.
She said: “The environmental benefits are uncertain because it’s dependent on the company,” and unseen factors, such as dry cleaning “which make it hard to measure.”
She references online rental services saying that if something is shipped to the UK from abroad “the environmental costs obviously outweigh the environmental benefits.”
Rose said: “It’s more common to lease a car now than it is to buy a car. As a society, we are moving towards more of a leasing model than an owning model.
And that absolutely could have a place in fashion.”
Companies such as Mud Jeans have begun renting casual wear, in the form of subscription service where you can rent multiple everyday items for a monthly fee.
Stores such as Urban Outfitters, John Lewis and M&S are also offering rental options.
Celebrities including Holly Willoughby, Stacy Dooley, and Carrie Simmonds are choosing to rent garments making it seem like the latest trend going into 2023.
Rose admits that renting isn’t an option she or most people would initially consider due to the lack of events and impact on the industry during the pandemic.
As well as the increasingly popular second-hand market and the “Fast fashion programmed mindset” of younger generations.
There’s no single solution, but clothing rentals could be part of a bigger picture to work out a solution to sustainable fashion.
Maybe next time you receive an invitation to an event you won’t be launched into a panicked wardrobe dig or last-minute shopping spree.
Instead, you might consider renting your outfit and wearing a designer dress that makes you feel fabulous for the night.