Want a show-stopping outfit for Christmas Day but don’t have hundreds to drop on a dress after buying all those presents? Take advantage of the boom in fashion rental platforms, and hire yourself a designer piece for a fraction of the cost of buying it.
My Wardrobe HQ (the firm Carrie Johnson famously hired her wedding dress from) has a huge inventory of designer gems — think Gucci, Versace, Jenny Packham — with rental prices starting from £4 a day.
The pink sequin delight from Temperley London (second from left) has a retail price of £1,913, but you can rent it for a mere £31. Order by December 20 for Christmas delivery, and by December 27 for New Year’s Eve.
Jumpsuit, Roland Mouret at byrotation.com, rent from £29, RRP £950; shoes, £275, terrydehavilland.com
Dress, Temperley London at mywardrobehq.com, rent from £31, RRP £1,913; bag, Shrimps at byrotation.com, rent from £15, RRP £475; shoes, £285, terrydehavilland.com
Dress, Marks & Spencer x Ghost at hirestreetuk.com, rent from £15, RRP £79; bag, Saint Laurent at cocoon.club, RRP £1,190, memberships from £39 per year
At Endless Wardrobe, you can rent clothes by the likes of Essentiel Antwerp, alongside newer brands such as British label Harmur — hire a silk halter dress (far right) for a reasonable £49. Order by December 21 for Christmas delivery and by December 29 for New Year’s Eve.
Onloan works on a subscription basis, starting at £69 for two rentals a month. Its curated list of designers includes Joseph, Lily & Lionel, Shrimps and Maggie Marilyn (see the candy-pink midi, third from right). There’s next-day delivery on all orders placed before 10am (not including bank holidays, so plan ahead accordingly).
With Hurr you borrow designer pieces directly from its very stylish members. If you’ve always wanted to wear one of the iconic The Vampire’s Wife dresses but can’t afford the £1,595 price tag, you can rent one via Hurr for £174 (second from right). There are also cheaper pieces from Ganni, Rixo and Kitri to rent from £14 a day.
Jumpsuit, Rock The Jumpsuit at mywardrobehq.com, rent from £8, RRP £285
Dress, De La Vali at endlesswardrobe.com, rent from £75, RRP £575; shoes, £384, deeocleppo.com; bag, £29.99, zara.com
Dress, Maggie Marilyn at onloan. co, memberships from £69 per month; bag, Bottega Veneta at cocoon.club, RRP £1,900, memberships from £39 per year; shoes, £29.99, zara.com
Dress, The Vampire’s Wife at hurrcollective.com, rent from £174, RRP £1,595; bag, Paco Rabanne at cocoon.club, RRP £490, memberships from £39 per year; shoes, £79.99, zara.com
The By Rotation app lets you rent directly from other users — I found a velvet Roland Mouret jumpsuit (far left) for just £29. Delivery times depend on the lender, so don’t leave it to the last minute. You’ll find stunning accessories on these platforms, too, but if you have a penchant for bags, consider a Cocoon subscription from £39 a year, which gives you access to bags worth thousands of pounds — such as these gorgeous Saint Laurent (third from left) and Bottega Veneta clutches (third from right) — available to rent for just £40 a week. Standard delivery is two to three working days.
If you’re not yet a convert to fashion rental, party season is the time to try it out. You’ll get to wear something far more fabulous for your money.
Dress, Harmur at endlesswardrobe.com, rent from £49, RRP £325; bag, £42, accessorize.com