‘It’s more sustainable – and I still get to wear something new every weekend’: how rental fashion became big business

Once the preserve of A-listers going to award shows, high street brands are now making hiring clothes more affordable. But can renting really cure our addiction to throwaway fashion – and is it as good for the environment as many claim?

We have become used to staying in strangers’ homes via Airbnb, borrowing books via Kindle and using pay-as-you-drive car sharing clubs such as Zipcar to nip to Ikea but, until recently, renting clothes has been a relatively novel experience.

This could all be about to change, as a slew of brands and retailers move to make clothing rental a far more viable option for everyday customers. On the high street, H&M has introduced a rental section to its revamped Regent Street shop in London, while M&S recently announced it is expanding its offering on the rental platform Hirestreet, through which it first began renting out items a year ago. LK Bennett, John Lewis and Jigsaw have also started offering customers the option to borrow, rather than buy, online.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/D8NvfpQ