Hirestreet rental fashion is Highstreet fashion to rent. I thought I would give it a go and these are my tips I’d love to share.
Rental fashion to date has been quite expensive, when I have looked at it for a special occasion the cost to hire for a couple of days has been significantly more expensive than a dress from the Highstreet, so common sense would say – buy rather than rent.
That said, we are all forever increasing our ‘capsule wardrobe’, having to find the time to edit our out-of-control wardrobes to only find ourselves trying to sell that Highstreet dress on eBay for about 20% of the original price; not forgetting the extra time it’s taken to list it, sell it and then to take it to the post office. It does beg the question – should I have rented?
I found Hirestreet whilst lounging in my garden reading a magazine – the headlines were of an awakening kind, ‘HIRE THE HIGHSTREET’ and bingo I was on their instagram account in minutes – could I really hire the Highstreet at a sensible price? It seems I can.
THE M&S X GHOST SATIN DRESS
Let’s take this red M&S Ghost Satin Dress as an example.
The original RRP is £79, you can hire it from £14 for 4 days. I choose to rent it for full 30 days at a price of £26 – it should have been with an added extra £5 for delivery, but as a first time order I had a code to waiver that charge. On a side note, that £5 covers the cost of delivering to you and for you to return it.
I chose not to include the fee for accidental damage, I believe this would have added another £3. It’s a personal choice, but I’m pretty good at looking after what I am wearing, as I am wearing it and with a full retail value of £79; the risk is low.
So the total cost on this dress for me for 30 days, was £26 – equating to £0.86p per day, if I wore it every day for 30 days, now we know that’s not going to be the case! So let’s say I wore it 4 times, about once a week, this would be £6.50 per wear – which I feel is a sensible rental price.
WAS THE PROCESS EASY?
Yes and no.
Yes in selecting an item, paying for it and waiting for it to arrive.
No in that the first dress that arrived was damaged with some black marks – in fairness to Hirestreet, they were straight on it and arranged another dress to be sent out ASAP plus a discount code off my next order, which was lovely but it was not the best start I was expecting to have to deal with.
No too in that both dresses arrived really creased. Making a hand-held steamer your most valuable tool in your style kit – not only to steam it when it first arrives but also to steam it in between washes. I hadn’t read the small print (and was informed at the time of raising my query on the black mark) to not attempt to wash it out. It seems they do not want you to wash any garments, they will professionally clean when they get it back – great for a 4-day hire…. not so sure on a 30-day rental.
Yes to returning, you use the original bag, it has a label and off to the post office you go. You need to pop it there by midday on the last day of your rental and have a proof of return receipt.
Will I HIRE again?
Well, I have another order pending, it’s due to arrive with me in early September – I gave it another go because I had the discounted voucher. It’s a more expensive option with an RRP of £355 (not quite Highstreet prices, yes I agree) but with 30% discount and a brand I wanted to try called Panambi, I can afford a 4 day rental on a lovely co’ord set.
This 4-day rental, with discount and delivery has cost me £34.40 – I plan to wear twice during that period. Cost-per-wear will therefore be £17.20 – which I think is an okay rental price. I get to wear it to two events, plus no dry cleaning costs.
Watch this space… I may be back with an update on hire number two.
WHAT DO I THINK TO HIRESTREET RENTAL FASHION?
It’s a truly great concept and it’s very much needed for many women who wish to splash on a little fashion here and there for a special occasion or a weekend away with some new items.
It’s a great way to contribute towards sustainable fashion without breaking the bank too much – a feel good fashion wear, because you know that this dress will be worn by many and not just gathering dust in between seasons in your wardrobe or under the bed etc.
You can give new colours, new styles a go without having to fully invest.
MY TIPS FOR NAVIGATING RENTAL FASHION
- Rent with purpose – Have an event or an occasion in mind. My first rental didn’t have a destination point, I thought I would wear it to work each week, however the weather changed considerably and it was too hot to wear it. I was then trying to ‘make it fit’ other situations and all in all, I didn’t get much wear from it.
- Start your search with your dress size – Make sure the rental comes in your dress size AND available for your dates. Before selecting anything, ensure these filters are set or you will simply waste time or get excited about something you can’t rent.
- Start with something you are familiar with – Pick an item you know you will love to wear, I love red and I wanted to try a GHOST dress, so this ticked two boxes for me.
- Weigh up if you need accidental damage – It’s a personal choice, think about where you are going, who you are going to be around and what are the risks if you don’t.
- The longer rental – It’s very tempting to rent for longer, but here’s the thing – You are responsible for it for the whole time, your risk therefore increases. You can’t wash it, so realistically you can only wear it 2-3 times even with steaming in between. You need to be organised with your returns or more charges will apply, that again will come down to how personally organised you are yourself.
- The mood boost you need without commitment – We all need a fashion boost from time to time – maybe a 4-day rental will be the feel good factor you need without any investment, plus you’ve made minimal impact to the planet – tick, tick, tick!
Next Up: HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR CLOTHES ~ I SHARE MY TIPS
