In recent years, Australian’s have become more aware of the impact their excessive shopping habits are having on the environment. According to statistics revealed in the ABC’s War on Waste series, 6,000 kilograms of clothes are thrown out every 10 minutes in Australia and with many of the items coming from fast-fashion retailers, the majority of that 6,000 kilograms goes straight to landfill. At this rate, that’s enough clothes to fill the MCG – which has a seated capacity of 100,000 people – over two and a half times every year.
On a more positive note, shoppers both in Australia and across the world are starting to take action to combat these concerning statistics – and many celebrities are following suit. Take actress Jane Fonda, who in a podcast last month, announced that her iconic red coat – that she has been seen wearing while protesting climate change (and subsequently getting arrested) – is the last piece of clothing she’ll ever buy.
Out of this waste catastrophe has come the trend of eco-fashion and the booming rental fashion industry, where you can find just about anything from designer clothing, handbags, shoes and accessories online.
In the UK, clothing rental startup My Wardrobe HQ has received the public support of many celebrities from Millie Mackintosh to James Blunt, who both wore pieces from the fashion rental company’s archives to the British Fashion Awards on Monday.
There are already some Australian household names in the rental industry, like GlamCorner and The Volte, but the trend is not slowing down anytime soon, with a new company AirRobe, launching just two months ago in October and operating similarly to Airbnb but for fashion.
The process, if you’re not already familiar, is simple. Find an item you like, select the period you want to hire it for, look fab wearing it and then return it to the rental company. All at a serious fraction of the retail price, too.
With the holiday season fast approaching, the endless list of office parties, gatherings and family get-togethers are almost in full swing. Make the smarter, and trendier choice this year and consider hiring your outfits for the festive season. Our favourite websites, below.
1. GlamCorner
Best for: Special occasion dresses and party frocks
Brands on offer: Camilla and Marc, Shona Joy, Manning Cartell and Alice McCall
What it offers: The popular rental platform is known for its vast range of items, stocking more than 200 international and Australian designers
Website: glamcorner.com.au
2. Rent a Dress
Best for: Head-turning, trendy party dresses with lots of colour
Brands on offer: Alice McCall, Zimmerman, Camilla, AJE and BY JOHNNY
What it offers: Rent a Dress allows you to either borrow or lend out your wardrobe and has over 3,000 items from over 1,000 lenders across Australia
Website: rentadressaustralia.com
3. Her Wardrobe
Best for: Race day wear, special occasion dresses and designer gowns
Brands on offer: Yeojin Bae, Josh Goot, White Suede and Rachel Gilbert
What it offers: Unlike a lot of other rental platforms, Her Wardrobe has a physical showroom in Melbourne where you can try on frocks before you hire
Website: herwardrobe.com.au
4. AirRobe
Best for: Finding a great mix of vintage designer pieces and brand new items
Brands on offer: For rent – Camilla and Marc, Rebecca Vallance, Bec and Bridge. For sale – Gucci, Christian Dior, Chanel, Zimmermann
What it offers: A marketplace that allows people to make money from their clothing collections and is helping combat the ‘use-and-discard’ attitude around fashion
Website: https://shop.airrobe.com/
5. The Volte
Best for: Party frocks and on-trend statement pieces
Brands on offer: Self Portrait, Alice McCall, For Love and Lemons and Saint Laurent
What it offers: A broad variety of stylish garments across a range of categories and sizes
Website: thevolte.com
6. Boss Ladies
Best for: Designer handbags
Brands on offer: Dior, Chanel, Balenciaga
What it offers: Australia’s first online store that allows you to lease brand new handbags monthly from high tier designers
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