Rent a dress: Nine places to hire an outfit, including a wedding dress - from Selfridges to Hirestreet

As the cost of living crisis continues to put a huge strain on all of our purses, we’re all looking for ways to cut our spending and save as much money as we can.

This can come at odds with the desire we all have to go out, socialise and see our loved ones again after the separation and isolation which we all experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

For many, an occasion to attend or a big life event, such as a wedding or a new baby, means the need for a new outfit.

But, at the moment our budgets just might not stretch to buying a totally brand new ensemble.

The good news is there is an alternative as you can rent an outfit instead - and not only is it better for your bank balance, it’s also better for the planet.

We’re more aware than ever before of the negative impacts of fast fashion on our environment, so you can also do your bit to help combat this and shop more sustainably by choosing to rent clothing rather than buy it.

We realise that it’s not practical to rent your entire wardrobe, however, and if you do want to buy a new outfit then take a look at these 18 sustainable fashion brands so you can buy as environmentally friendly as possible.

Here are nine of the best clothing rental services, to suit every need - from every day to party to brunch to bride.

• Selfridges

If you’d like a designer outfit but you don’t have the cash to pay the hundreds of pounds that designer outfits will cost then Selfridges Rental is your new best friend.

It allows you to borrow all the best styles from the store’s leading designers and brands at a dramatically reduced price when compared to buying outright - and that even includes wedding dresses.

It’s all part of Selfridges’ pioneering initiative, Project Earth, which explores new ways to shop and help everyone to do their bit for the planet.

You shop Selfridges Rental in much the same way as you shop the buy section of the website. Choose your item, choose your size, pay your money and the item will be delivered to your door.

You can choose to rent for 4, 8, 10 or 20 days, so it’s perfect whether you just want something for one occasion or if you’d like to take it away on a trip and rewear it several times.

• The Devout

The Devout is a rental fashion subscription service.

It’s the service for you if you have a diary jam packed with social occasions - be it weddings, birthday parties, holidays, weekends away, day trips, summer celebrations - but you just don’t want to wear the same thing twice.

Whatever your reason, whether you don’t want to be photographed in the same outfits again and again, or you just haven’t updated your wardrobe in a while but don’t have the funds to buy several new outfits, don’t worry.

For £79 per month, you can get £500 plus worth of clothing in one box, and It’s a super easy process.

All you have to do is take a look at the clothes, add the pieces you like to your basket, and checkout.

Fashion brands The Devout offers include Whistles and & Other Stories, and more. Think statement dresses, jumpsuits, and even cardigans.

If you are the one getting married then The Devout will suit your needs too as The Devout is collaborating with Whistles to launch some stunning wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses onto its membership platform.

• Hirestreet

Hirestreet, which is the UK’s leading accessible fashion rental platform, has the slogan “own your style, not your outfit”.

You’ll find thousands of items from over 50 brand partners, and outfits can be hired

from 4 to 30 days from as little as 18% of Recommended Retail Price - so you can get premium brands at affordable prices.

Marks and Spencer, ASOS, Lipsy, Oasis, Nobody’s Child and French Connection are all brands which partner with Hirestreet, and there’s many more.

If you’re shopping with a particular occasion in mind - from date night to holiday - you’ll also find the individual sections on the website really useful too.

• Infinite Closet

Infinite Closet launched in the UK last year, and unlike similar services its founders work exclusively with independent brands in the UK and worldwide - and they also stock only dresses.

The aim is to support small businesses, and take away the concern that many buyers can have when they come across brands they do not know when shopping for a new outfit online.

You can shop via occasion - including bridal, brunch, date or day time - or simply browse by designer or what’s new. You’re guaranteed to discover a new designer to love.

Rental periods are between 4 and 8 days, so there’s plenty of time to love your new outfit before it needs to be returned.

• Hurr

Hurr declares that they are giving the world a “green-over”, and it’s also the UK’s first peer-to-peer clothing rental service, which means the clothes are from people’s personal wardrobes.

The list of designers is endless, from Alexander McQueen to Chanel and Nobody’s Child to Vera Wang, there is something to suit every taste and every budget.

Their bridal edit provides the most sustainable way to shine on your big day, or a wide selection of ‘nice tops’ will pair perfectly with your jeans for a night out with the girls.

This is the virtual wardrobe you never knew you needed, and with 450 new items or more added each week you’ll find something new to fall in love with every time you look.

It’s not all about clothing either, there’s an accessories section bursting with those must-have finishing touches - from shoes to jewellery.

No need to worry about the fit of the item either, if you get something and it doesn’t fit you can return within 24 hours for a part money and part credit refund.

• For the Creators

For The Creators is a clothing rental service which has been created especially for expectant mums-to-be and new mums.

It offers clothes which will cater to all women’s maternity and postnatal clothing needs.

It’s a particularly useful service, considering that pregnancy clothes are only worn for a limited amount of time and no expectant mums will ever know what shape their bump will take until it begins to grow.

If you are a mum-to-be or a new mum, this service means you can get clothes to suit your changing shape - and changing needs - regularly without having to break the bank.

There’s clothing from lots of well-known maternity brands including Bump and Milk, Sezane and Whistles.

Plus, if you need maternity bridal or bridesmaid dresses then look no further as you can also rent them from For The Creators too.

Better yet, for every rental order received the brand will plant a tree in partnership with environmental initiative Ecologi.

• A Virtual Vintage Rental

Shopping for vintage clothing is one of the most sustainable ways to shop for fashion, but this rental service allows you to get extra sustainability brownie points by renting vintage clothing.

The aim of this speciality rental service is to promote shopping small business, second hand and sustainably, and also help make the vintage market more accessible to everyone.

It’s ideal for those who want to try a 1950s dress or a 1960s miniskirt, or who want to dress from different eras but simply don’t have the wardrobe space to accommodate decades worth of clothing.

The beauty of this rental service is that, as the name suggests, it’s all virtual as it was launched during the coronavirus pandemic when in-person events could not take place.

The formula still works well as it allows shoppers from over the country to shop from the comfort of their own homes.

No need to leave the house, just log on to the official Virtual Vintage Rental Instagram page.

You can view a list of upcoming events on the Virtual Vintage website.

• My Wardrobe HQ

My Wardrobe HQ provides one of the most extensive selections of clothing available across the rental fashion market.

The thing that really makes this service stand out above others is that you do actually have the option to buy the items that are available to rent - so you can save yourself from heartbreak if you do fall in love with an item.

You can enjoy wearing your item for between four and 14 days, and you don’t have to make a decision between renting and buying upfront. If you choose to rent a piece and then decide you’d prefer to keep it forever all you have to do is get in touch with the brand.

This is a market leader in the UK in terms of the wide array of clothing on offer, which includes iconic luxury brands, emerging designers and contemporary brands.

You’ll find everything from jumpsuits to pyjamas and bridalwear to shoes.

• Girl Meets Dress

Girl Meets Dress is a fabulous all-rounder rental dress service.

You’ll find everything from party dresses to wedding dresses and maternity dresses.

You have a choice between pay as a go, which offers you the chance to rent dresses for anywhere between two and seven nights,  or a membership which gets you unlimited items for weekends, work and special events as well as three free dresses on rotation all month.

It couldn’t be easier to shop either; simply filter by your size, colour, style, price, your body type or the occasion you’re looking for an outfit for.

A selection of dresses are also available to buy, and you can also try before you hire too, meaning you only pay for what you wear.