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Top designer clothes rental sites
Rent posh clothes for a fraction of the retail price or earn cash offering up your own wardrobe
Updated 12 June 2023
Whether a fancy frock for the races or some killer heels for a wedding, it's possible to hire designer togs at a fraction of the retail price via fashion rental sites. Plus if you're looking to rent out your own clobber, these sites are a handy way to make extra cash.
So we've split this guide into two – the first section is if you want to rent clothes to wear and the second section is if you want to rent out your clothes. Some say the beauty of these sites is they mean fewer items are worn once and sent to landfill, though others say there is an environmental cost to delivery and dry-cleaning, so you'll need to weigh up if it's right for you.
How to rent designer fashion items to avoid forking out a fortune on outfits
Clothing rental sites let you hire designer garments – typically for one day to a week – from their own stock or people's private wardrobes for much less than the retail price – in some cases up to 95% less.
It's simple: you sign up, peruse the clothes and then book – the company or owner posts the item out to you, and you post it back when you're done. See our top-pick rental sites below.
Designers we've spotted include Jimmy Choo, Chanel, Gucci, Ted Baker & more
Here are some examples of costs (rental prices include fees):
- Jimmy Choo heels £15.50 for one day's rental (stated retail price £200)
- Erdem coat £11.50 for one day (retail £300)
- Chanel blazer £154 for three days (retail £3,500)
- Gucci men's shoes £30 for three days (retail £450)
- Ted Baker dress £29 for four days (retail £180)
If you're only going to wear something once or twice, then renting is an affordable solution, though of course if you own something you could eventually recoup a little by selling it on.
Nine need-to-knows on borrowing clothes
You can jump straight to our
top-pick rental sites, but if you want to know more, here are some useful need-to-knows:
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As these services are online/via apps, you won't be able to try on items officially before booking your rental, but if you know an item is in a nearby store, you could go to that store and try it on first, before booking your rental online through one of these services.
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If an item doesn't fit, some sites will give a refund or credit, but it's important to check as policies differ. You'll usually need to send the garment back within 24 hours.
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Rental sites tend to have more women's options but men can still find stuff – the choice will just be more limited.
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The owner tends to take care of dry-cleaning but some do add a cleaning fee, and this should be clear at the checkout.
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You need to return items on time or risk a fine. Most sites charge late fees, typically £25 a day. Use a tracked delivery service and keep proof of postage.
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Factor in return postage costs if these aren't covered. Some include a 'free' label, so you don't pay extra to send items back, but with others you pay.
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Rules vary but if you seriously damage or lose an item, you're often charged market value. Some give the option to add insurance costing about £6 to cover damage.
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Go through to the checkout stage for the true price. The total can really add up once you factor in a minimum hire period, dry-cleaning and delivery.
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Check if you can get it cheaper second-hand. Before renting, scour the likes of eBay, Depop and Vestiaire Collective to see if someone’s selling the same item second-hand for less.
Top sites to rent clothes from
Here are our top-pick fashion rental sites/apps to try. Sometimes rival sites have the identical pieces at different prices, so it's worth checking more than one.
Where we give examples, we always use the minimum hire length available (one day, four days and so on) and include fees such as cleaning and delivery. You may need to pay return postage on top with some sites – we've noted which ones below.
This Android and iPhone app lets you rent directly from owners. It has a huge 65,000 garments, such as Staud, Rouje, Faithfull the Brand and Zimmermann, as well as luxe brands such as Stella McCartney, Dior and Dolce & Gabbana.
Some rental periods start from just one day, which can cut the cost. As items are from people's personal wardrobes, sizing can be random, and we found it caters more towards smaller sizes.
By Rotation quick stats
- Prices start from: £15 dresses, £11 skirts and £14 tops
- Who pays return postage: The renter, so it can add a bit extra
- Sizes: 4-30
- If it doesn't fit: Unfortunately, you can only get a refund if the item was misrepresented
- Rental periods: From one day (up to the owner)
- Late fees: No set fee – it’s up to the owner
- Examples: Jimmy Choo heels £15.50 (stated retail price £200) for two days; Dior bag £14 (£100 normally to buy) for three days
Hurr has a huge selection of over 60,000 pieces, and says its most popular brands are Nadine Merabi, Rixo, Ganni, Realisation Par and The Vampire's Wife. It features a range of plus-size brands, including Anna Scholz and Wray.
You borrow from private owners' wardrobes, but there's also an option to rent from brands' own stock, including Selfridges.
Hurr quick stats
- Prices start from: £10 dresses, £14 jumpsuits and £19 bags
- Who pays return postage: The renter, so it can add a bit extra
- Sizes: 2-32
- If it doesn't fit: It has a 'fit guarantee' where you get a refund if you notify it on the rental start date, excluding postage. (The cleaning fee part will be refunded as credit.)
- Rental periods: Four, eight, 16 or 30 days
- Late fees: £25 a day
- Examples: Rixo floral dress £26 (stated retail price £195); Reformation mini dress £14 (retail price £90) – both for four days
John Lewis has launched a rental service, where you can hire outfits from brands including Olivia Rubin, Seraphina and Molby the Label.
Rental starts from £27 for an & Other Stories halterneck dress (retail price £75) for four days, £34 for a Lexi cut-out dress (£121) and £33 for an Overthesea co-ord set (£110). (These examples include a £10 fee, which covers dry cleaning and a prepaid return bag.)
You can rent items for four, eight, 16 or 30 days. When we checked, each item had a good range of sizes and stock, but bear in mind popular outfits and sizes may get snapped up during busy periods such as Christmas or the wedding season.
If you wear items repeatedly, of course it's more MoneySaving to buy second-hand or in a sale. But if you plan to wear items only once or twice this party season, renting generally works out cheaper.
John Lewis quick stats
- Prices start from: £16 bags, £28 earrings, £27 skirts and £27 dresses (including fees)
- Extra rental fees: £10 per item, which includes cleaning and delivery both ways
- Who pays return postage: The company
- Sizes: 2-32
- If it doesn't fit: It has a 'fit guarantee' where you get a refund if you notify it on the rental start date (excludes the £10 fee)
- Rental periods: 4-30 days
- Late fees: £25 per day
Hirestreet is less about high-end designer names, which can give more affordable options and keep the rental cost low, though of course the retail price will be much lower too. It has 10,000 outfits from brands such as Asos, M&S (see below), Ghost, Whistles and Zara. Here, you're borrowing from the company rather than people's wardrobes, so more sizes are available. Its £5 fee includes return delivery, which keeps costs down too.
You can hire any two items for £40 for four days (including £5 fee) when you enter the code 2FOR35. The two rentals must be for the same dates. You can’t get credit if items don’t fit, and the offer excludes ‘capsules’, and sets of more than one item. Hirestreet says the offer is ongoing.
This is a decent deal, for example renting a yellow Self Portrait dress and floral Reformation dress for four days would normally cost £131 all-in. It’s £40 with the code.
Hirestreet quick stats
- Prices start from: £19 dresses, £25 jumpsuits and £19 co-ords (including fees)
- Extra rental fees: £5 per order on top of item fees, which includes cleaning and delivery both ways
- Who pays return postage: The company
- Sizes: 4-32
- If it doesn't fit: Gives rental credit on unworn items (one per order) returned with tags attached. Contact it within 48 hours of delivery
- Rental periods: 4-30 days
- Late fees: £25 per day
- Examples: Nobody's Child polka dot dress £25 (stated retail price £65); House of CB yellow puff-sleeve dress £28 (retail price £129); Rat & Boa pink mini dress £29 (retail price £120) – all for four days
M&S's rental service includes a range of 120 women's pieces – mostly dresses, but also some co-ords, coats and jumpsuits. It uses the established Hirestreet website to rent out its clothing (see more on Hirestreet above) but we've separated M&S here as it's a big name entering the market.
Rental starts from £19 for an M&S leopard-print dress and jumper set (retail price £52 for just the dress) and £25 for an M&S x Ghost floral midi dress (retail price £69). Prices are for four days and include a £5 rental fee.
You can rent them for four, 10 or 30 days, and the rental fee covers delivery both ways.
Hirestreet's 'rent two items for £40' code above works on M&S items. Yet as you can use it on any two items, it usually pays to use it on more expensive designer dresses.
M&S quick stats
- Prices start from: £19 dresses and skirts and £25 coats (including fees)
- Extra rental fees: £5 per order on top of item fees, which includes cleaning and delivery both ways
- Who pays return postage: The company
- Sizes: 6-18
- If it doesn't fit: Gives rental credit on unworn items returned with tags attached (one per order). Contact Hirestreet within 48 hours of delivery
- Rental periods: 4-30 days
- Late fees: £25 per day
Asos has launched a rental service, including a range of 350 women's pieces such as dresses, jumpsuits and playsuits. Like M&S, it uses Hirestreet website to rent out its clothing (see more on Hirestreet above).
Rental starts from £22 for an Asos star-print dress (retail price £70) or £25 for a wide-leg jumpsuit (retail price £55). Prices are for four days and include a £5 rental fee.
You can rent them for four, 10 or 30 days, and the rental fee covers delivery both ways.
Hirestreet's 'rent two items for £40' code above works on Asos items. Yet as you can use it on any two items, it's usually better value to use it on pricier designer gear.
Asos quick stats
- Prices start from: £22 dresses, £25 jumpsuits and £28 co-ords (including fees)
- Extra rental fees: £5 per order on top of item fees, which includes cleaning and delivery both ways
- Who pays return postage: The company
- Sizes: 6-18
- If it doesn't fit: Gives rental credit on unworn items returned with tags attached (one per order). Contact Hirestreet within 48 hours of delivery
- Rental periods: 4-30 days
- Late fees: £25 per day
Front Row – not as MoneySaving but good for the highest-end designers, for example, Chanel/Gucci for a special occasion
Renting a Gucci blazer for £175 for three days isn't MoneySaving, but it certainly still works out cheaper than forking out £2,300 to buy it. If real high-end fashion is what you're after for a special occasion, this is a site to consider.
Front Row offers a selection of over 1,500 high-fashion garments from the likes of Fendi, Chanel, Gucci, Armani and Miu Miu. Pieces are from private owners, but Front Row manages the process, including cleaning and delivery. Clothes are on the small side though - it only has 11 items in size 14 and one in size 16.
Front Row quick stats
- Prices start from: £21 dresses, £28 blazers tops and £31 coats
- Extra rental fees: £10, which includes postage both ways
- Who pays return postage: The company
- Sizes: 4-14
- If it doesn't fit: Email within four hours of receipt and it will refund the rental fee (excludes accessories and handbags)
- Rental periods: Three or five days
- Late fees: 10% of the five-day rental price for every day late
- Examples: Needle & Thread sequin gown £31 (retail price £225)
Those are our top picks, but there are other sites you may want to give a go:
Girl Meets Dress specialises in frocks, with 4,000 gowns from biggies such as Victoria Beckham, Self-Portrait, See by Chloé and Needle & Thread. It also has a 'borrow as many dresses as you like' option for £99 a month. Some dresses won't be the latest styles, so it's worth checking eBay and others to see if you can find the same for less. See Girl Meets Dress quick stats.
My Wardrobe HQ features 500 designers including Stella McCartney, Gucci, Prada, Anya Hindmarch, Chanel, Mulberry, Givenchy and Rixo. It has a kids' rental section, although the idea of being liable for damage makes us a tad nervous. See My Wardrobe HQ quick stats.
Rotaro has 2,000 items available to rent from contemporary designers such as Shrimps, Ghost, Reformation, Stine Goya and Cecilie Bahnsen. Items are from the site's own inventory, so are available in more sizes than some other sites. See Rotaro quick stats.
Which fashion rental sites do you rate? If you think we're missing any, or have feedback on the ones we've included, share your thoughts in the Rent your clothes forum thread.
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Earn cash by lending your own clothes
Of course, this works in reverse so as well as renting dresses for special occasions, dress-rental sites are a brilliant way to offer up your own clothes. Depending on what brands you have, you could net £100s a month for togs that are just languishing on the rails.
Here's MSE Jenny's story for inspiration…
I joined Hurr and By Rotation, stuck a couple of dresses up and was surprised by the number of requests. I only buy clothes second-hand, so find it only takes one or two rentals to pay for the dress.
For example, I bought a Rixo dress for £40 lightly used on eBay and rented it out twice for £42 a pop. Similarly, I bought a Sezane dress for £40 second-hand and have rented that out twice for £40 too.
It's really fun and there's a real community feel. One renter sent me a lovely snap of her wearing one of the dresses at Ascot and another send one of her arriving by helicopter at Buckingham Palace.
Six need-to-knows to get the fashion rental cash rolling in
Listing is free, but you pay a fee when someone rents your item. Before we get into the top sites, here are some quick tips:
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Take high quality photos as it'll attract more rentals. The sites say sharp, clear photos work best, and ideally one with you or a friend wearing it. Include a few close-ups to show any details. Keep photos so you've proof of how it looked in case there's any damage.
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Set your rental period to at least three days if the site allows. You'll earn more as rentals are charged per day, and people often request the minimum number of days possible.
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To avoid disputes, use a postage service that can provide tracking information showing that it was delivered.
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You take care of washing or dry-cleaning. Ensure items are spick and span before posting. If you rent out regularly, it's worth comparing a few dry-cleaners locally, as some may have offers, for example, 'four items for £15'.
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The rental company will usually help you get back the cost of repair or the item's market value if it's lost or seriously damaged. Rules vary, and you may have to pay a mediation fee on that value, usually around 30%.
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Many sites let renters make offers to buy your clobber (it's up to you whether to accept). Yet rental sites' fees are often beatable, for example, My Wardrobe HQ takes 40% of the sale price vs eBay's 12.8%.
Before you start counting the dosh, there's a possibility some of it may belong to the tax office
For most people this won't be the case, especially if you're just doing it for a bit of extra cash. But get serious with it, or already have income from self-employment, and you might need to pay tax.
The trading allowance means you don't have to report the first £1,000 you earn from self-employment or selling goods/services 'for profit'. However, if you earn more than a grand from renting out clothes, or have income over £1,000 from this and other self-employment, you'll need to declare it to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), regardless of whether you're self-employed or on pay as you earn (PAYE).
HMRC told us everyone must do this by registering for self-assessment, if not already registered, and filling in a tax return. If you're on PAYE, it says it can collect your tax bill through a change to your tax code, providing you meet specific criteria.
Top sites to rent out your clothes
You'll see fewer sites here than above as not all of them allow private owners to use their platforms. Our top ones that do are Hurr and By Rotation as they offer the best fees. They're much of a muchness in terms of this, so it's worth listing on both, as it can help you net more rentals by maximising exposure. Just check your calendar before accepting a rental so you don't double-book.
Hurr – charges 15% of rental price, lets you list items with retail value of £120-£2,500 & less than two years old
Hurr is easy to use and you have control over which rental requests you accept.
For inspiration, see its list of the top 10 designers to list on Hurr, which include The Vampire's Wife, Self Portrait and Rat & Boa.
- What it accepts: Hurr says you can list items with a retail value between £90 and below £2,500. They have to be in great condition and less than two years old (unless it's vintage)
- When you get paid: 6-7 days after the rental period finishes, into your bank account
- How to list: Set up a profile and select 'list an item'. Add a few details, such as brand and colour, then upload at least one photo. You decide pricing and how much to charge for delivery/dry-cleaning. Hurr then approves your listing, which takes about a day
By Rotation – charges 15% of rental price, but won't accept high street
By Rotation's slick app makes listing easy and you have control over which rental requests you accept.
One advantage of By Rotation for lenders is you're not obliged to give renters refunds if an item doesn't fit.
- What it accepts: By Rotation says it accepts mid-to-upmarket fashion, no high street. Items will usually retail for above £75
- When you get paid: Once the transaction's complete, you're paid into your bank account in 8 business days
- How to list: Select the '+' button and follow the steps to list an item. At least one photo needs to be of someone wearing the item, so you need to be happy to model (or rope in a friend). You can choose how much to add for postage and dry-cleaning
Finally, there are a couple of other options worth considering, but fees are steep which is why they're not our top picks. With My Wardrobe HQ and Front Row, you can post off items to their offices and they deal with the whole process, from listing your items to delivery to dry-cleaning.
Fees reflect this: My Wardrobe HQ charges 40% commission and Front Row 25-30%. But if you have a lot of swanky pieces and are short on time, they could be worth looking into.
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