Save clothes from landfills and participate in the sharing economy!
Some days, even after shopping my closet, wearing something I haven’t worn in a while, scouting vintage pieces and investing in quality pieces that last for a long time, I still feel bored with my clothes. How is that possible?! It got me thinking about how to keep my wardrobe fresh without constantly buying new clothes…
So when a friend raved about her recent subscription to a clothing rental service that is made up of designers and labels I love, launders the clothes (including making any repairs — hello pulled sweaters from tiny fingers!) and provides a generous number of pieces each month, my ears perked up. A way to keep my closet fun without buying new clothes, avoid worrying about ruining my beautiful clothes while hanging with the kids or wondering where to store everything? I had to try it.
(A quick side note: I’m not a huge vintage shopper, I don’t always love sharing/swapping clothes, I do love buying new clothes and I like to invest in pieces that will last. I’ve never used a clothing rental service before.)
One month into Nuuly, I’m hooked. For six pieces a month and a pretty affordable subscription rate of less than $90/month, this is a great way to try new pieces before you buy (purchases can be made through Nuuly too), an amazing way to keep your closet updated, fun without a huge investment of space, time or money, and a time/money/stress saver for busy people. Plus, I love the shipping bag (made of recycled water bottles) — there are no cardboard boxes involved! The online experience is delightful - you can add clothes to your ‘closet’ at any time and then add them to your next shipment when you’re ready. You don’t have to rely on a stylist choosing your pieces and the online photos offer cute ways to style various pieces.
Around the same time, a service called Material World found its ways to me. I tried their personal styling service that delivers pre-owned designer clothes to your door. While I didn’t keep anything in my first box, I love the idea of this service. First, it means women who do invest in designer clothes have a place to send the pieces they no longer wear and secondly, women who are more focused on long-term style rather than trends can access pre-loved designer clothes at an amazing price (90% off retail!). My Material World stylist styled my box and I provided one round of feedback. She took all my feedback on board (a lot of the pieces she was going to send were very similar to items already in my closet) and the pieces in my box were perfectly matched to my style (the fit was a bit off, which is a risk no matter where you shop). I will definitely try this service again!
Overall, I love the idea of being able to update my clothes through companies like these without having to worry about contributing to the fast-fashion craze. I love knowing that other women are out there enjoying the clothes that also made me happy.
Have you tried a clothing rental service or vintage/pre-owned exchange? Which one? Did you like it? Tell me! And if you’d like a little discount code to try Nuuly or Material World, let me know! (This is not a sponsored post — just an honest report of my experience.)
