6 Best Clothing Rental Services to Revamp Your Closet

Best Curation: Armoire

Average Subscription Price: $89 | Frequency: Monthly | No. of Items per Box: 4

Overview

Part clothing rental, part personal shopping service, each Armoire membership begins with a style quiz: a three-minute exercise that tailors curated monthly boxes to you.

A team of stylists selects merchandise catered to your tastes from brands such as Boden, Diane von Furstenberg, and Adrianna Papell. The Armoire subscription includes a one-on-one stylist consultation, held over the phone, and sizes range from 0 to 24W, with maternity clothes offered as well. The monthly membership starts at around $89 for four items, and you can add more pieces to a shipment for an additional fee (or save money by pre-paying for future boxes). A stylist will recommend clothes to rent, but if you’re unhappy with what’s been selected, there’s time to swap out items before the box ships.

Best for Special Occasions: Rent the Runway

Average Subscription Price: $87 | Frequency: Monthly | No. of Items per Box: 10

Overview

Rent The Runway (RTR), the first big name in clothing rental services, continues to offer more choices than its newer counterparts. RTR Reserve offers one-time rentals on specific items in four- and eight-day increments, while memberships allow you to rent up to five, 10, or 20 items per month. Rent the Runway shines brightest in its formal and cocktail attire offerings, with designs by Donna Karan New York, Marni, Badgley Mischka, and more. But other options abound, too, and Rent the Runway's blouses, outerwear, pants, and accessories offer plenty of room to enhance your everyday style.

If you want to subscribe, you can opt for five items a month for $79 or 10 items a month for $87—we think that's a way better deal. Plus, with the option to purchase any favorites you receive for a steep discount, RTR can help you build a versatile forever closet, too.

Best Casual: Nuuly

Average Subscription Price: $98 | Frequency: Monthly | No. of Items per Box: 6

Overview

For about $98 a month, the company behind Urban Outfitters, Free People, and Anthropologie allows shoppers to select six styles and keep them for 30 days. The service—called Nuuly—features a wide variety of casual and everyday items, so a month will give you plenty of time to mix-and-match items for a steal.

With a Nuuly subscription, staples—such as high-waisted Levi’s jeans or an Avec Les Filles jacket—will fit seamlessly with the favorites you already have in your closet, while Nuuly’s pre-loved tees and denim will add a vintage touch to your looks.

Nuuly also has options for special occasions, with plenty of cocktail dresses and a few formal ensembles available for rent. Laundry and dry cleaning are included with every subscription, and there are no hidden charges for stains or damages. You don't have to worry about delivery or return fees: There's free, two-day shipping both ways.

There’s no limit on the value of the items you can rent, and you can save styles you love in your Nuuly closet, so those clothes will be ready when a new month rolls around. Nuuly is one of the best values in clothing rental, and there’s no commitment, either—you can easily pause your subscription at any time. 

Best Luxury: Vince Unfold

Average Subscription Price: $175 | Frequency: Monthly | No. of Items per Box: 4

Overview

From sweaters to silk skirts, the everyday luxury of California brand Vince offers a refined style that seamlessly moves from office to nightlife. With rental program Vince Unfold, shoppers can rent four items at a time, choosing from new Vince designs as well as beloved classics. The uncomplicated pricing structure and limitless opportunity—four items at a time with unlimited exchanges for around $175 a month—makes Vince Unfold ideal for the fashion-forward subscriber who hates to wear the same look twice. Still, any item you love too much to return can be purchased at a discount rate.

The service requires that you have at least 10 styles saved to the “Virtual Edit Management” feature in order to receive your first box, and recommends keeping a selection of looks saved at all times in order to guarantee quick shipping.

Just like IRL, shopping is a little better with friends—Vince Unfold offers a referral credit for every buddy who signs up using your link.

Best Plus-Size: Gwynnie Bee

Average Subscription Price: $49 | Frequency: Monthly | No. of Items per Box: 1

Overview

Gwynnie Bee was founded in 2011 as a service exclusively for sizes 10 to 32. Christine Hunsicker, a Princeton grad, launched the company when she realized women who fall into that size range weren’t being served by traditional retailers, despite the fact that they make up the majority of the American market. Gwynnie Bee has expanded to include sizes zero through 10, but the priority on size-inclusive brands remains one of its biggest differentiators. Rent one item at a time for approximately $50 a month and up to 10 items at a time for $200 a month.

You can exchange the items as often as you wish. So even if you're on the lowest-tier plan, you can enjoy multiple new styles during each cycle. To maximize efficiency, Gwynnie Bee requires you to keep a minimum number of items in a “Virtual Closet,” so the next shipment is always ready to go when the previous one is returned.

Give it a whirl with little risk: Gwynnie Bee is one of the only companies to offer your first month for 50% off making it one of our favorite plus-size clothing subscription services, too.

Best for Kids: Rainey’s Closet

Average Subscription Price: NA | Frequency: 5 or 10 day rental | No. of Items per Box: Unlimited

Overview

Dressing kids for special events can be a frustrating process—and not just because of the tears or temper tantrums. When kids grow so fast, it’s hard to justify the cost of an outfit that may only be worn once. Offering five- and 10-day rentals, Rainey's Closet holds plenty of too-cute outfit options for flower girls and ring bearers, with accessories such as bows, crowns, ties, and suspenders to top off the looks.

You can rent pieces without a membership fee or subscription. Whether you’re shopping by size, brand, or occasion, there are enough tutus, bright colors, and sequins to make any little fashionista feel special. And, with hassle-free shipping and returns—each order comes with a return label, and laundry is included in the cost—you'll come away from the process pretty pleased, too.