This outfit is not mine… Shocking? I don’t think so. If we think of the most sustainable way of shopping we often think of buying vintage. That’s the first thing that comes to mind because we want to own things. Buying something new is not the best option, so we go for second hand. But what if there is something else we can do too? We rarely look into each others wardrobes and check if there is something we can borrow for that exciting date, a beautiful wedding or just for fun. This all is about to change. You might have heard from rental services already, and mark my words, renting your outfit will become more and more mainstream in the next couple of years. I’ve visited LENA the fashion library the other day and loved it!
Renting your outfit is the new owning
Millennials are the first generation that don’t necessarily want ownership over something. Look at all the sharing companies that are doing so well these days as for instance AirBnB. I can’t remember a life without this company anymore, can you? Ofcourse this is a different kind of renting than renting your outfit. Or isn’t it? I must say I also had to get used to the whole renting fashion thing, however when I spent some time in New York with one of my closest friends last year (who has a rental subscription), I started to understand why renting is a good idea and why it can become one of the next big things.
LENA the fashion library, Amsterdams’ first
LENA the fashion library was the first clothing library in Amsterdam. They have a mixture of vintage pieces, ethical brands and high quality items. I love that there were so many sustainable brands available.Sustainable brands included Filipa K, Kings of Indigo, Mud Jeans, HENK, Studio Jux, and more. They also had a small selection of high quality items from brands as for instance MSCH and Second Female. Have a look at the images below to get a bit of a feel for the store. It might be good to know that they recently launched their online shop too!
Renting for special occasions or every day
Of course, one of the best reasons for rental is that we don’t have to buy new items. Especially for garments for special occasions which we might wear just 1 or two times, this is a bit of a shame. Therefore I believe weddings and other special occasions are the best way to start your renting experience. Often, these occasions have different themes for every event and you might not want to wear the same outfit twice. But, besides renting clothing for special occasions, I found out that there are more perks to renting.
Some people want to have their options, which I understand. Renting an item may extend your closet in a good way. You’re not just adding one piece. This piece might allow you to style things a bit differently, or it makes you look at your wardrobe in a different way. It’s an easy way to refresh your closet and to look if the item your renting, might be a piece worth purchasing. You can try a different style, a different colour/ print/ cut and go a bit more wild. A test-drive is always a good idea and will withhold you from purchasing items that you will not wear eventually. Win-win.
How does renting fashion work?
At LENA you can sign up and get different memberships, suiting your wishes. A membership ranges from €25 -€50. There will be a one time registration fee, and after signing up, you can immediately start renting your outfit! Don’t worry if a membership is not really your thing, there is a 1-time fee as well. If you’re pretty exciting about renting fashion to upgrade your closet, you can read more about it here.
Really curious if there are some rental queens here.
voor de wereld van morgen
This blogpost is written in collaboration with ‘voor de wereld van morgen‘, a community for social enterprises and businesses that do good. LENA the fashion library is one of the members of this sustainable community.
If you’re a social entrepreneur, you can join the community for free, which I would highly recommend. The goal is to let businesses grow, that’s why you will get access to their knowledge, publicity and a big network. If you’re interested, you can read all about it on their website or sign up here.
Voor de wereld van morgen is an initiative from ASN bank.
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