With the holidays fast approaching, many people are searching for new outfits to wear to parties, church or dinner at their mother-in-law's house. And it had better not be same outfit you wore last year (you know your mother-in-law will notice).
Once you have the outfit, of course, you need a handbag, shoes and accessories to match, and the credit card bill goes up and up and up ... for something you may never wear again.
That's why more shoppers are turning to renting, so they look sharp and save money at the same time.
New outfits each month
Lindsay Patterson is a sideline TV sports reporter, and she says fans notice what she wears.
"I thought, 'How am I going to save money doing this job?'" she said. "Because I am team cheap, and I'm always looking for ways to save money, and I have to change my outfit out."
Appearing on camera for 35 soccer matches and eight home NFL games this year, Patterson needed trendy fashions that she could afford.
So she signed up for Rent the Runway, the most popular wardrobe rental service in the country. Others include Le Tote, Armoire, and Gwynnie Bee.
She can pay $30 for a rental of a complete outfit, or $89 a month for a subscription, which gets her four complete outfits (and she often finds a promo code for $69 a month).
"What I love about it is the quality is amazing," she said.
"You can actually go through there and say what colors you like, size, quality, and you can click online and get it," Patterson said. From pants, to jumpsuits, to dresses, they pretty much have it, and also accessories."
And if something is not right, she says, they fix it right away.
"If one of my dresses doesn't fit, they give you another size, say a 4 or a 6," she said. "And if there is something that didn't fit right, they will overnight you one."
Rent a handbag for every season
But some people are fine with their clothing. What they need is a new handbag for each season.
Megan Fenno, a fashion blogger who also owns a mobile accessory boutique, says handbag rentals are the perfect solution.
"If you are going to a holiday party and you want a sequined bag, instead of spending a lot of money on it, you can just rent it," Fenno said. "Because how often would you use that again?"
She suggests checking out the most popular handbag rental site, Bag Borrow or Steal, where designer handbags that cost hundreds of dollars rent for as little as $40 for a weekend.
Other options? Rent the Runway also rents handbags (of course they do), and Bag Romance is another possibility.
Sure, this is not for frugal shoppers, who prefer hitting consignment shops and thrift shops for used designer goods. But that takes a lot of time, and a real eye for finding items that match. So if time is tight, you might want to give renting a try.
And that way you don't waste your money.
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