Renting vs Buy

I genuinely never thought that am a renting girl kind. I believe in the concept from a sustainable angle but it was not for me. Renting from StyleTheory started as a way to test a few pieces for women with my body type and in the process, I gradually started loving the whole idea.

There was a whole discussion on Business of fashion few days back about whether renting is really sustainable or just a way to introduce a new concept to earn money

Every company (unless it’s a not for profit) is here to make money. Sharing this at the start to tell you guys that don’t be in the illusion that any company is just doing this for the environment

Having said that, here are my reasons on why renting works.

1. We don’t stay in an idealistic world where the fashion cycle from sourcing the fibre to making to transport to discarding unused stock is transparent. When a @zara or @hm announces that they will source organic cotton from 2020, well it’s a pin in a grain of rice. So I know that if my whole wardrobe is filled with fast fashion brands that do just 1/20th good to the world, I might as well not buy too much of them
2. I get to try so many new brands that I would have not tried otherwise. These brands are sourced from around the world so it gives me an exclusivity of the piece as well.
3. I am very conscious of what I buy. I should be able to style it in multiple ways before I buy it. So I buy a lot of solids. With renting, I can try so many designs, prints and styles that I would never buy.
4. There are pieces in my wardrobe that I wear only 3-4 times a year. If you calculate the cost per wear, it’s a huge loss. We don’t wear the product too often and yet get tired of it. Renting gives flexibility
5. This is not so much applicable to me but if you are someone who is looking to wear new clothes for every single occasion, then renting is for you

Here is a cost per wear analysis of 45 items that I have rented in the last 7 months or so.

So by mathematical analysis, I have spend 12 sgd per item of clothing without the guilt of holding space in wardrobe, spending too much money to buy it or even thinking about when to wear next.

Let me be honest, renting is not for everyone and I don’t advise renting to everyone. So here is why buying works.

1. If you are a classic minimalist kind of person, renting is not for you.
2. Clothes are part of an emotional journey for some people, clothes have to have a story, a meaning, an emotion. renting is not for this kind of people as well.

 

You can also read my blog on Save v/s spend to get clarity or watch cost per wear video