This fashion rental service helped me curb my love for online shopping
Here’s what I thought when I rented my wardrobe from Onloan
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Your support makes all the difference.Wardrobe rental services have experienced a serious boom of late. When I first reviewed the range of options pre-pandemic in 2020, many were in their infancy. Now, it’s a thriving industry with new companies popping up left, right and centre. Even large retailers are getting on board with the shift towards more conscious consumption, with the likes of Selfridges launching an in-store rental service.
My job’s very nature means my overconsumption becomes more apparent on a daily basis. But on a personal level, it’s safe to say I’m a huge fan of online shopping. Much like the next person, I am guilty of wanting to buy new items of clothing as each season rolls in, and ordering a new outfit for a special occasion or big event.
But that’s where fashion rentals come in. The USP is you can wear an item from one of your favourite designer brands but for the fraction of the cost, offering a great option if you’ve got an event coming up (we’re talking Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve) or are wanting to inject a little newness into your wardrobe.
If you’re looking for a new one to try, allow us to introduce you to Onloan – a destination for all things independent fashion. As a subscription-based service, you pay a monthly fee based on the number of items you want to rent that month (£69 per month for two items, £99 per month for four items).
And while renting a glamourous outfit can be a great option for an occasion, the aim of Onloan is to allow you to incorporate the pieces you hire into your own wardrobe. This means you get the same online shopping buzz from receiving something new through your door, without buying into the fast-fashion business model of overconsumption.
In a bid to see whether using Onloan could really curb my love for all things shopping, I just had to give it a whirl.
How we tested
In order to give you the best possible review, I hired two items and considered how easy they were to incorporate into my wardrobe. I also assessed how easy the platform was to use, the sizing options available, pricing and the range of brands on offer. Read on to see how I got on.
Onloan: From £69 per month, Onloan.co
- Membership cost: £69 per month for two items, £99 per month for four items
- Brands: AlexaChung, Kitri, Shrimps, Joseph, Lily & Lionel and more
How does it work?
As a subscription-based service, you need to choose whether you’d rather hire two items per month at the cost of £69, or four for £99. Once you’ve registered your account, you can select the pieces you want to hire.
Navigating the website is super easy and the filter options are a definite bonus as you’re able to make sure the items you click into are in stock in your size (there were a few occasions when I forgot to filter and found something I loved, only to discover it wasn’t available).
The process is as seamless as it is sustainable, and my items arrived within 48 hours in reusable RePack packaging. I did encounter a slight hiccup in the process in that they didn’t have the size of a piece I had ordered, but the helpful team quickly rectified this and provided me with a complimentary item to compensate.
What I ordered
I was surprised at was how difficult I found it to choose the pieces I wanted to rent. I considered going completely out there, but I decided I wanted the clothing that I’d get the most wear out of. Perhaps if I was to use the service more regularly, I’d not play it so safe.
So, I applied the same mentality to renting as I do to buying: the item had to be versatile and go with everything I already own.
While I did really like the Kitri Blanca utility jumpsuit, the Joseph tweed knit trousers and the Rejina Pyo Cleo linen dress, in the end, I opted for a Shrimps McCoy fuchsia embroidered cardigan and an AlexaChung Albertine shirt dress. Both of which arrived beautifully wrapped, creating a high-end feel.
The cardigan was as bright, bold and as brilliant as I’d hoped and I found it surprisingly easy to incorporate it into my autumnal wardrobe. I paired it with black jeans and an oversized collar one day, white jeans the next, and used it to liven up a black slip dress for a dinner out.
I also chose to wear it with grey joggers on a Sunday and found it to be the ideal piece for adding a little extra glam to an off-duty styling day – who’d have thought.
The dress I chose was ideal for autumn and I knew I’d get a lot of wear out of it. While it didn’t allow for different outfit options per se, I did style it differently for various occasions. On a sunny day, I opted to pair it with ankle boots and a big puffer jacket.
Had the items I chose not been for me or arrived damaged, I could’ve easily swapped them. Onloan asks you to change anything in the first few days of ownership, so they can be put back on the website for someone else to enjoy. To return items, you just have to generate a label and take it to a Collect+ store – it couldn’t be easier.
It’s also worth noting here that if you’re pregnant, Onloan has a whole section dedicated to maternity wear, from your first trimester through to your post-baby breastfeeding days. This I think is particularly praise-worthy because it saves you from having to build a whole new wardrobe while you’ve got a bun in the oven.
The verdict: Onloan
The Onloan service is super easy to use and provides a great way to curb a love for online shopping – you can have “new” pieces arrive at your door in less than 48 hours, much like you can with the likes of Asos, but with Onloan you’re not contributing to fashion’s sustainability problem.
I also loved the fact it caters for those who are pregnant, meaning if you need maternity wear yet don’t want to buy a whole new wardrobe to accommodate your growing bump, you can rent it.
Of course, the cost (£69 or £99 a month) is worth bearing in mind – as it stands, rental companies are tailored towards those who have a higher disposable income and the Onloan subscription won’t be within everyone’s budget.
But on the whole, we think Onloan does offer a great option if you’re looking to find a more sustainable alternative to online shopping, and you still get that feeling of having something new arriving through your door. Whether you’re a fan of Kitri or Shrimps, there’s something to be found here.