Renting is the New Black
Paring down your life to live a minimalist lifestyle can be a difficult but rewarding experience. One of the big challenges to tackle is paring down your wardrobe. How do you minimize but still remain fashionable? There are now services where you can rent designer clothes without having to actually shell out for those exorbitant prices. Companies that have began this service include Gwynnie Bee, Parcel 22, Le Tote, The Mr. Collection, and, the most popular, Rent the Runway. With Rent the Runway’s unlimited membership, a person pays one monthly fee for unlimited clothing and accessories rentals. You can basically “netflix” your clothing without adding clutter to your closet.
With fast fashion brands like H&M and Zara consistently producing mass amounts of cheaply made garments every season, consumers are literally buying into the trend of excess for the sake of fashion. This production requires tons of natural resources that lead to waste once these garments are deemed untrendy. As recent studies have shown, the washing of synthetic garments is also leading to the pollution of microplastic fibers in our oceans. Companies like Patagonia, Reformation and Noah are trying to work towards educating their customers of these environmental concerns as well as work towards practicing ethical ways of production. Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard, has went on to tell his customers in an advertisement to not buy his garments unless you really need it. Listen to his story on how living a simpler life is better life:
Check out the full article on the pros and cons of renting your clothes on Apartment Therapy.