In recent years, it has been documented how fast fashion can cause damage to our eco-system.
The fashion industry, in particular fast fashion producers, has been criticised for its water consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and textile waste.
As consumers become more aware of the environmental impact of jeans 8 and other clothes, demand for ethical clothing has increased.
Fashionistas now have a wealth online options to rent clothes. Many also offer designer garments for hire.
Indeed, Carrie Johnson, the Prime Minister’s spouse, wore a rented bridal dress to her ceremony. Circular fashion as it is known has seen a dramatic rise.
This has been fueled by one of the most downloaded second-hand apps. RotationThe site now has over 200,000 users and more than 22,000 peer-to–peer listings, which are valued at over 8 million in the UK alone.
The European reselling platform is also available. TiseThere have been 7 million active product listings on the platform, with more than 10,000 second-hand items being sold on the platform every day.
Is renting clothes cheaper than buying fast fashion clothing? And is it better for the environment?
iWe spoke to the fashion brand’s owner and a personal stylist to learn more about their experience renting clothes professionally and personally.
I was shocked at the number of clothes that are being thrown away.
Karishma Gupta (27), has created what she calls a circular fashion label named SatatlandAfter nearly a decade of experience in the industry.
The team creates all of the clothing they sell from scratch using sustainable materials.
Karishma stated that although it is difficult to escape the environmental damage caused by clothes, there are solutions.
We make products that can be used again and again.
Satatland, founded in January 2013, makes clothes available for renting, leasing, and buying with renting. It is currently the most favored option on the site.
You can borrow items leased for up to six months. Before being leased again, they will first be checked over and refurbished if required.
The term circular fashion refers to items that can’t be rented again and are therefore not available for rental again.
Karishma started the brand after working in large-scale clothing manufacturing in India. She made around 10,000 items per day and realized how much waste there was.
We made lots of clothes but didn’t sell any so they were thrown out. Similar to the above, people can buy lots of clothes but not wear them. It’s absurd.
I wanted to change how we sell clothes while keeping our wardrobe stylish and fresh.
Karishmas passion to create eco-friendly fashion has led her to admit that price can be a problem.
Renting her items starts at 50. Delivery is not included in the price.
She stated that price might be an issue when compared to other clothing options on the market.
But, I have also been part of the fast fashion clothing manufacturing process.
The look, feel, and drapes of clothing are all completely different. They are high quality and therefore cost more. Because of this, our products should be an asset rather than a disposable product.
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I don’t want to add to landfills
Marian Kwei, 40 years old, is a celebrity stylist who has been doing so for 20 years. She recently started renting clothes instead of buying for herself and her clients.
She stated that she would normally borrow garments from designer collections, but now she prefers to rent them. I don’t want to add to the landfill and my wardrobe is full.
Renting is the perfect solution for celebrities who only want to wear clothes one time.
Ms. Kwei rented clothes for both professional and personal reasons.
She believes that while it might not be as affordable as shopping at online retailers for cheap clothes, people will save more money in the long-term because they won’t have to buy a new outfit every occasion like they do now.
These apps and websites make high fashion more accessible to the average person. I want high fashion to be accessible for everyone.
She explained that this means that everyone on the street can rent a designer bag and not have to spend a fortune.
Although many people still have concerns about people buying used items, I think the rental market is growing.
Renting clothes vs. buying clothes, which is less expensive?
It all depends on your shopping habits.
If you buy new clothes for every occasion, renting clothes could be a great option.
If you are a fan of fast fashion, renting can still be cheaper than buying new products every month.
It could be possible to save money by replacing multiple, less expensive items with fewer luxury rentals.
Renting clothes is a less attractive option for those who aren’t inclined to buy expensive clothes as often as they are. However, it is worth looking into what is available.
Which is better for the environment: Renting or buying clothes?
Fast fashion is certainly a major contributor to environmental problems, but there are questions about whether renting is actually better for the planet.
According to Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, a report claims that new business models like renting, leasing, updating and repairing, as well as complete abandonment of fast fashion are the best ways to help the environment.
Others argue that while this may help, there is still a lot of packaging required to store the products that are rented. This adds to a company’s carbon footprint.
Others argue that renting products will lead to a high number of deliveries back and forth when shipping the items.
The greater the number of deliveries, the more cars will be on the road, and the more CO2 that will be emitted.
Research published in Finnish scientific magazine Environmental Research concluded that although reusing clothes can be a step in the right direction of stopping the rise in fast fashion, prolonged use and reselling may not be possible if clothes don’t last enough.
It also said that reusing clothes does not suffice. One solution is to make clothes out of recycled materials.