January has a way of making us rethink everything — from routines and wellness habits to the way we get dressed. But when it comes to fashion, a “fresh start” doesn’t have to mean purging your closet or buying into every new trend that pops up on your feed.
Instead, the most modern way to reset your style is surprisingly simple: wear more, buy less.
Renting clothing has quietly become one of fashion’s most practical sustainability tools — allowing you to experiment, travel, and dress for the moment without long-term commitment or excess consumption.
Why Renting Is the Ultimate Sustainable Fashion Move
Fast fashion isn’t just about trend cycles — it’s about ownership. The pressure to buy, keep, and store clothing that only fits a moment often leads to overconsumption and closet burnout.
Renting flips that model on its head:
- You reduce impulse purchases
- You test trends before investing
- You wear statement pieces without permanent commitment
- You build a rotating wardrobe instead of a cluttered one
For anyone trying to shop more consciously in the New Year, it’s one of the easiest habits to adopt (and one we are currently obsessed with).
The Fashion Editor Cheat Code for Trying New Styles
Fashion editors have long relied on rentals — especially during travel, fashion weeks, and seasonal transitions — because they allow for experimentation without regret, and give you the ability to sample different brands. When you’re constantly packing, styling, and dressing for varying climates and occasions, owning everything simply isn’t realistic.
That’s why renting has become a behind-the-scenes staple for many of us, and why platforms like Nuuly stand out in this space.
Instead of buying into a trend you’re unsure about, renting gives you permission to play: bolder silhouettes, unexpected colors, trend-driven pieces without the commitment.
Having used Nuuly’s service personally, it consistently delivers on the things that matter most: variety, quality, and ease. And what makes the experience work particularly well is how intuitive it feels. Real customer reviews and photos take the guesswork out of sizing, while the mix of trend-forward and wearable brands means you can experiment without feeling costume-y. It’s the kind of service that actually supports how people get dressed in real life — not just how outfits look online.
What Renting Actually Gets Right (From Experience)
One of the biggest misconceptions about fashion rental is that it feels impersonal or overly trend-driven. In practice, the opposite is true — especially when the platform understands balance.
From personal experience, what works best about renting is:
- Confidence in fit: Seeing pieces on different body types makes ordering feel far less risky than standard e-commerce
- Access to brands you already love: The selection feels curated rather than overwhelming
- Low-pressure experimentation: You can try silhouettes or colors you wouldn’t normally buy, knowing they’re not permanent
It changes the way you approach style — less “Should I buy this?” and more “How does this actually work in my life?”
Winter Is Prime Time for Renting
Cold-weather dressing is a notoriously expensive — and the least flexible — part of any wardrobe. Between outerwear, layering pieces, and occasion looks, winter often demands items that don’t get year-round wear.
Renting has been especially useful during winter travel and fashion-heavy months, where the need for variety outweighs the need for ownership.
This season, we are especially loving renting from Nuuly for:
- Ski trips: Elevated knitwear, statement layers, and après-ski pieces you don’t need year-round if you’re from a warm-weather location or city with varying seasons
- February fashion weeks: Bold coats and tailoring that feel directional, polished, and seasonally relevant
- Event dressing: Winter occasions call for something special — like the perfect dress for a winter wedding — but not necessarily permanent pieces needed in your wardrobe
Instead of repeating the same looks or buying for a single moment, renting makes winter fashion feel lighter and more creative, letting you rotate silhouettes, colors, and textures all season long.
Top Fashion Rental Platforms to Know
While subscription rentals have become a go-to for experimenting with everyday style, the broader rental space has evolved to serve very different fashion needs. Depending on your wardrobe goals — whether that’s luxury accessories, runway-driven pieces, or occasionwear — these platforms are worth bookmarking.
- Nuuly: Best for trend-forward everyday fashion and seasonal experimentation, Nuuly operates on a monthly subscription model that makes it easy to refresh your wardrobe regularly. It’s especially useful for travel, fashion weeks, and transitional dressing, with strong brand variety, helpful customer reviews, and the option to purchase pieces you end up loving.
- Rent the Runway: One of the original players in the rental space, Rent the Runway is especially strong for event dressing, workwear, and designer staples. It’s a solid option if you’re looking for polished, classic silhouettes or need a one-off look for a specific occasion.
- Vivrelle: Focused on accessories rather than apparel, Vivrelle allows members to rotate luxury handbags, fine jewelry, and statement pieces. Ideal for elevating everyday outfits or testing an investment bag before committing.
- By Rotation: By Rotation operates as a peer-to-peer rental platform with a strong emphasis on trend-driven and contemporary brands. It’s especially appealing for fashion-forward pieces and unique finds you won’t see everywhere.
Each platform serves a slightly different purpose, and many fashion insiders use more than one — renting everyday staples from one service, while turning to another for accessories or standout moments. Together, they reflect a broader shift in how style-conscious consumers are choosing access over accumulation.
When You Fall in Love (and Don’t Want to Give It Back)
One of the most underrated benefits of renting? The ability to keep what truly earns a place in your wardrobe.
If a piece becomes a go-to — perfect fit, endless compliments, real longevity — you can purchase it directly, often at a lower price than retail. It turns renting into a trial run rather than a one-time fling. And it’s a smart middle ground between impulse buying and total restraint, and one that makes fashion feel more intentional overall.
The New Way to Build a Wardrobe
The future of fashion isn’t about owning more — it’s about wearing better.
The biggest shift renting offers isn’t just sustainability; it’s mindset. You start building a wardrobe based on how often you wear something, not whether you own it. Renting allows you to evolve your style in real time, stay aligned with your values, and make smarter fashion decisions — especially at the start of a new year, when intention matters most.
Now that 2026 has begun, many of us are reassessing habits across the board — and renting feels like a natural extension of shopping smarter, dressing better, and consuming more consciously, without sacrificing creativity or personal style. Consider it less of a subscription and more of a mindset shift: one where style stays fluid, sustainable, and genuinely fun again.
To start your fashion rental journey off right, we recommend beginning with Nuuly’s monthly subscription service. Members can rent up to six pieces each month for $98, through a flexible subscription model that includes shipping and returns. There are no hidden fees, and the option to pause or cancel offers added flexibility.
In a year focused on smarter habits and self-expression, renting might just be the most chic reset of all.
