Hey BOS Magazine!

As a fashion lover who keeps sustainability at the forefront of her mind, I wanted to write about one of my new favorite companies that has grown exponentially in the past few years: Nuuly.

For those that haven’t come across it yet, Nuuly, owned by URBN, is a clothing rental subscription that allows you to rent several pieces each month, wear them, and then send them back for new ones. If you’re in BC’s Fashion Club, or just someone who loves to experiment with style but doesn’t have the budget to buy every trendy piece, Nuuly could be your new best friend. It’s perfect for us college students who want the latest microtrend, or have a club formal coming up, but don’t have the time, energy, or money to head to Newbury for a new outfit. 

First off, before we talk about what Nuuly is (and what makes it different from Rent the Runway and other competitors), let me preface by saying that this is not sponsored, nor is it an ad. I’m just crazy passionate about this company. Just like other rental subscriptions, it has a super simple business model. For a flat fee of $98, you can choose six items each month from a massive selection of clothing by the best and trendiest brands. Their product availability is what makes them different though: they have an incredible mix of casual wear, basics, work-wear, cocktail, black tie, etc. In my opinion, other competitors focus on designer wear and wedding guest attire- but Nuuly caters to fun, everyday outfits. While a large section of their inventory is URBN-owned – think Free People, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, etc. – they also introduce new brands all the time (sometimes really high-end too).

Some of my recent favorites have been LoveShackFancy, Farm Rio, English Factory, and Saylor. For my recent fall break trip, I rented this Filly Mini Dress from LoveShackFancy (pictured below) – which originally retailed for $395.

One of the questions I get asked most when I talk about my Nuuly packages is: What happens if you stain it? Didn’t realize how much people worried about stains. Luckily, Nuuly’s cleaning team does an excellent job with fixing, stain treating, resewing missing buttons, etc. Nuuly takes care of everything and penalizes you for nothing. They actually prefer that you leave all washing and dry cleaning to them to avoid any possible cleaning mistakes.

I also get asked a lot, “What happens if you just love the piece?” Such an easy answer – you can buy it! You’re able to click on the specific item on the app and purchase right from your phone/laptop. This summer, while I was navigating corporate America in the Big Apple, I fell in love with Anthropologie’s Maeve Wrapped Culotte Jumpsuit. It was perfect for the office: lightweight, full coverage, neutral… but it also had fun details like a tied belt and wide pant legs to add a little bit of spice. I could've even replaced the belt with a brown leather one if I had it. I ended up buying it after the first time wearing it after I was stopped in the middle of the street by a woman asking where it was from, because she insisted that she had to have it for work. 

Some other items that I’ve rented & highly recommend (based on the large number of compliments I got):

• Sardine Crew Neck Sweater by Flat White 

• Low Rise Paillette Mini Skirt by Guizio 

• Gretta Maxi Dress by Saylor

• Claudia Asymmetric Ruffle Chiffon Midi Dress by BHLDN

This brings me to my own personal reason for renting clothing: sustainability. The fast fashion industry is, unfortunately, a huge contributor to our landfills and global pollution. Constantly buying new clothes feeds right into that. We can all agree that the rise of social media and the ever-growing number of items being produced by retailers make it even more difficult. When we see thousands of niche, new trends every year, plus thousands of new products to choose from, we are tempted to consume way more than we need to. I know, even I’m guilty of not wanting to re-wear an outfit or wishing I had something new. But if we’re serious about creating a more sustainable fashion industry, we need to rethink how we consume clothes. Renting is an easy way to enjoy new styles without (as much of) the waste. When we rent, we're essentially “sharing” pieces with others instead of everyone buying their own version of a trend that might fade out in a season.

So, if you’re someone who loves experimenting with style, has a stricter budget, or wants a more sustainable way to enjoy fashion, renting with Nuuly might just be the answer. It’s like a revolving closet that keeps you looking fresh and fashionable without the cost or waste of constantly buying new things. Try it out – you might just fall in love with the whole concept of renting over buying.

If any of this sounds like something you’d check out, here’s the link!

https://share.nuuly.com/katie5238

-Katie