Why fashion rental could be the best way to pep up your midlife wardrobe
Thought renting was only for 20-something influencers? Think again
Alyson Walsh in a rented tweed jacket
Credit: Clara Molden
As someone who spent their formative years in second-hand clothes and hand-me-downs, I haven’t always found being dressed in other people’s clothes a positive experience. Violins at the ready: at school, someone recognised the highly distinctive, lime-green Crimplene dress with puffed, floral print sleeves I had been proudly wearing until they announced to the rest of the class that it belonged to Erica Jackson (not her real name), my mum’s friend’s daughter.
First published on Fri 16 Apr 2021 04.33 EDT
As we prepare to peel off our jogging bottoms and tentatively reintroduce our lower halves to the world, retailers are betting on the big bright dress as the look of the socially distanced summer.
“Breezeable”, “voluminous” and “forgiving” are some of the terms designers are using for the loose, midi-length style, which is omnipresent in current collections.
This week Marks & Spencer launched a range of patterned midi-dresses in collaboration with Ghost. Next week, John Lewis and the independent brand Kemi Telford will team up for a collection of roomy, bright patterned dresses. At & Other Stories, the current crop includes a marigold silk dress with a Bridgerton-inspired neckline, made in collaboration with Rejina Pyo.
You ve followed their ever-changing style in the newspapers and the glossy magazines – and maybe been inspired to seek out high-street budget options that resemble their designer items for yourself. But now there s a way to more perfectly match the look of a celebrity fashionista: by renting their actual clothes.
Not only can you temporarily raid the wardrobes of TV stars and a member of the Royal Family, some celebrities will even post the clothing to you and have their maids do your laundry.
You may feel a bit queasy about wearing someone else s clothes, but the upside is the kudos of telling your friends that you ve borrowed your outfit from, for example, the Duke of Kent s granddaughter. Indeed, Amelia Windsor, who is 39th in line to the Throne, offers a selection of dresses, bags and trousers.