The rental business model is so fascinating. The businesses that operate them rarely succeed (low margins and a logistical nightmare of managing the returns and cleaning fees), but for the average person renting out their own wardrobe hero’s as a side hustle income generator it feels clever.
I would love to hear from more people who do this.
Love this Mia - the rental method is so interesting to me, especially as someone who absolutely doesn't 'dress up' in their day to day.
For me when I see a piece of clothing as an 'investment' it's more about the cost per wear over its resale value or label; it might simply be an investment because it's saving me money by not buying a replacement of that product in, say, a year or so. For example, my biggest 'investment pieces' are my walking shoes that I wear at least twice a day to walk my dog that I bought for £40 from Go Outdoors almost a year ago, and my winter coat that I bought for £60 in 2022 and is yet to even start fraying at the edges even though I wear it every single day between about October and March. I've not had to buy a new coat every year to either keep up with the styles or replace a wearing product, which I guess also falls into the 'avoiding trends' theme too.
The rental market is so interesting, and imo maybe not as common as reselling (we have FB marketplace, Vinted, Poshmark, etc.). It's intriguing that some buyers have an eye of what people will pay to borrow (repeatedly, too).
I wrestle with rewarding myself with high ticket items that’s been on my list vs investing in a new rental property that can pay me monthly for years. I love things but all the stuff cannot be worn all the time. My taste changes all the time but I do have timeless pieces that stay on rotation no matter what. The rest ends up being a waste and hard to get rid of them. What I do find interesting is that the Birkin seems to be timeless.
The rental business model is so fascinating. The businesses that operate them rarely succeed (low margins and a logistical nightmare of managing the returns and cleaning fees), but for the average person renting out their own wardrobe hero’s as a side hustle income generator it feels clever.
I would love to hear from more people who do this.
Totally!! The lady I was speaking to said she had to stop because she was travelling to much. It's probs a nice side hustle but not a full on thing
Love this Mia - the rental method is so interesting to me, especially as someone who absolutely doesn't 'dress up' in their day to day.
For me when I see a piece of clothing as an 'investment' it's more about the cost per wear over its resale value or label; it might simply be an investment because it's saving me money by not buying a replacement of that product in, say, a year or so. For example, my biggest 'investment pieces' are my walking shoes that I wear at least twice a day to walk my dog that I bought for £40 from Go Outdoors almost a year ago, and my winter coat that I bought for £60 in 2022 and is yet to even start fraying at the edges even though I wear it every single day between about October and March. I've not had to buy a new coat every year to either keep up with the styles or replace a wearing product, which I guess also falls into the 'avoiding trends' theme too.
The rental market is so interesting, and imo maybe not as common as reselling (we have FB marketplace, Vinted, Poshmark, etc.). It's intriguing that some buyers have an eye of what people will pay to borrow (repeatedly, too).
https://recsbycaro.substack.com/p/the-perfect-summer-shoe?r=8pr8ud&utm_medium=ios If you’re looking for a chic shoe to add to your summer capsule wardrobe i talk more about it on my latest substack🥰
I wrestle with rewarding myself with high ticket items that’s been on my list vs investing in a new rental property that can pay me monthly for years. I love things but all the stuff cannot be worn all the time. My taste changes all the time but I do have timeless pieces that stay on rotation no matter what. The rest ends up being a waste and hard to get rid of them. What I do find interesting is that the Birkin seems to be timeless.