Renting one's Clothes

[lpetrich]

Ever wonder how some publicly-visible professional women seem to have very big wardrobes?

Some such women *rent* their clothes.

New York Post on Twitter: "AOC wears luxe designer dress on 'The View' (link)" / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Yep! I rent, borrow, and thrift my clothes. (It’s also environmentally sustainable!)

The Post is just mad that you can look good fighting for working families.

Sequins are a great accessory to universal healthcare, don’t you agree? " / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Tempted to do a “woman on the street” bit and wait outside the Republican cloak room to ask each GOP Congressman how much their tailored suits cost " / Twitter

AOC has done fashion shoots for some of her interviews, and she may do that again.

 

[lpetrich]

News commentator Krystal Ball also does that.

Carolyn Johnsen on Twitter: "@krystalball This may sound like a vanity question, and totally not on-topic for current events, but I am very much into fashion design, just curious where Krystal buys her clothes. I absolutely love your outfit today " / Twitter
then
Krystal Ball on Twitter: "@bouldersouthpaw Thank you!!! Almost everything I wear is from @RenttheRunway" / Twitter

Krystal Ball on Twitter: "@The_pismire It’s all rent the runway!!! Can be your today!" / Twitter

Rent the Runway (@RenttheRunway) / Twitter
"Your premier designer rental destination – rent, wear, swap, repeat "
Rent the Runway | Rent thousands of designer clothing, dresses, accessories and more.


Another commentator, Ana Kasparian, also does that.

Steven Dillon on Twitter: "@AOC That’s great @AOC Rent Borrow Or Second hand clothing can look great I know that @TYT host @AnaKasparian is big on this also. Good for the enviroment!" / Twitter
then
Ana Kasparian on Twitter: "@dilbyrocks @AOC @TYT Yes! I love it." / Twitter


Faceless Old Woman @ on Twitter: "@jengirl824 @AnaKasparian @dilbyrocks @AOC @TYT I got my over 6k wedding dress for $75 at thrift, no alterations necessary.

Thrift stores- esp in richer areas- are the BEST. WITH TAGS STILL ON lots of the time!" / Twitter

 

[Rhea]

This is fantastically good for the environment. And those public profile people can change up their warddrobe frequently.

 

[Angry Floof]

What a great idea, and as AOC said, sustainable. (But of course things that *don't* hurt poor people or the environment are dubious to the GQP.)

I myself have no need to rent fancy clothes since I never wear them.

 

[lpetrich]

I was provoked to respond by discussion of some other politician and what it might cost to rent a wardrobe.

First, an alternative to renting is thrifting, buying at thrift shops.

From Nov 10, 2020

Cori Bush on X: "The reality" / X

The reality of being a regular person going to Congress is that it’s really expensive to get the business clothes I need for the Hill. So I’m going thrift shopping tomorrow.

Should I do a fashion show?

then
Rashida Tlaib on X: "@CoriBush Cori, ..." / X

Cori, I still wear some of my maternity clothes under those blazers.

P.S. I get the most compliments from the clothes I got from thrift shops.

and
Ilhan Omar on X: "Thrifting is the way to go ..." / X

Thrifting is the way to go, it also makes your look unique. @israhirsi & I do this often, it’s also where I get most of my jewelry.

Somali shops in my district have the best scarves on a budget, will get you some to spice up any wardrobe.

I specialize in $50 or less outfits

Then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on X: "Thrifting, renting, and patience ..." / X

Thrifting, renting, and patience as you get your closet together sis. Capsule wardrobe will be your best friend. @AyannaPressley has the accessory game down

Good news is that all these practices are very sustainable and good for the planet!

You can also thrift and buy second hand online, which helped me get higher quality, longer-lasting things that would normally be out of budget. Good luck!!

 

[lpetrich]

Rep.-Elect Cori Bush Talks Thrift-Shopping for Congressional Clothes - "Bush has since shared videos of her thrifted finds and pictures that show her sifting through clothing racks."

The Rise of the Congressional Consignment Shoppers - Nov 18, 2020 4:54 PM EST - Elle magazine

Before Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was sworn into Congress as the youngest woman to ever serve in the legislative body, she was already expounding the values of thrift shopping. "There's so much pressure to present ourselves in the world a certain way, and, sometimes, that means looking a lot more expensive than what you can afford in a moment," she told ELLE.com back in December 2018. “I am a thrift shopping queen,” she added, sharing that she also started using Rent the Runway after her friend gifted her a subscription. (In 2019, the Washington Post reported that women on Capitol Hill were utilizing the service, which allows you to rent work wear and other clothing, so much that nearby mailrooms were filled to the brim with RTR garment bags.)

noting
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Her Critics, Her First 100 Days in Congress, and Curating Her Closet - Dec 05, 2018 9:00 AM EST - Elle magazine

On how to fake it 'til you make it, fashion-wise:

There's so much pressure to present ourselves in the world a certain way, and, sometimes, that means looking a lot more expensive than what you can afford in a moment. I am a thrift shopping queen. I love spending time in thrift shops in New York City. It's a really good way to curate your own style instead of just buying new clothes all the time. Thrift shopping is a really good way.

One of my really good girlfriends, she knew that I was super busy, and so she gifted me a Rent the Runway subscription which was really, really helpful at the time and really thoughtful. But also, borrowing clothes from your friends and just switching it up, it really helps us all do way better without having to just break the bank.

Congress gets a glow up from shared wardrobe - The Washington Post - December 12, 2019 at 4:23 p.m. EST

It’s the latest sign of the times in an evolving Congress: stacks of black garment bags, stuffed with blazers, gowns and dresses, deposited in piles at UPS drop-off spots on Capitol Hill.

They contain the latest fashion choices for the women of Congress — members and staffers alike — who are increasingly turning to a popular online retailer to look on trend and polished while doing their demanding jobs. They are borrowing outfits — individually, or on an unlimited basis — from Rent the Runway, which allows women to efficiently rotate their wardrobes without breaking their budgets (while providing free shipping, dry cleaning and that clutch backup size). It’s an easy way for them to ensure they don’t make the faux pas of wearing the same outfit twice.

Natalie Andrews on X: "Rent the Runway is the shared closet of Congress. (pic link)" / X - 9:59 AM · Nov 15, 2019

 

[lpetrich]

Now for estimating costs of renting vs. buying.

Rent the Runway | Designer Clothing Rental Subscription Service has How It Works - Discover All the Ways to Rent | Rent the Runway

Their subscription plans:

• 5/mo - $89/mo then $94/mo - $17.80/item then $18.80/item - up to $350 retail value
• 10/mo - $99/mo then $144/mo - $9.90/item then $14.40/item - up to $3000 retail value
• 20/mo - $169/mo then $235/mo - $8.45/item then $11.75/item - up to $3000 retail value

The clothing items are delivered in batches of 5: 1, 2, or 4 batches per month.

Now for estimating the price of designer clothes. I went to shopping.google.com and searched for "designer clothes". I found prices from less than $100 to more than $1000. Amazon, however, has around $30.

Taking geometric means of the extremes, I decided on $100 for the first option and $300 for the second and third options. So the first option would have a renting-buying breakeven time of 5 months, the second of 2 years, and the third of 3 years.

I've ignored a continuing expense: laundry. However, a preliminary estimate suggests that water washing is almost negligibly cheap compared to these rental prices.

 

[lpetrich]

I'll now consider how much it costs to do one's laundry. There are three main expenses: electricity, water, and detergent. I will estimate cost per load, then estimate cost per clothing item.

Electricity: How Many Watts Does A Washing Machine Use? | EnergySage

A 1-kilowatt machine run for 1 hour will consume 1 kilowatt-hour (of course), and at an average US rate of around $0.14/kWh, that gives $0.14 - 14 cents.

Yes, Your Washing Machine Is Using Enough Water - Consumer Reports
They tried out three machines that use 7, 13, and 20 gallons each (front-loader, efficient top-loader, more typical top-loader). "An agitator top-loader that we tested 20 years ago might have used more than 40 gallons of water to wash an average load."

So I'll use 20 gallons (75 liters).

How Much is the Average Water Bill in 2024?
Average: $73 per month for 100 gallons per day.

That's $0.024 per gallon - 2.4 cents per gallon. For 20 gallons, that's $0.48 - 48 cents.

How Much Does A Load Of Laundry Cost At Home: Home vs Laundromat Costs
Stating $2 to $4 per load for a laundromat.

For detergent, I perused some pricing, and I estimate an average of around $0.20 per load - 20 cents.

So in total, about $0.80 - 80 cents per load - though some estimates I've found online are higher, up to around $1.50 per load.

How Many Clothes Are in a Load of Laundry? | HomeServe USA

So one can fit around 5 sets of clothes in a typical washing machine. That means $0.16 - 16 cents per wash per set at home or $0.60 - 60 cents per wash per set at a laundromat.

 

[lpetrich]

Dry cleaning is more expensive, however.

Is Dry Cleaning worth it ?? : drycleaning - someone grumbled about having to pay $10 for a shirt and pants.

This is about comparable to Rent the Runway's per-item rent cost. Rent the Runway Memberships - Unlock an Endless Wardrobe states that "... you can skip the laundry and dry cleaning."

So do they only do dry cleaning on some of the items? Do they get some economy of scale by dry cleaning several items together?

 

[Toni]

Thrifting has been around at least since the 70’s but of course the business model has changed. It’s a wonderful way to have access to high end professional looking clothing at a fraction of the cost —and, as noted by others, is environmentally friendly/sustainable.

It’s interesting to me that the need to always look fashionably upscale and professional is a burden society places more heavily on women than on men, while typically paying women less than men for the same work.

I realize that is not entirely true that men are not expected ( in some jobs/professions) to show up in expensive suits and ties and otherwise very well turned out. I know what even mid-range suits and ties cost—and I know how long they last and that it is common/expected to have the suit components altered to one’s specifications and that such services are easily accessible, usually on premises, and very reasonably priced.

OTOH, most women’s jeans do not even come in sizes by waist AND by inseam length, the assumption being that all women can simply turn up or let out a hem, as if that were sufficient to achieve a good fit. Wedding shops do expect to make alterations to most gowns they sell —with a lengthy lead time. But otherwise, women are typically SOL.

Actually these women are extremely fortunate that they wear clothing well and can wear clothing off the rack, without the need for alterations.

 

[Spacetime Inhabitant]

If you are washing your clothes in a washing machine (as I do) there is another cost involved - time and labour. As I do not have a dryer, but instead hang them on a clothes line to dry, that is extra work also, putting them on the line and then taking them off.

 

[lpetrich]

If you are washing your clothes in a washing machine (as I do) there is another cost involved - time and labour. As I do not have a dryer, but instead hang them on a clothes line to dry, that is extra work also, putting them on the line and then taking them off.

When I washed my own clothes, I saved a lot of labor there by being very dumb: washing everything together without sorting it out.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

If you are washing your clothes in a washing machine (as I do) there is another cost involved - time and labour. As I do not have a dryer, but instead hang them on a clothes line to dry, that is extra work also, putting them on the line and then taking them off.

When I washed my own clothes, I saved a lot of labor there by being very dumb: washing everything together without sorting it out.

You can solve this one with space.

We have a line of laundry baskets rather than just one basket. Put items in the right basket, then simply wash the basket. The only time I need to pay attention is to some of my hiking stuff.