Muddy Stilettos

If you&#8217;re joining the fash pack in wanting to don designer threads for less, or you have a deep-seated dislike of fast fashion, renting is the way to go. It&#8217;s a trend we&#8217;re loving &#8211; you can look fabulous for minimal spend &#8211; all the while, saving the planet from unnecessary fabric manufacture and distribution. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2000" height="1600" src="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Retro-fashion-taylor-simpson-bHeNQhTEGmE-unsplash.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61152" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Retro-fashion-taylor-simpson-bHeNQhTEGmE-unsplash.jpg 2000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Retro-fashion-taylor-simpson-bHeNQhTEGmE-unsplash-600x480.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Retro-fashion-taylor-simpson-bHeNQhTEGmE-unsplash-1000x800.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Retro-fashion-taylor-simpson-bHeNQhTEGmE-unsplash-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Retro-fashion-taylor-simpson-bHeNQhTEGmE-unsplash-656x525.jpg 656w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></figure>



And there is more to fashion&#8217;s new frontier than leasing posh dresses. There are platforms where you can rent out your own covetable items, services that will repair bags and shoes that have seen better days (<a href="https://visiblemending.com">visible mending</a>, above &#8211; or more specifically the Japanese practice of Sashiko &#8211; is a hot new trend) and even the high street brands have sections encouraging us to buy preloved. So, if fancy reducing the environmental impact of your wardrobe? Read on&#8230;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">RENT</h2>



If you want to feel like you&#8217;re on the catwalk, there&#8217;s one place to go &#8211; <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Front Row London (opens in a new tab)" href="https://frontrow.uk.com/" target="_blank">Front Row London</a>, which rents luxe designers from the little edgy ones like Retrofete to biggies like Balmain and Dior. Expect to pay from £80 to £300 to rent a dress, with rental periods generally between 3 and 5 days. Ideal for holiday wardrobes and party season!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1222" src="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/LK-Bennett-Rental.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60952" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/LK-Bennett-Rental.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/LK-Bennett-Rental-600x489.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/LK-Bennett-Rental-1000x815.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/LK-Bennett-Rental-644x525.jpg 644w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



High Street staple LK Bennett has also launched it&#8217;s own rental service (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="LK Borrowed (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.lkborrowed.com/" target="_blank">LK Borrowed</a>, above), but as a subscription model, charging £79/month. You get two items a month that you can then choose to buy or return for free. Genius! There&#8217;s all the usual LK Bennett range from office staples to party outfits and natty casual wear (now you&#8217;re talking). Just create your wish list online and wait for the goodies to arrive at your door.



<a href="https://www.mywardrobehq.com/how-it-works">Wardrobe HQ</a> is teeming with pieces from over 500 designers and you can rent shoes, bags, occasionwear and even everyday designer items for four to 14 days at a time. And if you happen to fall in love with your temporary wardrobe addition? Just email My Wardrobe HQ and you can buy it for a fraction of the RRP.



The big guns of the designer rental scene, <a href="https://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/features/project-earth/rent/">Selfridges</a> has teamed up with HURR to offer customers the opportunity to rent some seriously luxe designer threads for a mere snip of the actual retail price. A Stella McCartney trouser suit for just over £100? Er&#8230; yes please. Alternatively, try <a href="https://www.hurrcollective.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HURR</a> themselves for a wider range of brands like RIXO, GANNI and Reformation. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1019" src="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/The-Devout.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60955" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/The-Devout.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/The-Devout-600x408.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/The-Devout-1000x679.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/The-Devout-773x525.jpg 773w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



A newish addition to the stable, <a href="https://www.thedevout.com">The Devout</a> (above) is a clever subscription service sends you a selection of new pieces each month with laundry, insurance and delivery all included, with prices starting at £39. You get to try new designers and trends or pick out statement pieces for that upcoming wedding or first day back at work, and then the following month you send them all back and pick another five winners to make you look on trend/cool/or in my case, less like a bag lady.



The circular economy is at the heart of <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.rotaro.co.uk" target="_blank">Rotaro</a>&#8216;s offer, which is to stock cool-girl, cult fashion brands and then rent them out for four, eight or 12 days, with prices starting at £25. So you can wear the wardrobe of your dreams but not actually buy it (although if you want to, that&#8217;s an option too), all the time serving as a counter to one-off, throwaway fashion. As ever, dry-cleaning and returns are part of the service.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="998" src="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/HEWI-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60961" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/HEWI-1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/HEWI-1-600x399.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/HEWI-1-1000x665.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/HEWI-1-789x525.jpg 789w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



As much as we&#8217;d like to have walk-in wardrobes with entire walls dedicated to our bag collection, alas it&#8217;s not to be. But there are crafty ways to up your designer bag interaction &#8211; namely <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.cocoon.club" target="_blank">Cocoon Club</a>, which allows you to rent a gorgeous, must-have handbag and swap monthly for the starting price of £49 per month. Memberships range from &#8216;Light&#8217; (some bags) to &#8216;Deluxe&#8217; (ALL THE BAGS plus a swap every fortnight) depending on your personal level of addiction. If renting doesn&#8217;t appeal, Cocoon Club also has a ReSale section where you can buy bags that have been previously rented out, like the Louis Vuitton clutch above. 



Got a wardrobe that needs to be insured? Lucky you. But don&#8217;t just sit on your asset &#8211; you can make money out of it too. <a href="https://www.byrotation.com/how-it-works">By Rotation</a> allows you to list your wardrobe on the app and then communicate with potential renters, allowing you to approve or reject requests. You all then leave feedback so it&#8217;s a bit like Airbnb, but with chic tailoring and sequins. Don&#8217;t have the time to deal with the thousands of requests coming in to borrow your Balenciaga? Don&#8217;t stress: By Rotation offer a wardrobe management service to do the admin for you.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">REUSE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1028" src="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Vestiare-Collective.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60958" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Vestiare-Collective.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Vestiare-Collective-600x411.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Vestiare-Collective-1000x685.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Vestiare-Collective-766x525.jpg 766w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



After a specific designer item? Head to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.vestiairecollective.com" target="_blank">Vest</a><a href="https://www.vestiairecollective.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">i</a><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.vestiairecollective.com" target="_blank">aire Collective</a> (above), one of the world&#8217;s biggest premium resale sites (think designer eBay and you&#8217;re not far wrong). You can easily set up an alert so that you can nab listings as they pop up &#8211; and with thousands going live every day, you likely won&#8217;t have to wait long! It&#8217;s also a great way to sell your high-end cast-offs, as there&#8217;s an authentication process to ensure you get the best price for your piece. 



At the more high street end of the scale, <a href="https://www.vinted.co.uk">Vinted</a> is a quick and easy way to buy and sell wardrobe excess. Expect Topshop dresses (brand new with tags) for a quarter of the RRP and pre-worn Zara coats for a tenner. High end it ain&#8217;t but there are some bargains to be had &#8211; plus you can browse from the comfort of your home. 



Somewhere between Vinted and Vestiaire Collective is <a href="https://thrift.plus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thrift+</a>, which takes the jumble sale feel out of the former without the three-figure prices of the latter. Instead of buying from individual sellers you buy directly from the site (much more eco-friendly shipping, for starters), and you can expect high quality high street brands like COS, Whistles, Ted Baker and AllSaints on there. Want a designer piece? There&#8217;s a Thrift+ Boutique selling everything from Alexander McQueen to D&amp;G. 



<a href="https://www.hardlyeverwornit.com/about-us">HEWI</a> (above) stands for Hardly Ever Worn It, so you know where we&#8217;re going here. Founded by Sharon Wolter-Ferguson and her two daughters, Natalya and Tatiana, the idea was borne out of a time when the family were living in Monaco and witnessing first hand how the jet-set never wore the same outfit twice. Nine years on and HEWI now partners with celebrities from the worlds of film, entertainment and even royalty to sell on those one-wear designer pieces they no longer need.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1707" height="2560" src="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Retro-fashion-dusan-jovic-Retro-fashion-OxbsGvWUwqs-unsplash-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61154" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Retro-fashion-dusan-jovic-Retro-fashion-OxbsGvWUwqs-unsplash-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Retro-fashion-dusan-jovic-Retro-fashion-OxbsGvWUwqs-unsplash-400x600.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Retro-fashion-dusan-jovic-Retro-fashion-OxbsGvWUwqs-unsplash-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Retro-fashion-dusan-jovic-Retro-fashion-OxbsGvWUwqs-unsplash-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Retro-fashion-dusan-jovic-Retro-fashion-OxbsGvWUwqs-unsplash-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Retro-fashion-dusan-jovic-Retro-fashion-OxbsGvWUwqs-unsplash-350x525.jpg 350w" sizes="(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px" /></figure>



Wouldn&#8217;t it be lovely to have someone comb through charity shops, car boot sales and thrift markets, looking for beautiful, wearable pieces and then offer their findings for sale on an easily navigated website? What&#8217;s that you say? That&#8217;s exactly what Holly Watkins of <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.onescoopstore.com" target="_blank">One Scoop</a> does? Oh, excellent. 



Ever bought a special outfit for your little darling to wear to a school prom/family wedding/big birthday bash and it&#8217;s never seen the light of day since? That and the fact that kids grow out of clothes so quickly, means paying less makes sense, and it&#8217;s better for the planet. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.kidsoclock.co.uk/" target="_blank">Kids O&#8217;Clock</a> was launched by Laura Roso Vidrequin who has the stellar CV of Net-a-Porter, Moda Operandi and Harvey Nichols. It buys and sells previously worn kids clothes from newborn to 10 years old including luxe and high street brands. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">REPAIR </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1564994660-82579900.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27603" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1564994660-82579900.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1564994660-82579900-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1564994660-82579900-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1564994660-82579900-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



 If your favourite handbag is looking a little manhandled, before forking out for a new one, try <a href="https://www.handbagclinic.co.uk/the-clinic-i15">The Handbag Clinic</a> online or at its Chelsea-based store. The team of expert technicians have decades of combined experience bringing bags back to life from broken zips and unpicked stitching to worn fabric or misshapen leather. You can also buy pre-loved designer bags or sell your own on the site.



Did you know that by extending the lifespan of your clothes by nine months you can reduce their carbon, water, and landfill by up to 30%? Wowzer. That&#8217;s the aim of the UK&#8217;s first digital clothing maintenance service, <a href="https://clothes-doctor.com/pages/services-list">Clothes Doctor</a>. The site offers all sorts of services from repair work (fixing pocket holes or replacing fixtures) to alterations, restoration treatments and cleaning, all using an in-house brand of plant derived, plastic-free care products. Just snap a picture of your patient, get a quote and then send it in the post to be nursed back to health.

Where to rent, repair and sell gorgeous designer clothes

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