Menswear Style | What you should know about menswear rentals

Summary: In recently years, there has been a growth in the number of men's clothing rental brands.What are people looking for in a male clothing rental platform?

・Professional stylists to help with styling

・Try on before buying

・Know customer needs more clearly

・Save time and money

・A step toward sustainability

Menswear Style | August 6, 2021

For several decades now, men have considered clothing rentals for specific occasions. Often this begins with prom and needing a tuxedo. Later, in the same fashion, this approach emerges for black-tie dressing and weddings. Yet, while the rental womenswear market not only emerged but is seeing surging success, menswear has seemed strangely stagnant until recently. As Rent the Runway sees its worth climb to $1 billion and lower-level competitors like Gwynnie Bee present a sustainable solution for exploring styles and refreshing your wardrobe without the financial and environmental drain of fast fashion, menswear versions retool the subscription box formula while attempting to attract the same consumers.

Understanding the appeal of menswear rental programs

For starters, the typical rental program diverges from the rent-a-tux model. Most aren’t for one-time uses. Instead, building off the subscription box system, customers pay a fee to have access to a spectrum of brands and styles. Once you select a garment or two, based on the subscription’s terms, it gets shipped out – after being cleaned thoroughly – and you have a set period of time to wear it. This span can range from anywhere from a couple days to two weeks. While this model feels interchangeable between men’s and women’s offerings, menswear courts a different consumer. He’s not someone who’s typically fashion forward – but is interested in trying something new. He’s also someone hesitant about making new purchases – but he’s also someone cognizant that his wardrobe for everyday or work wear should be refreshed. He’s someone who may consider an investment piece – but, just like test-driving a car at a dealership, he wants to get to know something before making a definite commitment.

Considering these factors, menswear rental programs: 

• Roll styling in with their selection of clothes: Similar to what you get from a subscription box program, you may – although not always – have someone directing you toward colours, patterns, and styles that work with your skin tone and body type. The difference here is, after trying out the clothes, you return them, so they don’t clutter your closet.
• Accommodate someone too busy to actively shop but who wants to reinvigorate his wardrobe. Access to designer-level brands gives you the option to try before you buy. This way, you have a stronger idea about what you want, and can make a clear, more meaningful purchase later.
• Have cropped up as separate entities or are associated with a brand or department store to present a solution for consumers hesitant to purchase a garment online, either due to price or fit. On this note, especially with the pandemic literally closing off fitting rooms, they ensure you won’t get stuck with something too large or too small.
• Act as a discovery guide for men interested in more elevated fashion but not willing to make the time or financial investment. This method lets you refresh your wardrobe monthly or seasonally without seeing a mounting pile of clothes or accessories you may no longer wear at some point.
• Offer a more affordable solution for accessing designer brands. Instead of forking over a few hundred or thousand upfront, this business model lets someone dabble with designer threads before making a direct but more purposeful purchase.
• Are a step toward sustainability. Rental programs allow clothing to be in rotation for longer and, at the same time, help trim down your wardrobe. Long term, this approach could lessen the amount of textile waste ending up in landfills.

Key menswear rental services

Although menswear options make up just a fraction of the rental market – a contrast to menswear’s high-paced growth over the past decade – a few services have started to gain brand recognition:

…

Taelor

Debuting in March 2021, Taelor presents a hybrid model, one borrowing from the artificial intelligence-fueled, stylist-guided one used for subscription boxes and providing access to higher-quality – although not top-tier designer – brands. Taelor presents a solution for guys wanting a nicer suit – for instance, Brooks Brothers – but feel hesitant to make that investment up front. As well, a bi-weekly option lets you try out various elevated everyday pieces to more sustainably refresh your wardrobe.

Click here to read the original article in Menswear Style by Ivan Yaskey