How often do you buy new clothes? Clothing rental companies like Haverdash let you borrow as many clothes as you want for a monthly fee. Renting trendy clothes instead of buying them is one way to stay on top of new styles without clogging up your closet. It’s also a low-stakes way to try on outfits you’re not sure you’d want to wear more than once. Haverdash offers brand name clothes and bold styles for $59 a month.
In my first Haverdash box, they sent me an eggplant purple faux leather jacket, a yellow basket weave sweater, and a mustard yellow denim jacket. In my second box, they send a puff-sleeve white shirt, a pair of pinstriped Levis, and a leopard print button up shirt. My favorite item is the mustard yellow denim jacket, which had a vintage feel that could go with lots of different outfits. I recommend this box to anyone looking to try out new styles, especially from current, trendy brands.
What We Like About Haverdash
Haverdash sends you unlimited rentals in sets of three. This means you can order as many sets as you want, though you have to return (or buy!) all the items from a set before you can request another set of rentals. If you send your rentals back quickly, you can expect to get 3 or 4 boxes in a month.
Haverdash carries plenty of current brands like ModCloth, BB Dakota, Lush, and Wildfang. They have lots of unique, eye-catching styles available, which is great for a rental company. You’re probably not looking to borrow a basic sweater; instead, they have faux fur coats and dramatic wide-legged pants in their inventory.
Every rental shipment comes from items you’ve added to your “closet,” so you’re never going to be surprised by something undesirable in your rental box. If there’s something you’re just dying to try out, you can mark it as a priority in your closet. Prioritizing an item doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get it, though, especially if it’s a popular item with a long waiting list. You can use their Dash feature to get specific items from your closet shipped within 2 business days, but there’s a $5 fee each time you use it.
Haverdash ships rental boxes pretty quickly, and the fast shipping helps customers make the most of the unlimited rentals. If you’re determined to get as many rentals as possible, you can easily get a box per week. If you notify the company that you’re returning an item, they start preparing your box sooner and you can get your new rentals up to 2 days sooner.
If you really love one of your rentals, you can always buy it at a discounted price. Haverdash usually offers decent discounts on the items in their stock. Discounts are much larger if the item is old, but new items are discounted too. Since you’re able to wear pieces outside, it’s easier to make informed decisions about how much use you’ll get out of something. Wearing the clothes outside also let me get more interesting pictures of them!
Women’s clothing is known for its inconsistent sizing. You might be a size 4 in some brands and an 8 in others. When you first sign up, Haverdash asks for your size in a specific brand, so they can get an idea of how to fit you for other brands. They also ask for your height and weight to help with size estimation. In my experience, their size estimates have all worked out. You can check the reviews on their website to find people who are less thrilled by their
What We Don’t Like About Haverdash
Since Haverdash is a rental service, you’re always getting clothes that have been worn by several other people. In my experience, the clothes I’ve received have always been clean and looked new or almost new. However, there’s always the chance that you’ll get an item that’s about to be retired from their system and looks a little worn. Some product reviews I’ve seen on their website have noted creased faux-leather or pilling fabric. The only sign of wear I’ve seen is slightly chipped paint at the edges of the white buttons on the ModCloth jacket.
Another downside to Haverdash is that you can’t keep a rental item from one shipment and still request 2 new items. If you don’t return a piece with the rest of your returns, they’ll assume you’re buying it and charge your card for it. Personally, I’d appreciate it if users could hold onto one item for the rest of the month and still get other new rentals. For example, if I get a great jacket or dress in the mail, I might want to wear it a few times over a few weeks. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to get any other new clothes for as long as I hold onto that item. Rentals come in units of 3, and all 3 items have to be accounted for before they send you another shipment.
Haverdash items are generally available from size S to L, with an occasional XS or XL. Out of 184 sweaters total, there are 14 options for size XL. It’s rare for an item to have all sizes available; usually at least one size will be unavailable. Searching for clothes by size as you add them to your virtual closet can help prevent disappointment on the sizing front.
Honey Mustard Basket Weave Sweater by ModCloth
This basket weave sweater looks nice and sturdy, perfect for fall and winter. The thick weave makes the fabric a little stiff and unflattering, but it fits into ModCloth’s vintage aesthetic. I noticed a strange, uncomfortable fit under the arms. I didn’t wear it out after I tried it on, because of the slightly off fit combined with the fact that it’s too hot for this kind of sweater right now.
Mahogany Lucky Lizard Moto Jacket by BB Dakota
This faux leather moto jacket has a croc embossed pattern that I love. It looks like a deep reddish brown in dark lighting, but in direct sunlight it looks like a very deep purple. It’s a great color for fall. The jacket material isn’t too heavy, so I think it’s best for moderate weather.
I love the reviews feature on Haverdash. Most items have helpful reviews and the ones on this jacket warned that it’s cut small. My suggested size from Haverdash was also a large instead of my usual medium, so I decided to size up, and I was pretty happy with the fit.
Mineral Yellow Denim Jacket by ModCloth
This denim jacket comes off as a mustard yellow to me, and the color combined with the white topstitching and buttons gives it an authentic vintage look. It has the standard trucker denim jacket design with inner pockets and rivet buttons at the waistband. I love the white buttons and studs on this jacket, and I think the style is flattering. Even though the color isn’t something I would normally choose, I loved how it looked with my Hawaiian shirt and the light-wash jeans from a Stitch Fix box.
Sapphire Stripe 721 High-Rise Skinny Jeans by Levi’s
These skinny, high-waisted jeans from Levi Strauss have a decent amount of stretch, but not enough to make them baggy by the end of the day. One of my biggest problems with jeans is finding ones that don’t stretch out a full size bigger if you wear them for more than a few hours. There’s a subtle bleached pinstripe design on these jeans, and the thin stripe is flattering. The overall fit is also flattering, too. My main complaint is the small pockets, which are pretty typical for women’s jeans.
Animal Button Down Top by Riley
This polyester cheetah print shirt has a camp collar and a slightly puffed sleeve. The fit was decent, but maybe a little looser than I’d like. The shirt is long in the back and short in the front. I’ve been hoping to find an animal print top like this, and the price was right at only $4.50, but I just didn’t like this top enough to buy it. I did end up wearing this outside, but only on a short trip to the store.
Puff Sleeve Embroidered Floria Top by Cupcakes and Cashmere
This ultra-feminine white top is different from my usual style, which is part of why I was so excited to get it as a rental! This shirt is a light rayon perfect for warm days, with delicate white-on-white embroidery. It’s also lined, so you don’t have to deal with finding the perfect camisole or undershirt before you can wear it.
I’ve heard a lot about Cupcakes and Cashmere but this is the first time I’ve tried one of their pieces. I liked how the large, puffy sleeves look in this material. The shirt has a slightly boxy fit, and I felt it looked best tucked in. Haverdash doesn’t specifically send pieces that go together, but I think this shirt looks good with the Sapphire Stripe Levi’s.
Final Thoughts
My Haverdash boxes so far have been great. I like the brands and clothes they’ve introduced me to, and I even kept an item. I love that the company offers statement pieces and unusual styles, because it’s a lot of fun to try those risky pieces through a rental service with no commitment. This service is ideal for getting a steady stream of exciting new outfits for special occasions, like holiday parties.
Haverdash is perfect for women who want a reliable source of trendy clothes without having to buy them. I recommend this service as a way to stay up to date fashion-wise and even find decent discounts on clothes.
