For most people, buying designer clothes at full retail price isn’t practical. Designer devotees who are working with a budget often have to get creative. Clothing rental services are becoming more and more popular for exactly this reason!
Rent the Runway and Armoire are two rental services that offer high-end clothes for an affordable monthly fee. Rentals are a great option if you want access to the latest designer styles without spending thousands of dollars and dealing with an overflowing closet.
The difference between Rent The Runway and Armoire is that Rent the Runway is more established and has a larger, frequently-updated selection of clothes. Rent the Runway is a better choice at this price point.
How Do They Work
|
Price |
Styles |
Age Range | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rent the Runway |
$94-$235 |
Activewear, formalwear, going out clothes, workwear, everyday clothes |
20-60 |
|
Armoire |
$79-$249 |
Everyday looks, party outfits, going out clothes, workwear |
20-60+ |
Rent The Runway
Rent the Runway is a luxury clothing rental service. Depending on your plan, you can choose anywhere from 4 to 16 rental items a month. At the end of each month, you can send the items back (or hold onto them longer if you really love them) and get a new batch of rentals.
This service is really geared toward people who go to lots of events and want to impress people with new looks every time. It’s perfect for special occasions like weddings, the holidays, and vacations. It is also a valuable tool for people with limited closet space but a desire to play around with fashion.
The company will handle all the laundry and any minor issues, like lost buttons or minor stains. All you have to do is drop your rentals off at the right shipping facility!
Pausing or Canceling Your Subscription
If you feel like skipping a month, it’s easy to do so. Just log in and navigate to your Membership Settings to pause or cancel your subscription.
Pausing is a great option for pricier subscriptions. It lets you enjoy them a few times a year or however often you want instead of paying for something you might not use every single month.
Armoire
Armoire is a clothing rental service with a styling component. Although you choose the clothes you rent, Armoire will suggest certain pieces that match your interests. With so many clothing options, this gives you a good starting place.
Armoire has a useful search option that lets you search for clothes that fit very specific criteria, like “red pants” or “floral sweater.” They make it as easy as possible to find the clothes you’re looking for.
Pausing or Canceling Your Subscription
Armoire makes it easy to pause or cancel your subscription as needed. You can go to your account on their website instead of having to call or email someone to make the change.
If you don’t need to use your subscription every month, pausing it can give you and your wallet a break.
Pros/Cons
Rent The Runway
|
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
Large selection |
Pricey |
|
Designer brands |
Lost clothes fees |
|
Minimal packaging |
Pros:
Rent the Runway has thousands of clothes in sizes from 00 to 22, plus maternity options. They have something for everyone and every style. Their selection leans toward trends and flashy items, but you can also find well-made classics. Their website features lots of customer reviews so you can get an idea of what the clothes look like in real life and on people with various body types.
RTR carefully curates their designer brands and includes plenty of up-and-coming companies alongside established ones like Tory Burch and Hugo Boss. You’ll find trendy brands like Pyer Moss and FARM Rio on their website, too. They even have a section for new designers so you can learn about new brands and try them out.
Rent the Runway sends their clothes out in a reusable zippered bag that you can use to return them. Not only are these garment bags environmentally-friendly, they also reduce wrinkles and make it easy to hang your rentals. The hangers come in handy if you’re taking your rentals to a wedding, conference, or other out-of-town event.
Cons:
Rent the Runway has a higher subscription cost than many other brands. Because it’s geared toward designer clothes, the higher price does make sense and can still save you money if you would otherwise be buying clothes regularly.
RTR also charges you for lost clothes. If you send your package through the wrong mailing service, if it gets lost in transit, or if you lose the clothes, you’ll have to pay the cost of the item. If paying for a lost $500 jacket would ruin your budget for the month, keep this in mind!
Armoire
|
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
Quality brands |
Pricey |
|
Clothes for every lifestyle |
Smaller selection |
|
Easy & fun to explore the available items |
Pros:
Armoire carries brands that you can rely on for quality, from Joie to Rag & Bone. When you rent products from them, you can be reasonably sure that they will be well-made. If you are building a new wardrobe for any reason, these rentals will help you get by until you have a wider range of pieces. They offer lots of practical, everyday clothes.
Armoire sets itself apart from other services by letting customers create “lists” of clothes. For example, someone might collect rentals that are perfect for a beach vacation or an upcoming wedding. You can browse other users’ lists and stumble across gorgeous clothes you might not have found on your own.
Cons:
Like Rent the Runway, this subscription could run you over $100 a month, depending on the plan you choose. However, Armoire has a smaller selection than RTR and not as many high-end designer brands.
How Much Do They Cost
These services both offer multiple plans for subscribers. Overall, they are at a similar price point, but Armoire offers the lowest-priced plan at just $79 a month.
Both services allow you to buy items you’ve rented for discounts up to 50% off. If you fall in love with a rental, you could get a great deal. Items also go on sale and clearance, so keep an eye out if you want to expand your wardrobe!
Rent The Runway
- $94 a month, with special intro price of $69 for the first month
- $144 a month, with special intro price of $99 for the first 2 months
- $235 a month, with special intro price of $149 for the first 2 months
The lowest tier allows you to get 4 rentals a month, the 2nd tier allows for 8 rentals a month, and the highest tier allows for 16 items a month.
Rent the Runway is one of the higher-priced rental services out there. It starts at just under $100 a month. However, if you’re looking to wear high-end clothes regularly, the price could be worth it.
The service calculates the value of the clothes you’ve rented so you can see how much you save by not buying new clothes.
Armoire
- $79 a month, with special intro price of $69 for the first month
- $119 a month, with special intro price of $89 for the first month
- $249 a month, with special intro price of $139 for the first month
The base tier of Armoire allows you to rent 4 items a month. The second tier allows you to rent 7 items at a time. The most expensive tier allows unlimited monthly rentals, but you can only have 6 items out at a time.
What do you get in the boxes?
These two services both offer higher-end clothes and accessories. Rent the Runway specifically focuses on designer clothes that cost hundreds of dollars new. Armoire has a mix of designer clothes and mid-range brands.
Rent The Runway
RTR is known for its wide variety of clothing options. The brand offers formal clothes, everyday outfits, going-out clothes, and even some activewear. They also have a decent accessories section offering handbags, jewelry, and even home goods.
In my opinion, they are best for slightly offbeat clothes and statement pieces for events. The clothes aren’t as suited to work outfits if you are in a traditional workplace.
RTR carries clothes from an ever-expanding selection of designers, including:
- FARM Rio
- Veronica Beard
- Rebecca Minkoff
- MSGM
- Mugler
- Levi’s
Armoire
Armoire offers clothes and accessories from many beloved brands, including designers. However, the company doesn’t focus exclusively on designers. They also have some mid-range clothing brands like Boden, which offer quality clothes that aren’t too flashy.
They have options for all occasions, from work events to nights out with friends.
Armoire also has clothes from top brands like:
- Lilly Pulitzer
- Scotch & Soda
- BB Dakota
- Equipment
- Cupcakes & Cashmere
Final Thoughts
Both rental services will give you access to quality clothes that will help you express your style and explore trends. If designer clothes are usually out of your budget, you can try them out and learn more about them at a more affordable price.
Rent the Runway is still the best-known designer clothing rental service, and for good reason. They offer the best selection of clothes from the best brands. Armoire is a little bit cheaper at the lowest tier, but I think the difference in quality is large enough that RTR is still the better option.
Rent the Runway is the best choice if you want to experiment with designer clothes and maybe even pick up a piece or two at a discount.
