Before you spend hundreds of dollars on luxury and designer clothes, it’s nice to get an idea of how they fit into your life and wardrobe. Clothing rental services for designer clothes give you the chance to wear their clothes right along with your usual wardrobe. Instead of just trying clothes on, you can actually wear them in your daily life. Rentals let you switch your style up as often as you want, and companies like Vince Unfold and Rent the Runway give you access to a whole collection of clothes.
Rent the Runway is the best option out of these two, because you can rent items from a collection of over 700 brands, including Vince. With Rent the Runway, you can choose from a variety of plans starting at $89.99 a month all the way to $199 a month. You can rent as few as 4 items a month or as many as 16 a month. You can also choose the exact items you want to rent, instead of letting the company choose for you.
How Do They Work
Rent The Runway
Before you sign up for Rent the Runway, you need to decide on a monthly plan. There are three plans available: 4 items a month, 8 items a month, and 16 items a month. With the 4 item plan, your options are limited to the less formal items in Rent the Runway’s collection, and you can only rent pieces under $350.
After you choose your plan, you can browse their selection and filter by brand, garment type, sleeve type, formality, color, size, and more. As you look at items, be sure to check the reviews. Most items have dozens of reviews and user pictures. These reviews are really helpful when you’re trying to choose something that will fit well and reflect your style.
When you’re ready, add 4 items to your cart so you can get your first shipment. Rent the Runway ships very quickly, so you can expect your items within a few days of your order.
If you have more than one shipment available each month, you can mark your items returned to get access to your next set of rentals. Make sure to actually return your rentals, though, or Rent the Runway could hit you with a late fee. If you’re 7 days late on a return, they’ll charge you the full member price of your item, even if they do eventually get it.
You don’t have to return all 4 items at the same time, but you’ll only get as many new items to rent as the number you return. If there’s a jacket you want to wear all month, you can hold onto it and send the other items back, but that means you can only rent 3 new pieces.
If you want to buy anything you see on Rent the Runway, including items you haven’t rented yet, you can get a special member discount. These discounts are usually pretty large, unless it’s a very new item.
Vince Unfold
Vince Unfold has just one plan option, so signing up is pretty straightforward. This rental service operates on the same platform as Gwynnie Bee, Haverdash, and plenty of other similar companies. You’ll probably recognize it if you’ve used any other rental services.
After you sign up, you’ll need to add 10 or more items to your closet before the company will send you a shipment. The company will send you clothes according to what’s available. This means you don’t get a say in the specific clothes you get, but they will be selected from clothes that you’ve favorited.
Vince shipments include 4 pieces of clothing each, and they arrive in a plain cardboard box. You can keep your rentals for as long as you want, and even stick to one set of rentals all month. When you’re ready to move on, just send them back via USPS using the prepaid shipping bag.
You can order as many sets of rentals as you want, but you need to either buy or send back every item in order to get new ones. If you mark your items as returned before you actually mail them, you’ll get your next order faster and get more out of your subscription.
Vince Unfold offers special discounts on all the clothing you rent, usually from around 50% off to 80% off. You can’t buy items you haven’t rented, unfortunately.
Pros/Cons
Rent The Runway Pros
Rent the Runway is known for its impressive collection of designer clothes. You can find the latest styles on their website, and they’re generally made with quality materials.They have well-constructed winter coats, leather jackets, designer handbags, and more. Over a month, I rented over $4,000 of clothes.
Rent the Runway has a selection of over 700 designer brands, and you’ll likely get to know some through their service. They have all kinds of styles, and you’re sure to find something to wear here. They have classic styles right alongside flashy, eye-catching pieces. They also carry sizes from 00 to 22, and they have a decent plus size selection. Rent the Runway also has maternity items, accessories, and home goods.
Rent the Runway allows you to choose your own rentals, which gives you complete control over what you get from them. Some services, like Vince Unfold, ask you to add a certain number of style to your closet and then they choose for you based on item availability.
With your Rent the Runway subscription, you get member discounts on designer clothes ranging from around 40% off to 80% off. Brand new styles will have much smaller discounts, but the majority of items will be hundreds of dollars cheaper than retail value.
- High-end clothes
- Huge selection
- Choose your own rentals
- Member discounts
Rent The Runway Cons
With Rent the Runway, you’re mostly limited to the number of rentals you’ve signed up for. If you want to add more later on, you’ll need to pay $25 per extra piece with the basic plan, and $29 per piece with the other two plans.
If you stick to the 4 items per month plan, you’ll also be limited to Rent the Runway’s basic closet. That means certain designers are excluded, and you can only rent pieces under $350 retail value. That pretty much excludes certain categories, and Rent the Runway says the basic closet is more oriented toward casual looks and workwear.
- Limited number of rentals
- Basic plan limits your access to the basic closet
Vince Unfold Pros
Your Vince Unfold subscription gives you access to unlimited rentals in sets of 4. You can order as many shipments as you want, and you’ll get faster service if you notify them of your item return. It takes them 3-5 days to get your next package to you after your return notification, so I suggest letting them know about your returns as soon as possible. That way, you’ll get the most out of your subscription.
Vince clothes are all well-constructed and made with high-end materials. These are all luxurious items that feel good to wear and look expensive. They aren’t showy, but they’re noticeably elegant and perfect for work.
They tailor their offerings according to the season, and you’ll find new, relevant clothes for each season. The company also makes sure to add pieces that are weather-appropriate, so you can actually wear what they have in stock.
- Unlimited rentals
- Luxury items
- Seasonal selections
Vince Unfold Cons
Some of the pieces from Vince Unfold have visible wear to them. When I tried the rental service, I was disappointed by the leather leggings, because they had visible marks on the waistband from being clipped to hangers.
Vince Unfold only carries up to size XL, or 14. They’re also cut a bit smaller than most brands, so make sure to check their size chart before signing up. Like all rental services, they run out of sizes for certain items at times. Try filtering items by size when you’re browsing to streamline things.
- Some items have visible wear
- Limited sizes
How Much Do They Cost
Rent the Runway costs as little as $89 a month, or as much as $199 a month. Vince Unfold has just one pricing plan for $160 a month.
Rent The Runway
Rent the Runway has 3 rental plans. The basic plan is $89 a month, and gives you access to 4 items a month. You’re only allowed to access the basic closet through this plan, though. The basic closet is items $350 and under, and they tend to be more casual items. That means there are a lot of suits, coats, leather items, and handbags you probably won’t be able to rent.
For $135, you can rent 8 items a month. This is my personal favorite subscription plan, because you get access to their full closet, but you’re not overwhelmed by rental items. You have just enough rentals wear a few new items each week.
If you want the top-tier plan, you can pay $199 to rent 16 items a month. To take full advantage of this plan, you’ll need to be returning packages via FedEx pretty much every week.
Vince Unfold
Vince Unfold costs $160 a month for unlimited rentals. Each rental box comes with 4 items. When you’re ready for a new box, you have to either return or buy all the pieces in the box.
Vince Unfold offers huge discounts on these items, from around 60% to 80% off. Some of the clothes are visibly worn, but you’d be hard-pressed to find their clothes for cheaper than these prices.
What Style Of Clothes Do You Get?
Rent the Runway is the winner in terms of variety, because they carry over 700 luxury brands and they have a robust plus size selection. Vince Unfold’s offerings all stick to the brand’s sleek, sophisticated style.
Rent The Runway
Rent the Runway is known for its sheer variety. No matter what your personal style, you’ll find something to wear here. They have streetwear, classic feminine clothes, punk-inspired looks, whimsical fantasy styles, and more. With over 700 brands available, chances are you’ll even learn about new designers through this service. They have items from the Vince brand, too.
Rent the Runway also carries lots of sizes, from 00 to 22. They even have a maternity selection.
Rent the Runway carries accessories, too, and you can find plenty of handbags and jewelry in their collection. They have a small home goods collection in collaboration with West Elm, too.
Vince Unfold
Vince Unfold exclusively carries Vince brand clothing. The service is limited in terms of brand name, but they have hundreds of items available.
Vince’s trademark style exudes elegance and sophistication, and you’ll find a lot of work-ready clothes here. There are some edgier styles, too, like blazers and leggings made from high-quality leather. You’ll find lots of silk shirts, pleated trousers, and long coats. They also have simple, long skirts and dresses.
Vince clothes are simple and understated, but they look expensive. They’re made from materials like wool, silk, and leather, instead of cheaper imitations. This brand is the total opposite of most fast fashion stores.
Final Thoughts
Vince Unfold gives you unlimited rentals from the Vince brand. You can’t choose the exact items you get, but they’ll be selected from your “closet.” Vince clothing embodies a certain elegance, and they have lots of work-ready items. This box is best for people who already like the Vince brand, but can’t afford a closet full of it.
Rent the Runway is my favorite out of these two, and I think the average subscriber will get more use out of it. Rent the Runway offers Vince clothing as rentals, alongside more than 700 other brands. This service has a much wider size range, and enough style options for even the most eclectic style. There are 3 different plans available through Rent the Runway, and you can choose the one that works best for you. Rent the Runway lets you explore your style, supplement your wardrobe, and get big discounts on gently used designer clothes.
