Are you invited to a wedding this year? What about a charity ball, a Communion, a graduation or a work ‘do’? These things can call for ‘occasion’ wear – the sort of dress, suit or coat you don’t wear every day.
There’s a big upfront cost to this sort of kit. Because you won’t have occasion to wear it often, the cost per wear doesn’t stack up either.
You can tell yourself you’ll wear it again, but the modus operandi of much of the fashion industry is rapidly changing trends. The cut and colour of a brand-new dress or coat can quickly get outdated.
Your outfit may have been a cracker, but after the big event it hangs in your wardrobe, lucky if it gets one or two more outings. Maybe it will hang on your credit card too.
Eighty per cent of clothes in a typical wardrobe are worn only 20 per cent of the time, according to environmental charity Voice Ireland.
In the age when every occasion is photographed to death, some will be conscious of what wearing the same thing a few times means for their ‘grid’.
If you have occasion for occasion wear this year, consider renting instead of buying, says Voice Ireland. It can mean a great outfit without the hefty price tag, and it’s less costly for the planet too.
Take the ‘Maria’ tiger print sequin minidress from popular occasion wear designer Rixio. It’s a great dress – but, retailing at about €375, it’s not cheap.
You could, however, rent it through somewhere like Happydays.ie, an Irish company providing a circular way of accessing fashionable items for special occasions.
[ Looking for a new frock? Here’s why you should rent, not buyOpens in new window ]
Fast fashion has created a demand for “newness” that has no place in a sustainable future, according to the company. It started a rental service to remedy the bad habits of the industry.
A three-day hire of the Rixo Maria dress from Happydays.ie is €85. That might seem a lot for one wear, but you would need to wear it about five times for it to make more financial sense to buy it full price.
The rental price includes delivery, and there’s a prepaid return mailing bag to send it back after your event – a courier will collect it. Or you can just pick it up and then drop it back to the Dublin store. There’s no cleaning fee either.
Rental deliveries produce four times fewer emissions per kilometre than driving to the shop, according to Voice Ireland.
Maybe you want a vintage leather jacket for a music festival, a funky 1980s’ print ski suit for a week in the snow, a hat for the races, or a good suit and coat for a funeral – by renting, multiple people get use from the same item of clothing. This can partly compensate for the environmental cost of its production.
All the better for the environment and for your wallet if you can wear something you already have – sometimes the most powerful message you can send with your fashion is to wear it again. Or you could borrow from friends or buy from a charity shop. If you can’t do either, and if you are unlikely to wear the item into the future, then give renting a go.