Renting clothes is nothing new. After all, Lindstrom has been providing quality work uniforms to construction, healthcare and catering workers for more than 170 years! However, the rise of ethical fashion means more and more consumers are now prepared to hire items of everyday clothing rather than buying them.
So, are we now at an age were renting rather than buying clothes will become the norm?
The fashion industry – and the media – has fuelled our obsession with buying and wearing the latest must-have range of clothes. They make them so enticing that people rush out to be the first person to wear a particular item. But, once you’ve handed over your hard-earned cash to possess that dress or shirt, you can only wear it once or maybe a handful of times before people start to make snide remarks. They’ll say: “Ooh, is she wearing that dress again? Doesn’t she have anything else to wear? Do you live in that top?”
Celebrities are the biggest victims of this cruel practice, especially in the tabloid press. The red tops go into meltdown if an actor or actress has the audacity to wear the same dress twice, even if it is a one-off designer item. This public shaming of showbiz stars has entered everyday life and your average Joe can now be a target of name-calling if they don’t update their wardrobe regularly.
Items of clothing are now being worn once before being disposed of and it is this throwaway culture that is responsible for an estimated £140 million of clothing ending up in the UK’s landfill.
Now multiple environmentally friendly start-up companies across the globe have launched online clothing rental websites to combat the issue. Many sites now offer a subscription service where members of the public can choose several items of clothing each week before sending them back to be washed and made available to the public again.
Of course, this idea of hiring clothes is nothing new. We have been able to hire top quality suits, tuxedos and ball-gowns for weddings and special occasions for years, with many companies specialising in that service. And like we mentioned at the beginning, we have been clothing numerous industries for decades. But this movement is looking at targeting the Instagram generation and their everyday clothing needs.
The initial interest has proved fruitful. One Chinese firm boasts more than 10 million subscribers, although it admits that not everyone uses the service. While consumers can choose from a variety of items, like T-shirts, skirts, jumpers, dresses and shoes from a selection of brands, many still have reservations over hygiene. Although the clothes may look clean and fresh, they have been worn by people you don’t know doing any random activity.
However, people can relax, safe in the knowledge that all clothing will be hygienically washed between loans. At Lindstrom, we pride ourselves on our workwear rental and laundry service. We ensure your employees always have access to the finest uniforms that have been hygienically cleaned and meet the latest health and safety standards.
Our rental service is one that is way ahead of its time, but it looks as though the fashion industry is finally catching up. Hiring clothing is a sensible idea. Not only will we be reducing the amount of clothing that goes to landfill and slashing our carbon footprint, from a consumer point of view we will be save a shedload of money and have a huge selection of clothing to choose from. It’s a win-win situation.
If you would like to speak to our sales team about our rental workwear and laundry service, please call us today on 01234 480367 or email info.uk@lindstromgroup.com