Brits are embracing clothing rental this festive season

69% of British people have said they would consider renting clothing for future events such as Christmas parties, a new survey by VoucherCodes has revealed.

An additional 38% of UK shoppers said they had rented an item of clothing in the past, while 22% said they would rent outfits to save money.

VoucherCodes also found that women spent an average of £204 each year on three new outfits for special occasions, with 12% of shoppers saying they would only wear the newly bought outfit once.

Barriers to entering the rental market were also revealed, with one in three shoppers, 34%, saying that the thought of wearing pre-worn clothes would put them off, while nearly a quarter of shoppers, 23%, said they were scared of damaging clothes.

VoucherCodes lifestyle editor Anita Naik commented: “With climate change front of mind for many of us, it’s no surprise that environmental concerns caused by the fashion industry are leading more people than ever to consider hiring outfits on special occasions, such as this Christmas. There is an ever-growing roster of rental sites such as Hurr, Onloan and By Rotation offering popular luxury brands like Gucci, Calvin Klein and Armani for a tiny fraction of the price of their retail costs. It’s great to see high street stores, such as Marks and Spencer, now getting in on the action.”

In a recent interview with rental platform Hirestreet founder Isabella West, she explains why she was so keen to make rental more accessible to everyone by collaborating with brands such as M&S.