‘But I’ve already posted an Instagram in that outfit!’ is a sentence that I’ve heard slip out of mine and my friends’ mouths on numerous occasions, before we check ourselves and realise how ridiculous we sound. It’s absurd to think that we’d be scrutinised or judged for wearing the same top on a night out more than once, or the same dress for two different events. So why is it that this thought lingers in the back of my mind when I’m planning what to wear at the weekend? Rather than putting this down to complete narcissism on my part, it’s important to see it as a wider trend that permeates further than my circle of friends.

As if this struggle wasn’t enough, it’s equally possible to be frozen in Topshop changing rooms contradicting this logic; questioning whether you’ll get enough wear out of a glittery skirt, or whether it will be worn once and discarded at the bottom of the wardrobe. In an attempt to solve both of these problems, fashion rental companies seem like the perfect solution! So why aren’t we hearing more about them?

From as early as 2009, fashion rental companies such as Rent the Runway have been operating in America, and similar business models have since made their way across the pond. Some of the UK’s biggest sites catering to this industry include HURR, Girl Meets Dress and OnLoan-each offering a slightly different approach to the format of wardrobe rentals. HURR promotes a peer-to-peer renting system, designed to allow you to rent your clothes out as well as rent from others, whilst the structure of Girl Meets Dress is arguably more traditional, only facilitating the renting side for the customer. Onloan varies further, asking customers to complete a style survey upon conscription, and then sending a box of clothes each month tailored to their taste.

To address my earlier question as to why these sites are not being used more widely, we have to consider the price at which these companies are marketing the clothes. With all three sites listed above featuring mainly high-end clothing and designer brands, it isn’t surprising that their prices reflect this. Onloan offer monthly subscriptions ranging from £69 – £159 per month. Considering most of my friends are reluctant to pay £3.99 a month for Amazon Prime Student, it’s hard to imagine them forking out this amount of money no matter how big their student loan. Girl Meets Dress and HURR have similarly high prices for subscription fees and even one-off rentals.

Unfortunately, in a world where you can buy a dress for £6 on PrettyLittleThing or Boohoo at the touch of a button, the incentive to look further afield becomes less attractive. However, with our environmental consciousness constantly developing, there is a definite trend developing towards more sustainable fashion. This is why it’s important to see brands like Urban Outfitters getting on board with the rental trend, albeit still at a fairly high monthly cost.

It’s easy to see this growing business through rose-tinted glasses as a complete force for good, but maybe it’s time to completely reassess. Although these sites are excellently promoting key principles of sustainability, the idea of a constantly changing wardrobe still encourages the ‘#ootd’ craze that can make others feel inferior and arguably places too much emphasis on outward appearance.

However, whilst this argument isn’t to be dismissed, neither is it going to be enough to put a quick end to the fast fashion industry and the damage that it is doing. Therefore, we must look at the work being done as progressive steps towards a more sustainable future and support them in ways that we can. Whether this means browsing the sites for Grad Ball dresses, or trialling HURR to see what you could rent from your wardrobe, it’s a move away from otherwise toxic industries that are slowly killing our planet.