Shoppers are more aware than ever of the environmental impact of clothing consumption. With wedding season just around the corner, many guests will be turning to rental platforms in a bid to make a more sustainable choice and save money in the process. However, new research reveals that conscious consumers could be paying up to 113% more for popular wedding guest dresses, depending on where they borrow from.
The study by trusted savings site, VoucherCodes.co.uk, compares the price of renting 10 popular wedding guest dress brands, including fashion favourites Reformation, Rixo, and Ganni, for a duration of four days, across three rental platforms – By Rotation, HURR, and Selfridges Rental.
Of all platforms analysed, Selfridges Rental offers the cheapest prices overall, with the total average cost for all 10 popular wedding guest brands totalling £637.17. HURR is the second cheapest at £795.50 for the same items, and By Rotation is the most expensive, totalling £1,049.34, for all 10 items – two thirds more than the total cost of Selfridges Rental (65%).
Looking at each dress individually, nine out of ten are priced lowest on Selfridges Rental, compared to just one on HURR and none on By Rotation.
“Renting a dress from a popular designer brand for any upcoming weddings you have will not only be kinder to the planet, but can also be kinder to your bank balance – a win-win. When it comes to renting the perfect dress for a wedding, it’s important to shop around, and conduct thorough research into all available rental platforms, to ensure you’re getting the best value. With wedding season fast-approaching, it’s crucial to understand that prices may be higher due to increased demand. If you are renting for the first time, many platforms will offer new customers discounts to help your money go even further. Most platforms also now allow you to set-up budget limits, ensuring that you continue to spend at a comfortable level, when selecting your rental items.”
Anita Naik, Savings Expert at VoucherCodes.co.uk
For fans of popular dress brand, Reformation, choosing a rental platform wisely is important, as rental prices differ the most of any of the brands analysed. Selfridges Rental provides the best value for money, with dresses available to rent at an average of £45.50. At the other end of the scale, By Rotation lists Reformation dresses at £96.85 on average – a huge difference of 113%.
16Arlington dresses have the second largest price difference, with costs varying up to 91% between platforms, and Selfridges Rental offering the cheapest options. Dresses from Stine Goya have the third highest price variance at 80% between its lowest listing on Selfridges Rental, and largest on By Rotation.
Average Fost Of 10 Pre-loved Wedding Rental Items On Three Resale Platforms:
| Categories |
By-Rotation average price |
HURR average price |
Selfridges Rental average Price |
Price difference between highest and lowest cost (£) |
Price increase between highest and lowest cost (%) |
| Reformation dress |
£96.85 |
£78.03 |
£45.40 |
£51.45 |
113% |
| 16Arlington dress |
£184.55 |
£105.61 |
£96.86 |
£87.69 |
91% |
| Stine Goya Dress |
£60.47 |
£51.76 |
£33.64 |
£26.83 |
80% |
| Vampires Wife dress |
£187.98 |
£170.08 |
£113.52 |
£74.46 |
66% |
| Rixo dress |
£73.85 |
£59.08 |
£44.95 |
£28.90 |
65% |
| Ganni dress |
£47.65 |
£41.76 |
£29.55 |
£18.10 |
61% |
| Needle and Thread dress |
£91.03 |
£63.91 |
£57.66 |
£33.37 |
58% |
| Bec and Bridge dress |
£71.50 |
£51.60 |
£46.55 |
£24.95 |
54% |
| Self Portrait dress |
£78.68 |
£61.08 |
£55.20 |
£23.48 |
43% |
| Zimmerman dress |
£156.78 |
£112.59 |
£113.84 |
£44.19 |
39% |
| Total price |
£1,049.34 |
£795.50 |
£637.17 |
£412.17 |
65% |
At the other end of the spectrum, guests looking to wear a Zimmerman dress to an upcoming wedding will find the least difference across all three platforms. The dresses have the smallest, yet still significant, price variance at 39%. By Rotation lists on average the most expensive (£156.78), followed by Selfridges Rental (£113.84), and lastly HURR (£112.59).
