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Elizabeth happened to mention recently that she’s tried a few clothing rental companies for office clothes, and offered to round up her experiences. Wondering if Nuuly or Rent the Runway is better for office clothes? Read on… and we’d love to hear your thoughts also! – Kat.
I’ve been in a bit of a clothing slump recently. I’m out of the phase of life where every weekend is consumed by showers, bachelorette parties, weddings, and the like, but that means my weekdays tend to follow the same outfit formula (blazer + blouse + pants) and my weekends are spent in comfy T-shirt dresses and athleisure.
A few months ago, I had several events right in a row — a baby shower, two milestone birthday parties, and a long-awaited girls’ trip — and I decided to liven things up a bit.
I’d been getting tons of targeted ads for Nuuly, a clothing rental service that promises you can pick 6 on-trend pieces to keep for a month, for less than $100. I found a coupon code online that brought it down to about $80 for the first month and decided to go for it.
(If you want $30 off your first month’s subscription, here’s Elizabeth’s referral code.)
I’ve used other clothing rental services in the past. I had a Rent the Runway Unlimited subscription that I canceled in March 2020 and never restarted. I also tried Gywnnie Bee back in 2015 and canceled after one disappointing delivery.
Beyond the rental services, I also tried Stitch Fix several years ago when I was trying to build up a new work wardrobe for a new job. The idea is that you describe your style and what kinds of clothes you need and a “stylist” sends you a box full of items, and you can pick which ones you’d like to purchase.
{related: where to rent maternity workwear}
Overall, while I liked some of the pieces from Stitch Fix, I found that the prices were too high for the quality. And some of the stylists were deeply confused about what constituted “professional” attire. (I love a sequin, but probably not for a deposition!)
I went with Nuuly this time because the price was reasonable and it seemed to have more options available in my size. (For reference, I’m a cusp size, sometimes a misses size 16–18, sometimes a plus size 14–18, all in constant flux depending on the phase of the moon or the whims of the clothing manufacturer.)
Nuuly vs. Rent the Runway: Which is Better for Renting Office Clothes?
Here are my thoughts on Nuuly and Rent the Runway:
How the Services Work
Nuuly only has one subscription option. You select 6 styles for a month at a flat fee of $98 + tax. You keep those 6 styles all month and send them back at the end. Once UPS scans your return, you can pick your items for the next month.
This is slightly different from RTR, which has a few subscriptions available at different price points. All of them allow you to keep 5 items at a time, but you can pay extra for the option to receive more than one shipment per month. So for example, for $144/month, you get 5 items at a time, but you can return them partway through the month and get a second shipment. For $235/month, you can have up to 4 shipments.
The Selection
The biggest difference that I noticed right away is that while the RTR Unlimited subscription includes accessories and handbags, Nuuly only includes clothing. I would also note that while there is some brand crossover between the two companies, RTR tends to have more high-end designers. Nuuly is an URBN brand, which is the umbrella that includes Anthropologie, Free People, and Urban Outfitters, so if your style skews in that direction, Nuuly might be a great option.
When I used RTR, I worked in a much more formal office, so I loved using it for designer dresses and blazers for work. I also got some fantastic outerwear pieces that brightened up a very dreary winter, and a few formal dresses I wore to weddings. Over the last few months, I’ve used Nuuly to get a mix of casual and business casual items, including some gorgeous Anthropologie dresses that I wore on vacation and a cashmere hoodie that I regret sending back.
Both RTR and Nuuly offer you the option to purchase items at a discount if you completely fall in love with them. I’m currently wearing a pair of pants that I just couldn’t bear to send back to Nuuly in April.
{related: the most affordable office clothes for women in 2024: our list}
Overall Experience
I don’t think it’s fair for me to give a full review of RTR because it’s been a few years since I used it, but overall I was pretty happy with the experience. I skipped it this time because of the price. The lowest-price option was $94/month and only gives you access to their “limited” closet. If I were working in a more formal office or had a lot of formal events in my life, I might make room in my budget to try it again.
The Nuuly experience has been overwhelmingly positive for me so far. I’ve tried out some new silhouettes that I would have been hesitant to buy for myself and got some great pieces for one-time events. The majority of the items that I’ve received have been in new or like-new condition, many with tags still on. A few had slight signs of wear, but nothing particularly noticeable.
I did have one issue where an item I selected wasn’t available to ship at the last minute and a different item was substituted. When I emailed to ask about it, the customer service rep apologized and gave me the option to select an extra item the next month for free.
{related: what’s YOUR annual clothes budget?}
I referred a friend to Nuuly last month, and she said that she loved the clothes but they were more noticeably worn than what I received. Her theory was that she had carefully selected items that had a ton of great reviews, but then realized that tons of reviews probably meant tons of wear.
She also noted that the way that Nuuly ships the items (neatly rolled up into a reusable bag) results in more wrinkles than with what she’s received from RTR in the past. Regardless, she was happy with the experience and said she’d do it again.
Overall, I think both options are fantastic if you’re looking to add some new pieces to your wardrobe for one-time events or just get some fun basics to try out for a while.
Readers, do tell: Which do you think are the best clothing rental companies for office clothes, special-occasion outfits, and more? Which companies have you had negative experiences with, and which ones have you found to give you the best value?
(If you want $30 off your first month’s subscription, here’s Elizabeth’s referral code for Nuuly. )
(Want $30 off your first Rent the Runway order? Here’s Kat’s referral code.)
Stock photo via Pexels / Mikhail Nilov.