Fashion
If You Hate Buying Maternity Clothes, Rent Them From One Of These Cool Sites
Why buy something you'll only wear for a few months?
If spending money on maternity clothes makes you feel like you're tossing cash out the window, you're not alone. Pregnancy is so temporary, it's not like you can get away with convincing yourself that you're making an investment purchase. And yet, there's that little matter of needing clothes to wear. What to do? More and more expecting moms are deciding to rent outfits instead of paying full price for things they're only going to wear for a month or two at most. But where can you rent maternity clothes from?
Back in the old days, women who wanted to rent a maternity dress for a special event, say, probably had very few choices. Maybe formal wear rental places had "Mother-to-Be" sections? Or maybe not. Now, of course, you can rent literally anything on the internet (like, anything), so it only stands to reason that there would be some amazing maternity clothing rental options online. Whether you're looking to build an entire maternity wardrobe or just rent the occasional nice outfit, there are services available at a wide range of commitment and price levels. And naturally, there's way more variety than anything you'd find at a single store (online or off). Even better? There are lots of perks involved, like personal stylists and discounts on purchases.
1Armoire
Armoire has a fun way of giving members access to thousands of high end styles (both maternity and non) for a flat monthly fee: It all starts with a 3 minute style quiz, after which the app's algorithm will choose the perfect pieces for you. Depending on the plan you choose, you can bring home as few as 4 pieces per month ($49 trial month; $79 every month after), 7 pieces per month ($59 trial month, $119 every month after that), or an unlimited amount ($99 in the first two months; $249 every month after). This super-soft t-shirt dress from n:philanthropy is ideal for those weeks before your bump gets really big (perfect for postpartum, too).
2Mine For Nine
Offering a wide variety of styles and plenty of flexibility, Mine for Nine gives you the option of borrowing or buying pieces: This black Dacja maternity dress, for example, can be borrowed for $20 per month or bought for $110. More than one item can be borrowed at a time, and most clothing can be kept longer than one month for an additional charge (with the exception of evening gowns, which can only be rented for 14 days). Orders over $75 qualify for free shipping, and Mine for Nine handles all the dry cleaning.
3Rent The Runway
Expecting fashionistas everywhere rejoiced when Rent the Runway announced the launch of Rent the Runway Maternity. Like the regular RTR, the maternity version offers an enormous array of choices from designers including Ingrid & Isabel, Rosie Pope, Vince, Isabella Oliver, Citizens of Humanity, and more; the above blouse is from See by Chloe. Access maternity styles on rotation with a variety of plans: rent one shipment of 4 pieces per month ($69 the first month, $89 each month after that); 8 pieces in two shipments per month ($88 for the first two months, $135 after that); or 16 pieces in 4 shipments ($149 for the first two months, $199 per month after that). Cost of shipping is included in the monthly fee and items ship in two days; RTR handles the dry cleaning. Membership comes with complimentary access to personal maternity stylists as well as a discount on purchases.
4Le Tote
Another rental service that offers the curated box (or "tote") experience, Le Tote offers three levels of Maternity subscriptions, with or without accessories. Without accessories, the options are five clothing items and two accessories for $79 per month; eight clothing items for $99 per month; or ten clothing items for $119 per month. With accessories, the options are five clothing items and two accessories for $89 per month; eight clothing items for $109 per month; or ten clothing items for $129 per month. Totes are styled based on your input, but you can change the items before the tote ships. Plus, you can get as many totes as you want per month (but only one tote at a time). No purchase required, but members get 50 percent off the retail price of any items they decide they want to keep.
5La Belle Bump
More personalized clothing boxes can be found at La Belle Bump. Fill out a style questionnaire and they'll send you a curated box of three items (for $69) or five items (for $99). Keep them for as long as you want, or exchange anytime. There's also a "special occasion" option which allows you to rent a single item for seven days; prices vary.
6Nuuly
If you're looking for maternity clothes that don't really look like maternity clothes, then Nuuly could be the perfect fit: With a category dedicated to "maternity and maternity-friendly" styles (like the "Can't Help It Mini" from Free People shown above, which retails for $138), Nuuly offers a wide range of pieces from brands you know and love (Anthropologie, Citizens of Humanity, Urban Outfitters, etc.), plus newer labels you might not be as familiar with and vintage pieces, too. You can choose any six items you'd like, every month, for $88. Free 2-day shipping and returns are included, as are laundry and dry cleaning, and you can pause or cancel at any time.
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