I have a confession to make: my closet is exploding and I feel like I have nothing to wear. Despite looking put together on social media, I’m frequently behind on laundry and tend to hide the evidence in my guest room closet. 😬
There’s only one solution for this mess: a clothing rental subscription. Owning less means I won’t have to worry about where to store out of season coats and dresses, and more importantly, I can significantly cut back on laundry.
In the interest of downsizing, I tried two popular options, Armoire and FashionPass. Here’s how they compare:
If You’re Looking For Higher End Brands… Armoire
Let’s be honest: one of the key benefits of renting vs. buying is access to high end brands that I can’t usually justify. No matter how I budget, I just can’t be splurging on $500 dresses every week.
Armoire offers over 75,000 styles from high end brands like Reiss, Equipment, and Rag & Bone, and you can “shop” new drops from those brands via Armoire’s wardrobe guilt-free. FashionPass has more mid-level brands like Endless Rose, Pistola and BlankNYC, which are usually heavily discounted and not really worth renting.
If You Want Multiple Plans to Fit Every Budget… Tie
Both Armoire and FashionPass have different plan levels ranging from $89/month to $249/month. The moderately-priced plans from each cost $119/month. Plans from FashionPass are slightly more similar to each other (you can rent between 3 and 7 items per month depending on which plan you choose), while Armoire has a broader range (choose between 4 and unlimited styles).
I personally love that Armoire has an unlimited option, even though it’s pricier at $249/month, because I can pause or cancel it at any time or downgrade to a less expensive option when I don’t anticipate needing many outfits.
If You’re In Your Mid-30s… Armoire
At 35, my body looks better than ever, but I still don’t want to dress like I’m 21. These days, I’m more interested in looking chic, sophisticated, and put-together versus following every trend and fad that the Kardashians and Hadids are churning out.
In addition to offering higher end brands, Armoire also has more age-appropriate styles for me than FashionPass. Now, I’m not saying that there aren’t fun pieces from Armoire–there are– but their idea of fun fits my current stage of life a lot better.
I’d say Armoire is more of a Farm Rio girl while FashionPass is rocking House of Sunny.
If You’re Looking For A Bump-Friendly Wardrobe… Armoire
I can’t think of anything worse than having to spend thousands of dollars on maternity clothing that will end up in a landfill just a few months later. Wait, no, I can actually think of something worse: having to live in your husband’s sweatpants for 9 months! Thank goodness for clothing subscription services!
With Armoire, you get to look like a functional human being when pregnant, and you don’t have to buy things that you’ll literally wear for two weeks before sizing out of it. They have a wonderful selection of actual maternity clothing, bump-friendly pieces (think empire-waisted or stretchy knit midi dresses), and nursing-friendly styles. I really wish I could have had something like this when I was pregnant!
FashionPass also has a maternity section, but the selection is very limited.
For Me, the Winner Is Obvious… Armoire
As a stylish mom (if I do say so myself) who is looking for higher-end, sophisticated styles, Armoire suits me perfectly.
