An Aigburth woman has revealed her clever - and sustainable - hack for securing designer dresses for big events for less.
For many fashion lovers, special occasions like weddings and birthday parties aren't just an opportunity to celebrate with their nearest and dearest, but also the chance to shop for a new outfit befitting the magnitude of the event.
With the onslaught of social media and the modern desire to document most of our outfits and publicly share them, many people feel the pressure to only be seen "once" in a certain dress, or suit, or more. That means many expensive looks are worn just one time before being banished to the back of the wardrobe.
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This is not only a costly affair, but it's not ideal for the environment either. According to Earth.org, the fast fashion industry "is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions".
Emilia Bona, a former ECHO journalist, has discovered a savvy, budget-friendly and sustainable approach to bagging a new outfit for every occasion - renting them. Sites and apps including Hurr, By Rotation and even Selfridges offer designer clothing, accessories, shoes and more for rent.
The premise is simple; fashion lovers can hire an outfit of their choice for a certain number of days for a set price. There's the option of paying an additional fee for damage protection, and some sites offer a full refund if the item doesn't quite fit.
Emilia, deputy editor at Reach Wire and clothes renting extraordinaire, likes to wear a "statement dress" for big occasions, but was concerned about the costs of such items - especially when usually only wearing them once.
The 29-year-old turned to Hurr Collective, an online rental platform with access to more than 40,000 pieces on rotation. Speaking to the ECHO, Emilia, who lives in Aigburth, said: "I'm really bad for buying a dress for a wedding, or for a birthday, or Christmas party and only ever wearing it once.
"I like quite a statement dress and the kind of thing where once you've worn it to an event and been pictured in it, then everyone's seen it [so] you feel like you can't wear it again - which is a massive waste of money and terrible for the environment to buy a dress, wear it once and then not wear it again.
"I tried HURR first because I got loads of targeted ads on Instagram for it and it was the first one I was aware of, and a few other people I knew had used it.
"I used By Rotation once because there was a specific dress I wanted to use and they had it on there - it's an app which is handy but I prefer HURR. I like the way it's laid out and the way you can filter based on size and occasion, and I know their policies and returns."
Emilia first took the renting plunge for last year's Grand National, an annual event that's famed on Liverpool's social calendar. The fashion and style choices of the attendees is always hotly anticipated.
Emilia continued: "The first time I rented was for the Grand National - people go to a massive effort and you can't turn up in any old thing but it was one of those where if it arrived late or didn't fit, I would have had nothing to wear."
Emilia advises choosing items that will flatter your body type - and avoiding risks. She said: "I go for things that I know will suit my body type so things that tend to be a fit and flare, or smock type shape. I tend to pick things I know won't be an issue for any body concerns I've got; stuff I know will suit my body.
"Once you've ordered from a brand, you know their style and fit, so if I'm unsure I order from places where they've got a fit I know will suit me. You can rent stuff and if you send it back straight away, you get half your money back and half into your online account to use towards a future rental so that's one way to do it if you're worried about something not fitting.
"It's a bit of a faff and you cover the cost of returns and things, so it's not like ASOS where that's all factored in. If you're going to a shop and trying loads of dresses, you know you're going to get something that fits exactly.
"[When you're renting] you can't alter stuff to fit which is one drawback. If you're worried about stuff not fitting then I'd recommend picking things you know isn't going to highlight bits of your body you're self conscious about."
Emilia has rented for a number of occasions including weddings and parties and, so far, has been quite lucky. She said: "I've had one disaster. I ordered [a green sequin dress] for a Christmas party as I wanted something a bit sparkly and different.
"It was one of those managed by Hurr, they had it in a few different sizes so I looked at all the photos of girls wearing it for different occasions and was trying to compare my body shape to other women who have worn it and ordered it - but it was awful.
"The quality wasn't as good, which is mad because it's one of the more expensive dresses on there and it just looked awful. I looked like a sack of potatoes - a glittery sack of potatoes.
"I think out of six or seven dresses, one bad one isn't the end of the world, but then I had to go out and buy something to wear once. I did a last minute ASOS order for next day delivery and I ended up buying a Sister Jane dress that I could've rented if I'd given myself enough time."
HURR stocks a range of designers and dresses which cost hundreds and even thousands of pounds. Renting prices vary, but it's possible to secure a range of styles to suit all budgets. For example, one dress by cult brand The Vampire's Wife retails for £1,595 but is available to rent for four days for £108.
As the items are of such high value, it brings an element of risk. If an item is damaged beyond repair, a lot of rental sites charge the full retail price, leaving the renter responsible for those costs. Emilia said: "If you're renting, you can not get it dirty - there's a dry cleaning cost factored into the price and I always pay the £5 insurance on top which covers things like a broken zip or a stain the size of the palm of your hand.
"That's why I never rent the £1,000 dresses because if you damage it beyond repair then you're liable for the full cost of it so that's a risk. At the National, I was eating with my food like a metre away from my dress because I was worried about staining it. I've been at weddings where I've had people knock into me and spill Prosecco on me, and I've just been so relieved it's not been wine."
Of her decision to stick with renting, Emilia said: "It was mainly motivated by cost but now I love the idea I'm not just buying outfits I'd wear once and never wear again, or stick them in the back of a cupboard because it's such a waste.
"I love turning up to a wedding in an impressive dress knowing you've not spent hundreds on it. Showing up to a party in a £500 dress that you've spent £40 on, it always feels like a bit of win."
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