Is Nuuly Worth It?
My thoughts after a year of using the clothing rental service.
There are some things you just can’t unsee.
Last year I was watching the Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion documentary on Netflix when the severity of the fashion waste problem really hit me—and not in a tabloid-chic Naomi Campbell way.
If you’ve watched the documentary you know the scene.
Those seemingly endless piles of discarded clothing being pulled into the tide from the beaches of Ghana flipped a switch in me.
In that moment I challenged myself to stop buying new clothes. Rent, thrift, borrow or swap, but no more buying and driving the demand for new and more when there are so many clothes circulating out there and the waste problem is this bad.
I knew I would miss the occasional Zara run and ASOS seasonal sale, but I was energized to think differently about fashion, and—when I really thought about it—realized I’ve always been a bit of an underconsumption gal mostly because of circumstances. I grew up with limited means, spent my entire 20s living in shoebox-sized spaces with little to no closets in New York City, and even when I relocated to Tennessee, decided to hang my hat in an 890 square-foot house.
As someone who has lived my entire life in small spaces, I don’t own a lot of stuff and never have. That includes clothes even though I love fashion.
I was vaguely familiar with clothing rental services, but hopped online to do some proper research after watching the documentary. In August of 2024, my first Nuuly box arrived. After a year of subscribing to the URBN-owned rental service, I’ll cut to the chase an answer the question in this headline. Yes, in my opinion Nuuly is 100% worth it. The $98 per month fee allows you to select 6 items to wear each month, you can purchase them at a discount if you want, and you ship them back (no need to launder them!) with a prepaid label to unlock your next 6 items the following month.
I’m not out here trying to say Nuuly is solving the fashion waste problem in one fell swoop—it isn’t. However, its model provides access to trends via rental and reuse as garments cycle through subscribers, making it a smart alternative to single-use fast fashion. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good, right? I also appreciate that Nuuly helps introduce brands known for their sustainable practices, like Rujuta Sheth, to bigger audiences via its platform. Even little things like that are a net positive for the fashion industry.
Nuuly’s model of renting and reusing is what drew me to the service, but I’ve become a loyalist for reasons I didn’t expect. The added value is how much fun I’m having with fashion, and how accessible expensive brands become with a service like Nuuly because there’s no real commitment. You’re just hangin’ out.
5 Reasons I Love Renting With Nuuly
I Rent Things I Would Never Buy
One of my favorite things about Nuuly is the opportunity to wear things I would never buy at retail—like the tulle cupcake dress I wore to my sister-in-law’s bridal shower that had me looking like a winning contestant on Toddlers & Tiaras. Would I have spent nearly $300 on the dress to own? No way. Renting it for one-time wear along with 5 other items in my monthly box? Sold.
I find myself adding statement items to my monthly box regularly because…why not? Silver metallic leather pants. Long sleeve crop tops with tiers of ruffles. Mini dresses with enormous flower appliqués. This shopping method keeps my wardrobe fresh and adventurous every single month without a big monetary commitment. Just wear it, enjoy it, and send it off to another Nuuly user to make their own. There are so many pieces I rent for the fun of one-time wear without the single-use fast-fashion guilt.
I Trust the Ratings & Reviews with my Life Dollar
Believe me when I say the Nuuly members are doing the Lord’s work in those comments. From sizing hacks to extremely honest reviews down to the nipple coverage to photo testimonials, the Ratings & Reviews section is instrumental in the Nuuly experience. It’s like having your own little army of unfiltered fashion editors who are committed to helping you get the right piece in the right size so you don’t dare waste one of your coveted 6 spots. Any time I’ve trusted the comment section against my own judgement, I’ve never been led astray.
I Make Fancy Plans Just so I Can Rent the Formalwear
Formalwear for women can get so ridiculously expensive and don’t even get me started on what it costs to alter a gown—sometimes as much as the dress! Nuuly is chock-full of very pricey gowns, jumpsuits, and dresses, but the flat monthly rental fee makes these typically out-of-reach styles super accessible. At 41, I’m way beyond the wedding guest season of life, but I do attend lots of animal rescue galas these days and love to overdress for the symphony, so I rent my fair share of gowns. Thanks to Nuuly, I’ve adopted a rent-the-outfit-and-the-occasion-will-find-me methodology that I highly recommend. Romanticize your life, right?
I’ve Never Had So Much Fun with Coats
It’s easy to get caught up in Nuuly’s dresses, separates for work and play, and athleisure, but hear, hear…don’t sleep on the outerwear rentals! Good coats are so. dang. expensive, which is why coats are one of my favorite things to rent when the temperatures take a dip. Need a formal winter coat? A durable one for outdoor adventures? A maxi length? A shearling-lined bomber with a hood? You can pretty much find anything you’re looking for, and probably a few you weren’t looking for, but suddenly couldn’t imagine your chilly-weather wardrobe without.
I Get To Try Before I Buy
When I went into the Nuuly process, I challenged myself to not purchase anything, but over the past year I caved 3 times. I couldn’t part with a pair of Citizens of Humanity barrel jeans that were 60% off, We the Free overalls I lived in during the rental period, and I snagged a final sale dress from the Nuuly Thrift Store for $30 that retailed for $100, but ended up arriving new with the tags on it. This is the best part of Nuuly in my opinion. If you fall in love with a rental item after trying it for a month, you can purchase it at a good discount depending on how pre-loved it is.
It feels good to know my Nuuly items have been worn and adored, and after making their debut in the lives and moments of strangers, a very select view can retire in my closet for good. I can say with confidence I purchase way less by renting, mostly because my relationship with clothing has changed.
Renting has shifted my mindset to think of my closet less like a staple of my identity and more like a rotating cast of characters. Here for a good time, not for a long time.
Want to try renting with Nuuly? Thanks to the Refer a Friend program, you can enjoy $30 off your first month’s subscription with my referral link. If you decide to subscribe, I get a $10 discount, too. Click here to get your discount and give it a try.
I feel personally @ed. I've been teetering on this decision for months! Bless you, Mixed Prints.