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Let’s be real: Between our exorbitant property prices and general lack of space, staying abreast of the latest fashion trends in Hong Kong can get expensive—and impractical—fast. However, that’s not to say you have to spend the rest of your life repeating outfits (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Give your trusty special occasion outfit—you know the one—a rest without making a forever commitment with these Hong Kong-based fashion rental services.
Starting off strong with one of the longest-running rental fashion services in Hong Kong, Wardrobista is an O2O (online-to-offline) business that evolved from a simple online rental store seven years ago to now having an offline shop in Causeway Bay for both rental and pre-loved items. For just a fraction of the price, you can rent designer dresses, accessories, and even wedding dresses!
You can rent items for up to a week, but you’re more than welcome to contact the Wardrobista team if you want to rent for longer. With an emphasis on customer convenience, customers can either get free delivery or book a fitting session, where you can try on up to four outfits, and the $150 fitting fee will be used as rental credits if you end up renting the item. If you want to give back to the community, you can also rent or sell your own clothing through Wardrobista!
Wardrobista, 4B Vienna Mansion, 55 Paterson Street, Causeway Bay | (+852) 6611 8715
If you want a more long-term alternative, Style Theory is your best bet. Starting from $599 per month, customers can rent two boxes monthly, each box containing three items that you can freely choose from its catalogue of 4,000-plus styles. If you don’t manage to use all of the items in your box, you can also roll over your boxes for up to six months.
Are you in need of a rented bag to go with your rented clothes? For $999 per month, you can rent one bag a month from its selection of 1,600-plus designer bags, and enjoy complimentary repair coverage of up to $2,000 on every rental. Same as Style Theory’s designer clothing, you can roll over unused bags for up to six months, all of which are authenticated by in-house experts.
Don’t want to be limited to one-time purchases or monthly subscriptions? Look no further than Style Carousel, which offers both options. Its collection consists of both emerging and iconic brands, ranging from Chanel to Zimmerman, all of which are available for either one-off renting or to be included in a rental package. Unlike most services on this list, the rental period, even for one-off renting, ranges from one to two weeks.
The try-before-you-rent service is similarly lenient, with the clothing hand-delivered to your door to be collected 24 hours later! The try-on fee is simply 10 percent of the rental price, and can be redeemed on other purchases. Aside from the rental package, you can also sign up for StylePass, which includes perks such as discounted rental prices and free returns.
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Another longtime establishment in the rental fashion industry, Prêt-à-Dress was created in early 2019 and aims to solve all of your outfit problems. As its name suggests, Prêt-à-Dress curates a catalogue of ready-to-rent dresses, all of which you can browse online (prices included!) before booking a fitting session at the Central showroom. You can try up to six dresses in one session, and the fitting fee will be refunded once you rent the dress of your choice, which is more favourable for one-time purchases than a credit system. If you see yourself renting more than once, then you can join the VIP membership and receive a discount on all rentals, as well as store credit that never expires.
Prêt-à-Dress, Room 1605, 16/F, Car Po Commercial Building, 18–20 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central | (+852) 2217 8330
Would you like to wear a qipao without breaking the bank? Or maybe you need outfits to wear to a traditional Chinese wedding. No matter the reason, Hong Kong Qipao Photography Experience is the place to go when you need some traditional Chinese garb for one-off occasions.
Despite its name, Hong Kong Qipao Photography Experience is happy to rent out its collection of women’s qipao, men’s cheongsam, and children’s cheongsam for a day. All that is asked of clients is for the clothing to be returned before 6 pm, with an additional $100 charge for any late returns. In return, you will receive accessories, a bag, and hair design all matching the qipao you selected, all included in the $420 package—and children’s packages are only $280 per day!
Of course, you are more than welcome to use the photography service that comes with the one-day rental package, where you can have your pictures taken in indoor sets or around outdoor landmarks.
Hong Kong Qipao Photography Experience, Flat 402, 4/F, Kam On Building, 176A–F Queen’s Road Central, Central | (852) 2530 0181
In the overwhelmingly women-oriented fashion rental market, Mode Tuxedo is one of the rare establishments with a focus on menswear. Much like female clothing rentals, Mode Tuxedo allows you to rent tuxedos for a fraction of their original price, with rental packages starting from $2,980. This package includes a fitting appointment, a three-day, two-night rental period, and free suit maintenance. The fitting appointment is compulsory, as you can’t simply choose your desired suit and put it in your cart. First, you must book an appointment and visit the physical store in Central.
Mode Tuxedo, 6/F, W Place, 52 Wyndham Street, Central | (+852) 2366 8284
Anybody who is getting married wants a gorgeous dress for the big day, but we’re not all willing to spend an excessive amount of money for a dress we’ll only wear once. Designer Bridal Room stocks more than 45 brands of wedding dresses for customers to either rent or purchase (including innovative versions of cheongsam for those interested).
Aside from the bride, bridesmaids and wedding guests alike can also rent out accessories and evening gowns from the platform. However, there is no pricing available on the website, and those interested need to book an appointment for further details regarding whether the dress is available, its pricing, and so on.
Designer Bridal Room, 2/F, Blissful Building, 243–247 Des Voeux Road Central, Sheung Wan | (+852) 2167 8708
First published on 21 September 2020. Written by Annette Chan. Last updated by Punita Chan.
Covering the hottest new eats, the best places to play, offbeat takes on local culture, and so much more, Localiiz is every Hongkonger’s destination for how to live a well-rounded life in our vibrant city. Why the strange spelling? Well, Localiiz is designed to be your “local eyes”—and for that, you need two i’s.
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