This R29 Fashion Editor Rented Her Entire Holiday Wardrobe

Holidays are the perfect escape from reality. Not in an unhealthy, running-away-from-our-problems kind of way but rather a welcome break from our everyday routines. As such, many of us naturally feel the pull to buy new outfits for said holidays – whether that’s a swimsuit for a poolside vacay from one of Instagram’s most hyped brands or a bright red, flamenco-style dress for a European getaway.

Of course, this is nothing new. In 2019, Brits spent over £2 billion on summer holiday outfits they wore only once…and that was before the post-pandemic holiday surge. According to Vestiaire Collective, we’re buying more than ever before, despite widespread awareness of the climate crisis. The company's most recent report found that clothing consumption is expected to increase by 63% by 2030; meanwhile, we’re wearing 40% less of our wardrobes than we were 10 years ago. Needless to say, purchasing a week’s worth of brand-new holiday outfits (however suitable for the climate of your destination and your Instagram feed) may not be the most responsible choice.

That’s why I knew I didn’t want to overhaul my entire wardrobe in preparation for a weeklong trip to Portugal this month. With rental fashion becoming more and more accessible, I decided to rent my entire holiday wardrobe from various rental platforms instead of buying anything new. While rental fashion often feels reserved for wedding guest outfits or formal events, you can actually rent all kinds of clothes and accessories.

From gorgeous silk dresses for nights out in Lisbon to beach accessories for days sprawled out in the Algarve, my rental 'fits – which all fitted into my carry-on suitcase – not only made me feel beautiful on holiday but removed any trace of eco-guilt upon my return. I will say one thing, though: renting your entire wardrobe doesn't come cheap. In fact it's probably out of reach for most of us. But if you're after a statement dress for a special dinner or a centrepiece item to build your wardrobe around, it's definitely worth considering. Here’s my review of the five rental services I used for my trip.

One of the more well-known rental platforms in the UK, By Rotation primarily offers peer-to-peer rentals. I ended up choosing three outfits – a yellow and orange skirt-and-top co-ord from With Jean, a shirt dress/swim cover-up from Bamba Swim and a cutout midi dress from Baobab – for a period of 10 days.

Platform: You can browse items from the desktop site but you can only rent from the app so bear that in mind while browsing as my search didn't feel totally streamlined. Filters made my shopping experience a million times easier though, as I filtered by size (UK 10-12), which narrowed my options down by a lot. You can also filter by brand, colour and shop their curated collections, which includes a holiday edit.

Sizing: Two out of three of the outfits I chose actually fit me. Upon arrival of my items a day before my flight, I discovered the Baobab dress – which was only available in a UK 10 – was too small for me. The one issue with renting is that you can't try your outfits on beforehand so there can sometimes be disappointment in sizing and fit. I would recommend researching the sizing of each brand before you rent because, as we all know, sizing can really vary by brand and style.

Quality: I love By Rotation's huge brand selection and all three dresses arrived in great condition. I only had one problem with loose buttons on my Bamba Swim dress: by the end of the trip, four of the buttons had fallen off (fortunately I was able to save them and send them back with my return). The With Jean co-ord needed a good iron after taking it out of my suitcase but the Bamba Swim dress was easy to throw on and off – I even wore it as an overshirt on my flight to Lisbon.

Pricing: £206.30 for three outfits for 10 days including postage, cleaning and service fees. With Jean co-ord: £65.89 for 10 days, with a £27.14 weekly discount. RRP: £150. Bamba Swim dress: £57.24 for 10 days, with a £24.29 weekly discount. RRP: £160. Baobab dress: £83.17 total for 10 days, with a £42.86 weekly discount. RRP: £260.

Delivery and return: Postage fee includes delivery only. You must pay to return your items, tracked.

Overall rating: 8/10

HURR is another well-known platform in the UK rental market. It's also the only platform I trialled with a permanent physical space, located in Selfridges in London (By Rotation and Rites also currently have pop-up locations). I rented three items from HURR – a slip dress from Dion Lee, a cutout dress from Bec & Bridge and a satin mini dress from Sau Lee – for a period of 10 days.

Platform: I visited HURR's Selfridges space to try on items, however I did browse their site and request specific items from their team before arrival. HURR provides a mix of peer-to-peer rentals and managed items and for this piece I shopped from their managed collection – you just need to click the 'managed' filter.

Sizing: Out of the seven items I tried on in store (a mix of size 10 and 12), only two dresses fit me properly: the Dion Lee slip and the Bec & Bridge dress, both in size 12. I opted for the Sau Lee dress in a 10 although it was a bit on the tight side around my chest – I ended up unzipping it after a delicious seafood dinner in Lisbon! As such, I was really grateful for the try-on option here.

Quality: The Bec & Bridge dress was already pilling a lot when I tried it on but it wasn't incredibly noticeable. Both the Sau Lee and Dion Lee dresses were in stunning condition – I was actually the first customer to rent the latter.

Pricing: £280.64 for three dresses for 10 days. Dion Lee dress: £146.25 for 10 days. RRP: £682. Bec & Bridge dress: £59.75 for 10 days. RRP: £250. Sau Lee dress: £74.64 for 10 days. RRP: £331.

Delivery and return: Postage fee includes delivery only. You must pay to return your items, tracked.

Overall rating: 8/10

DCEY hails from Turkey and launched in the UK earlier this year. The platform offers rentals from luxury brands including Cult Gaia, Staud and Rejina Pyo as well as its in-house label, DCEY. You can rent casual outfits, occasion wear and a wide selection of statement bags and jewellery. I rented four accessories – a beaded clutch from Tiana Bags, an oversized beach bag from Poppy Lissiman, a hat from Celia B and a pair of palm tree earrings from Mercedes Salazar – all for a period of 10 days.

Platform: I particularly loved the selection of accessories that DCEY offers, from many brands I hadn't heard of, too. When it comes to bags, renting can be really fun as it allows you to wear a statement piece that you wouldn't necessarily buy, or to try one out before investing. I also liked that there was an option to rent for 16 days, which is perfect for longer trips or just to have an item for a longer period of time. My only issue was that a couple of days before I was due to receive my items, I got an email saying that the earrings I ordered couldn't be delivered. The brand did offer to send an alternative, a complimentary rental or a full refund.

Sizing: Not applicable as I didn't order clothing.

Quality: Everything arrived in perfect condition – even the clutch bag, despite its intricate beading. I used both bags almost every day, including the Poppy Lissiman tote as my personal item on the plane and my everyday beach bag. These were the hardest to keep clean and I took extra precautions by putting all liquids in their own bags inside the bags, and trying to place the bags on chairs, tables or blankets rather than the ground.

Pricing: £137 for four accessories for 10 days. Tiana Bags clutch: £50 for 10 days, including £5 damage cover. RRP: £150. Poppy Lissiman bag: £28 for 10 days, including £3 damage cover. RRP: £108. Celia B hat: £31 for 10 days, including £3 damage cover. RRP: £115. Mercedes Salazar earrings: £28 for 10 days, including £3 damage cover. RRP: £166.

Delivery and return: Postage fee includes delivery and return. Returns slip and parcel bag comes enclosed.

Overall rating: 9/10

Rites is a luxury rental and resale platform and offers a smaller range of items. They stock dresses, accessories, tops and bottoms from brands including Rixo, Reformation, Prada and Ganni, and rental prices start as low as £17. I rented a cutout mini dress from Aje and a top-and-skirt co-ord from Self-Portrait for a period of 10 days.

Platform: Shoppable solely from their website, I liked how simple and aesthetically pleasing the platform is. From curated edits and a variety of filters to detailed product descriptions, the shopping experience feels closer to that of a traditional e-commerce platform rather than a rental site.

Sizing: I ordered both items in a size 12 and they fit perfectly.

Quality: Both items arrived in perfect condition, although they were on the thicker side, which is something I overlooked when ordering. Since they took up a lot of space in my suitcase, I decided to only pack the Aje dress for my trip.

Pricing: £189 for two items for 10 days, including £7 delivery fee. Aje dress: £100 for 10 days, including (optional) £5 damage fee. RRP: £450. Self-Portrait co-ord: £82 for 10 days, including (optional) £5 damage fee. RRP: £380.

Delivery and return: Postage fee includes delivery only. You must pay to return your items, tracked.

Overall rating: 10/10

Rotaro is another platform that also offers both rental and resale on site. Available brands include Rat & Boa, Cecilie Bahnsen, Peachy Den and Jacquemus. All deliveries are carbon-neutral, packaging is recyclable and laundry is eco-friendly. I rented a mini dress from Monika the Label and a skirt from Rejina Pyo for a period of 10 days.

Platform: I love the sheer amount of products on this site and there's a wide range of styles and sizes, too. You can get a Tommy Hilfiger activewear set, a statement jacket and a designer gown all in one order. However, I still struggled to find outfits for my holiday that were available and in my size.

Sizing: Unfortunately, both items I chose were ill-fitting – the dress, which I got in a large, was too long, and the skirt, in a UK 12, was too short.

Quality: The dress arrived in excellent quality while the Rejina Pyo skirt had some loose seams along the hemline. I only wore the skirt once on the beach though as it was too short to wear anywhere else.

Pricing: £74 for two items for 12 days, including £8 delivery fee. Monika the Label dress: £19 for 12 days. RRP: £150. Rejina Pyo skirt: £47 for 12 days. RRP: £295.

Delivery and return: Postage fee includes delivery and return. Returns slip and parcel bag comes enclosed.

Overall rating: 7/10