The best party dresses to rent for the festive season – and why now is the time to book them
Our first party season in two years is fast-approaching, and if we all get our booster jabs in time, it looks set to be one to remember.
Having been deprived of a chance to dress up last year, many of us will want to go all-out - and with rental fashion now an option, there’s no need to play it safe with a versatile little black number.
One of the (many) brilliant things about dress hire is that you can choose a real peacock piece - the kind of statement, one-hit wonder dress that you might not have considered if you were buying it outright, because it doesn’t lend itself to being worn more than once.
Renting also offers the opportunity to wear a designer piece for a fraction of the full retail price, and in many cases, the dry cleaning is taken care of too.
Convinced? You won’t be the only one. The best looks have the potential to be booked well in advance, especially for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in December, when the majority of Christmas events take place. That’s why now is the time to pick your favourites and lock them in for those key dates in your diary.
So which are the best - and most in-demand - dresses to rent this season? Allow me to be your guide…
The sparkling statement piece
De la Vali Clara dress, rent from £53 for four days, available to book in advance on Hurr; Tom Ford beaded mini dress, from £280 for three days, Front Row; Rixo Coco sequin dress, rent from £54 for four days, available to book in advance on Hurr
There’s something so decadent about the weight of sequin, bead or crystal-embellished dresses, which come into their own at this time of year. Make like a disco ball and shimmer from every angle in a festive piece by partywear pros De la Vali and Rixo - or for something really special, go all out in this little gold number by Tom Ford.
The flash-in-the-pan trend
Rejina Pyo dress, to rent from £92 for four days, available to book in advance at Selfridges; Kitri Aurelie leopard wrap dress, to rent from £69 a month for two pieces, Onloan; Rotate Birger Christensen Theresa checked jacquard midi dress, rent from £39 for four days, available to book in advance on Rotaro
Trends: they power the fashion industry and seduce us into buying things we don’t need - but they also have a limited lifespan, making them an unsustainable indulgence. Rejina Pyo’s ‘Bottega green’ dress with mismatching buttons, Kitri’s feather-trimmed wrap dress and Rotate Birger Christensen’s puff-sleeved checkerboard dress will satisfy that appetite for newness without being wasteful.
The A-list must-have
The Vampire's Wife Cate lamé fil maxi dress, rent from £17 a day, available to book in advance on My Wardrobe HQ; Shrimps Cara dress, rent from £17 a day, available to book in advance at By Rotation; Erdem Aleena grosgrain-trimmed dress, rent from £98 for four days, available to book in advance at Hurr
Labels like The Vampire’s Wife, Erdem and Shrimps are regularly worn by celebrities on the red carpet and fashion influencers on Instagram, making them covetable rental pieces. Book these dresses ASAP if you want to wear them in the next six weeks.
Rent the finishing touches too…
Alighieri Poet’s Muse earrings, rent from £34 for four days, available to book in advance on Hurr; Bottega Veneta pouch, rent from £99 a month, available to book in advance at Cocoon; Gucci Marmont loafers, rent from £61 for four days, available to book in advance on Hurr
Fashion rental doesn’t just stop at the dress; you can also borrow jewellery, capes, belts and even shoes (even though many remain squeamish about the idea). For evening bags with swagger, consider a subscription platform like Cocoon, which allows members to rent covetable designs by Chanel, Fendi and Bottega Veneta.
