Whether or not you’ve ever tried renting an outfit yourself, chances are you know someone who has. But while the rental fashion revolution is undoubtedly booming, many of us have only experienced this world as a rent-ee, not a renter. Of course, for there to be items to rent there must be lenders to loan, which is where a relatively untapped market for making serious money is beginning to gain momentum.
As we find ourselves looking for ways to tap into Second Hand September, now is the perfect time to look at your wardrobe as a business opportunity.
Have you got dresses you’ve worn once to a wedding and will likely only wear once or twice more (if ever)? Do you have some beautiful designer bags that you once loved but don’t get enough wear out of any more? Have you got a universally flattering coat that you know suits everyone?
Rather than let your wardrobe gather dust (and, let’s face it, clog up your wardrobe and obstruct your view to the parts of your wardrobe you do want to wear), why not see if they could unlock a small fortune?
We caught up with Jess Templeton, of JessWithDresses, who began renting out her clothes on By Rotation a year ago in a bid to make as much money as possible after a cancer diagnosis put her future family in question.
“I was diagnosed with stage III cervical cancer in March 2020 at 32, on the same day WHO declared the Covid pandemic” Jess tells GLAMOUR UK.
“The diagnosis came after a delayed routine smear; I was told I couldn’t have it until 12 weeks after recovery from a miscarriage I’d had in 2019, and then the delay continued whilst they did other tests and scans because they thought my symptoms were caused by a hormone imbalance brought on by the miscarriage.”
“I knew something wasn’t right with my body and I continued to push, but it wasn’t until I decided to go to see a hormone specialist privately that they got to the root cause of my health issues. I was diagnosed the day after my smear when I had a colposcopy and the doctor saw the tumour.”
Embarking on an intense treatment programme, Jess was quickly facing a course of chemoradiotherapy and brachytherapy.
“The main treatment was the radiotherapy which I had 5 days a week for 5 weeks in a row, and the chemotherapy helped boost its effectiveness.”
“Brachytherapy is an internally delivered radiation at a higher dose and required general anaesthetic to insert. It was the most physically traumatic experience I went through, and I am still searching for solutions to help with my resulting PTSD.”
Another devastating side effect of Jess’s cervical cancer treatment, of course, was its impact on her fertility, but thanks to one family member in particular she now has hope for the future.