Pune: Renting outfits for festive Diwali celebrations, family gatherings and even weddings has emerged as a cost-effective option this season. “Designer lehengas cost anywhere upwards of Rs1.5-2 lakh. They are worn only for a day and no one likes to repeat them. I have booked a rental outfit for my upcoming wedding in Dec,” said Humaira Lakdawala from Aundh.“There are 6-7 Diwali parties that I have to attend and a few family gatherings. I am renting out four outfits for these,” said Sakshi Kulkarni, a Kothrud resident.Rental businesses said the trend is appealing to younger customers and Instagram fashionistas! who want to keep up with changing fashion trends while avoiding wardrobe clutter. “With so many festive get-togethers and pictures being shared on social media, nobody really wants to repeat outfits. Renting allows me to wear different looks for different occasions without having to invest in a new wardrobe,” Girija Sachdev from Hadapsar said.“There is more acceptance towards renting out outfits. We manufacture our own rental outfits Demand is up significantly over last year especially for cocktail gowns, wedding guest wear, and moderately heavy lehengas,” said Shreyash Katse, who runs Dress on Rent, at Pimpri Chinchwad.Another designer clothing rental boutique, Rent an Attire at Balewadi, is totally booked out till Feb for their designer pieces. “30% of our outfits are from high-end designers. Many of these are pre-booked two months in advance for bridal wear. Rentals start from Rs12,000 upto Rs40,000,” said Kruttika Kambli, manager at the store.Rental prices vary depending on designer, fabric and intricacy of the outfit, with customers also required to pay a refundable security deposit. Businesses say the model allows customers to access premium designer wear at a fraction of its purchase price. For these expensive outfits, the boutiques charge a hefty security deposit for the three-day rental period. For instance, if a rental outfit costs Rs 13,000, the security deposit will be Rs 15,000.In case of irreparable damage, the money is deducted from the deposit.Swapnali Bangude, store manager of the boutique Rent a Wardrobe at Kothrud said, “This year the rental season has started early. Many weddings fall in Nov, so we have had bookings from Navratri through the wedding season. We customise the outfits based on the size of the individual.” Stores estimate the outfits to be worn 40-50 times, before they get too worn out. They then sell these as pre-loved items in-store, and replenish stock with new pieces.“We do an inventory check every year and then refresh the old stock and replace with new styles. We are seeing good acceptance of rental attire for both the festive and wedding season,” said Mansi Taru, who runs Wear on Rent at Wanowrie.
