A few years ago, I wanted to give a rental service a try as a fashion blogger to a) see if it helped me shop less and b) try out new styles without commitment. I settled on Nuuly because it is an arm of Free people / Anthropologie and I tend to like their clothes but I don’t always want to keep them forever. This seemed like a nice experiment to see if I liked the rental clothes idea of it all, too. So I signed up for a few months in late 2022 and ended up liking it for a moment then canceled by early spring of 2023. I ended up cancelling because I couldn’t justify it every month as I struggled to find new things ever time and I was also going through some health issues which caused weight gain and not being able to get the right size though renting felt like a waste of money.
But this year I wanted to give it another go for a few reasons: 1) I am wanting to downsize my closet but still be able to create fresh content, so this seems like a solution that I wanted to try out 2) I’m a natural shopper so this seems like a fun way to “shop” and then of course I’ll change my mind without having to actually return items in a store (you mail them back, no human interaction needed lol.) and 3) I’m super curious at this whole idea of a rental program and if it’s actually working as a way to be more sustainable with fashion. And I love to review things so it seems only natural to sign up for this service!
So basically you sign up for an account, they charge you and then you get to pick 6 items a month. They ship it out fairly quickly (I had my stuff within a week even with a snowstorm messing with delivery times) and they include a return label for when you send it back at the end of the month for the next round of rentals. You can add 2 extra items each month, but they’re $20 a pop. I could see this if I was going on vacation and needed some extra, but otherwise I didn’t really feel like extra pieces were worth it this month. My only real complaint is that sometimes some pieces come to you pretty worn out. I try to read reviews and see how many people have reviewed an item and if it’s a lot, then it’ll probably come to you pretty worn looking. It’s not a bad thing, but it did surprise me the first time. I guess I thought it would all be brand new?? LOL — I know, I know.
The service has gone up over the last 2 years I noticed — it was $88 a month back in 2023 and now it is $98 am month (this excludes the taxes that are additional depending on where you live. So all in all each month I am charged $106.) At this point I can’t tell if this is worth the money or not, so I’m going to give it 6 months and see if I really do get my money’s worth of this service. As always, happy to be your internet guinea pig, my friends. So if you take the $98 divided by the 6 items, it’s about $16 per item, if you wear each item one time.
So that’s the low-down on Nuuly. I want to give this a fair shot so I’ve broken down a rating system for each thing I’ve rented and I’ll review them below. I also wanted to break down the rental cost per item, just because it seems fun. I’m going to take the cost from the $98 flat fee, just to keep things consistent. So every item’s cost of $16.33 will be divided by the frequency of wear. Here is my highly subjective rating system! (if you want to sign up, you can use this referral link and get $30 off and I get $10 off my next box. Also it’s not an affiliate link, anyone who has a nuuly account can refer and get credit!)
My Rating System:
⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ = would consider buying full price / will miss it when it’s gone!
⭑⭑⭑⭑ = really liked it, would buy but prefer to buy on sale
⭑⭑⭑ = on the fence, liked it but can’t see myself wearing that often / buy on sale only
⭑⭑ = liked but didn’t wear it at all or found it hard to style
⭑ = didn’t like it / didn’t fit
So let’s get to the 6 items below — the good, the bad, the borrowed:
Agolde Low Slung Baggy Jeans | ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
Times worn over the month: 10
Condition: Brand new with tags
I absolutely loved this pair of Agolde Low Slung Baggy Jeans, would highly recommend and will absolutely miss them when they’re gone! They remind me a lot of of the Madewell Perfect Vintage Wide Leg Jean that I just listed in my resale shop! (Some of my faves — I’m sad to see them go but they no longer fit.) The key difference is the denim itself — Agolde is a higher quality denim, no stretch, just 100% cotton. The Madewell pair has an element of stretch and maybe a slightly wider leg but overall a very similar fit and feel. This is the size 30 because I always size up with Agolde but lo and behold I should have listened to the reviews — they run generously! The 29 would have fit perfectly, so if you like these jeans go down a size. (The Madewell I mentioned are true to size with a relaxed fit.)
Shop: Agolde Low Slung Baggy Jeans | Madewell Perfect Vintage Wide Leg
I loved the fit of this pair of jeans — they are really slimming / flattering in the waist and super comfortable to wear. The only issue I had was finding the right shoes to pair with them. I found sneakers (my Sambas) to be the best shoe to go with them, or a flat. They were a bit short for a boot (you can see it with a boot below.)
And may I just say — this is a great way to give jeans a trial run if you are a part of a rental program. Nuuly has a lot of Agolde, Good American, Frame, Citizens of Humanity and some Madewell! Since Agolde is kinda pricey it’s nice to see if I’d actually wear a pair before buying, not just if they’d fit. Because I tend to stop myself with ‘oh yay they fit!’ and forget the next step of — “but will I wear them?” I found myself being sad if I couldn’t find a pair of shoes that worked with this pair of jeans, or if I couldn’t work them into an outfit over the mouth. Nuuly does give a small discount on some pieces ( e.g. these are 15% off) if you buy from that month’s rental. This pair was brand new, so had they been the right size I most likely would have kept them. I’m definitely considering buying them this spring.
Rental cost per wear: $1.63
Barbour Beatrix Check Showerproof Trench Coat | ⭑⭑⭑
Times worn over the month: 3
Condition: Excellent condition
Okay so this one is kind of my fault — I was desperate and I went with the size 10 when I probably need the 6. This jacket is VERY oversized, I’m assuming even the 8 would have run big on me (my normal size.) I loved this jacket — so classic, a nice heavier weight, very nice quality. I know I would get a lot of wear out of it this spring (especially soccer games!) but the sheer size of it kind of took me out of it. In my typical size, I’d probably give this a 4 star rating, because I definitely would purchase this jacket on sale. It’s a find, to be honest. In fact…now that I’m looking at it at Shopbop I didn’t realized you could cinch the back and that’s adorable. Dang now I kinda want to see what it’s like in my size. Next month’s rental perhaps? But it is a high price point and for that, I give it the three stars — like it but would only buy it on sale.
Shop: Barbour Beatrix Check Showerproof Trench Coat
Rental cost per wear: $5.43
Dolan Suede Blazer | ⭑⭑⭑⭑
Times worn over the month: 4
Condition: Good, slightly wrinkled and a bit worn on the edges
Oh man, oh man — this blazer is one that I am on the fence about. It is SO cute and if I keep this exact one, it’s 15% off retail. But it is pretty worn looking in person. I can’t tell if it’s just the faux suede and that’s just the way it wears or if it’s actually been through a few nuuly cycles. I think I would buy this one full price, it fits well and is very versatile, too. I am in the medium, fit is spot on. I suppose if you want it more oversized you could size up but I like that it still fits a bit tailored. It also looks like the real suede one over at Madewell that I love but probably will never buy. (If you’re a real suede girly, it’s here.) I do think that this is primarily a fall / winter look but overall it seems to be a pretty classic closet piece.
(ps: here are the jeans as shown with booties! This is a kitten heel, so it’s about as high as I could go without it looking real weird.)
Shop: Dolan Faux Suede Boyfriend Blazer
Rental cost per wear: $4.08
Maeve Blouson Sleeve Cardigan | ⭑⭑⭑⭑
Times worn over month: 3
Condition: New with tags
This cardigan is giving me some serious 2016 Anthro vibes with the blouson sleeves and the contrasting stripes and I am here for it. At first I didn’t really like this cardigan because it’s a bit … specific. I feel like that’s a nice way to say you really have to style it. Because the cardigan does have a slightly tapered / tailored waist (not quite peplum) and big blouson sleeves pairing it with wide leg denim is a no go. I looked like I had the body type of American Girl doll. I realized skinny jeans or skinny jean advance (the kick crop!) works really well. In fact the kick crop worked the best because it kind of mimicked the blouson sleeves with the volume but obviously subtle. I also thought this would be cute with skinny jeans and tall boots as well. Will test this theory out this week and let ya know. This outfit was my favorite though! I felt high millennial and proud of it. 😉
This cardigan is fitted and is a stretchy thick knit. Really comfortable, actually. I found the medium fit perfectly. You can find it in stock actually at Anthro! (PS: my jeans are favorites from Madewell and are on sale!)
Shop: Maeve Blouson Sleeve Crew-neck Cardigan
Rental cost per wear: $5.44
Farm Rio x Anthropologie Star Print Pants | ⭑⭑
Times worn over the month: 0
Condition: Great, slightly wrinkled
I wore these pants zero times. (I’m considering a ‘wear’ as something outside of the house, so like just putting them on for photos doesn’t count.) One could say that maybe I could have seen this coming but you know I love a wild card. On the positive side, these are really cute pants and the fabric has a gorgeous silky feel. The colors are bright and fun and pair very well with a nice black sweater and actually can be styled pretty easily. However, I just felt like they were circus pants. I wanted to love them but I couldn’t bring myself to leave the house in them. And to me that’s a red flag. I just don’t know if I’m this colorful any more. Obviously some part of me was trying to bring in more color because I ordered them but these just aren’t the pants for me.
On a more negative note, they fit a bit snug and the most snug at the lower waist part. AKA they gave a nice little belly bump and it’s just not the most comfortable fit for me.
Shop: Farm Rio x Anthropologie Star Print Wide Leg Pants
Rental cost per wear: $16.33
Maeve Half-Zip Twofer Mock Neck Pullover | ⭑
Times worn over the month: 0
Condition: Great, slightly wrinkled
You know what? This one I was on the fence about and I tossed it into my monthly rental cart anyway. I wanted to pair it with these printed trousers and I tried and it just didn’t work. First off the medium was WAY too tight. This top definitely runs small in the shoulders / arms so for me a better fit would have been at least the large. Secondly the twofer (with the white poplin sewn in underneath) was just an odd fit. The white was either too long or not long enough with whatever I paired it with and honestly you can tell it’s one piece. It’s not a fave and wouldn’t recommend. Sadly this one didn’t get used but will be sent back unscathed by my monthly wear.
Shop: Maeve Half-Zip Twofer Mock Neck Pullover
Rental cost per wear: $16.33
___________________________________
Final Thoughts on January’s Rental
So overall the winner of this month was the Agolde jeans with a cost per wear of $1.63! I will truly miss these jeans when they go back. The suede blazer is another I feel like I could get some use out of so I’m considering that one as well. Overall this month’s rental was good but since I didn’t wear two of the pieces, I’m -$32.66. I think moving forward I’ll look for more wearable pieces, even if they are bold prints or patterns, but some that I will actually wear out of the house.
I’ll be sending back my box this month, so I’ll see you for another review in February!
