Life as a University student can mean dressing for many occasions, from football tailgates to sorority formals and from thirty degree mornings to sixty degree afternoons. This fall, many students have increasingly found that subscriptions to Nuuly — an online fashion rental company — are a sustainable way to both expand their closets and find fun pieces for special events and everyday wear.
Nuuly offers a monthly subscription through which users get to choose six items of clothing to wear for that month. Their choices can be shipped anywhere within the United States. While competing fashion rental brands such as Rent the Runway offer rentals of more upscale brands, Nuuly features well-known options like Free People, Altar’d State and Urban Outfitters, which can appeal more to college students.
On Grounds, Nuuly has found its place in Greek life in particular. Around 25 percent of the University’s undergraduate population is involved in Greek life, according to Student Affairs, which often means a multitude of special events requiring formal wear. Catherine Zhou, Pi Phi sorority member and third-year College student, said that she mainly uses her Nuuly subscription for formal events. Additionally, she said that the app has helped her cut down on her clothing consumption while keeping up with trends.
“I started it last semester when I had formals and date functions, and I was realizing that buying a dress or buying an outfit for every single scenario was just so impractical,” Zhou said.
However, the app’s high price point can also be a caveat for college students. At $98 a month, a Nuuly subscription is a fair price for a bundle of six pieces, most of which retail for well over $100, but is still a big commitment for most students. Zhou said that she strategizes her subscription to get the most use out of it given the price.
“I think you can maximize what you get. I think it's kind of like a game of what's worth it,” Zhou said. “You could order pieces that are from Urban Outfitters that might cost like $50 if you just bought it off the rack. But then if it's like, $100 rental service for the month… last time I got like a $500 formal dress.”
With a monthly subscription, it is easy to plan ahead and have outfits for upcoming events while keeping consumption low. Third-year College student Riley Wheelan noted that Nuuly is extremely timely.
“It's really fast,” Wheelan said. “Every time I've gotten it's come within like, two days. So it's really convenient for last minute stuff.”
While Wheelan said that she has mainly used Nuuly for specific events such as formals and vacations, the company also has options for everyday wear. Nuuly’s selections include athleisure, sweaters, denim and jackets. Zhou, who is an out-of-state student from Mississippi, said that getting jackets from Nuuly for colder Virginia winters can be especially useful.
However, the implications of Nuuly usage extend beyond personal affordability and choice. In a world where fast fashion is increasingly pervasive, sustainable clothing choices such as renting and thrifting are becoming more popular with those who are concerned about environmental and ethical issues.
According to Marcy Linton, associate professor of costume technology in the drama department, the fashion industry negatively impacts the environment in a myriad of ways. The average consumer is often unaware of these damages, she said.
“I don't think people realize the amount of waste that goes into the water systems because of dyes and tanning and finishing,” Linton said. “All of those chemicals — they don’t go anywhere.”
She went on to say that Nuuly can be an appealing choice for those interested in sustainability because the cyclical nature of the subscription model makes space for a key part of the fashion industry — trends.
“There’s always going to be trends,” Linton said. “That’s going to be the hardest part. So the thing that works about Nuuly is that people… can change what they’re doing to be trendy.”
Despite carrying fast fashion brands such as Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie, Nuuly has a section of “responsibly made styles,” which are made of at least 50 percent certified materials sources environmentally, as well as upcycled and vintage styles. Nuuly also specifies that 70 percent of their cleaning is done by energy and water efficient washing machines.
Catherine Gregoire, fourth-year College student, mentioned that Nuuly’s sustainability stood out to her and has helped her broaden her fashion sense.
“I really like it because it really elevates my wardrobe, while also being an environmentally viable option for wearing clothes,” Gregoire said. “I feel I'm more likely to venture out of my comfort zone with getting pieces, because I know that I'm not committed to them, and I'm not going to buy them unless I'm obsessed.”
Whether one is looking for formal wear, elevating an everyday wardrobe or bundling up for a Charlottesville winter, a quick browse through Nuuly’s high quality options will yield many rental choices. And though there are fast fashion brands on the app, renting and re-using through Nuuly makes consumption more sustainable. So before filling up a Shein cart, consider trying Nuuly for a trendy — and environmentally friendly — month.
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