Fashion for Rent

Texas entrepreneur launches Airbnb-inspired app for women's closets

Entrepreneur Rachel Sipperly launched Rent My Wardrobe to give women the ability to make money off of clothes they already own.

Photo Courtesy of Rent My Wardrobe

Most women have bought something on a whim, only to wear it once or twice, and then tossed it to the back of the closet or into the donation pile. Imagine renting out said item and reclaiming some, if not all, of the initial cost. Stings a little bit less, doesn't it?

Rent My Wardrobe, the new app from Dallas-based entrepreneur Rachel Sipperly, is designed to do just that. A concept similar to Airbnb — but for closets— Rent My Wardrobe gives women the ability to earn income by renting out items already hanging in their closets.

"Companies like Rent the Runway have normalized special occasion rental," says Sipperly. "But this concept presents a monetization opportunity for the two-sided marketplace."

After signing up, members create an online closet to showcase pieces they'd like to rent out to local women. You set the rental fee, fill out a calendar with the item's availability (because there's nothing worse than realizing the dress you want to wear on tonight's date has been loaned out), and interested parties will contact you to arrange a fitting and exchange.

A standard rental is for three days, and the suggested rental rate is 30 percent of the item's retail value, although owners can set it at whatever price they'd like. Parties can even work out details like dry cleaning requirements, but each rental includes a small "apparel assurance" fee.

And, like any peer-to-peer service these days, you rate and review each other as users.

It's like letting girlfriends shop your closet — if you had way more friends and they gave you cash every time they borrowed something.

A budding entrepreneur, 28-year-old Sipperly launched the service to empower other millennials to think like entrepreneurs, becoming financially savvy "girl bosses" in the process.

She plans get the word out by partnering with organizations around the city and pairing girls from affluent high schools with peers in surrounding communities who may be less fortunate. Women from all over the Dallas-Fort Worth area have signed up; ultimately, she hopes to expand the service nationwide.

"It's popular to say you care about female empowerment," says Sipperly. "However, this is truly the heartbeat of the company and why it was founded."

So far, designer and high-end dresses such as Alice and Oliva, Eliza J, and BCBG are attracting the most attention, the site says.

Rent My Wardrobe is available for free via iTunes.

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FALL FÊTE

Texas luxury boutique collabs with Houston designer for new fashion brand

Photo courtesy of Saint Bernard

Saint Bernard teams up with Houston designer Lyndsey Zorich for Love Note.

River Oaks District boutique Saint Bernard is getting ready for fall with a new collection created with Houston style veteran Lyndsey Zorich. The fashion-forward retailer and the founder and designer of Mason's Daughter teamed up to launch Love Note by Lyndsey Zorich, a new Saint Bernard-owned brand.

Saint Bernard doesn't usually collaborate with local designers on its own brands, making this partnership with Zorich special. She was involved in everything from creative direction and textile development to fabrication and production. Shoppers can expect a feminine collection with a playful take on everyday dressing for women who want to look put together, but not too serious.

Love Note officially launches on Thursday, September 10 at Saint Bernard stores in Houston, Dallas, Southlake, San Antonio, and Austin, as well as online. Customers will have to be patient, because another unique aspect of this collaboration is that the entire collection won’t debut at once. Instead, the brand will roll out in a series of monthly drops, each having its own seasonal point of view.

Saint Bernard x Lyndsey Zorich Love Note by Lyndsey Zorich is available at Saint Bernard stores in Houston, Dallas, Southlake, San Antonio, and Austin, plus online.Photo courtesy of Saint Bernard

The Kick Off is the first drop in September. It is a game day-inspired collection with pieces designed for fall sports and weekend road trips. In October, The Lean In will debut with more feminine silhouettes, followed by Getting Comfortable, which focuses on the perfect layering pieces for Texas’s warm fall weather.

A longtime Saint Bernard shopper herself, Zorich's unique style and Texas perspective gave her a greater understanding of what Texas customers want.

“Getting dressed has always been one of my favorite forms of self-expression, and Love Note allowed me to take that idea from concept all the way through the finished product,” said Zorich. "Saint Bernard felt like the right partner, because I genuinely understand and love their customers. Love Note is meant to bring a little more playfulness to getting dressed, pieces that feel personal, special, and bring joy to everyday life.”

That individual connection is what Saint Bernard wanted in this project. According to Ashleigh Goyer, director of owned brands for Saint Bernard, the store wanted a new way for Saint Bernard to give customers something both recognizable and unexpected.

"She shares her perspective, her lifestyle, and her love of fashion, and she has an incredible ability to make getting dressed feel effortless and personal," said Goyer.

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