My new favorite clothing addiction

This post may include affiliate links. See my full disclosure here.

I’ve been waiting months to share my newest favorite clothing discovery but I wanted to be sure I really loved it before spreading the word.

Have you ever heard of Nuuly? It’s a clothing rental subscription and I am pretty much obsessed with it! I’ll tell you all the reasons why in a second but first let me just say that I never understood the point of clothing rental services for a long time. I mean, if I got invited to dinner at The White House and needed a black tie-worthy gown, then sure, I’d probably rent something fancy. But just on a day-to-day basis? I didn’t get it.

Then I started doing coaching calls online and I wanted some nicer tops to wear, without buying a whole new wardrobe. After all, besides showing up online, most of my everyday wardrobe as a mom and business owner is made up of comfortable, stain resistant shirts and pants. So with this new need for a pretty, work wardrobe in mind, I happened to stumble upon Nuuly.

The details: you’re billed $88 for a monthly subscription and in return, they send you a box of 6 pieces of gently worn clothing items to wear for the month, and then return. I was immediately excited about Nuuly because the clothing items are from nice brands like Free People, Anthropologie, and Urban Outfitters (some of my favorite stores). The price was reasonable and I thought it was definitely worth trying.

Last October I gave it a shot and was immediately a big fan! I’ve gotten a box for the bast 5 months now and plan to continue for the foreseeable future. Here’s how it works, plus all the things I love about it (and a few things I don’t):

*This post is completely unsponsored but if you use my link to sign up, we’ll both get Nuuly cash, in the form of $10 off a box.*

How it works

You download the Nuuly app and start perusing their hundreds of clothing items. You save your favorites to “My Closet” and then choose 6 pieces to be sent to you in your first Nuuly box. Once you choose all six pieces and complete the checkout process, your card is charged and your box is filled and shipped.

You keep the clothes for 30 days and then send it all back using the prepaid shipping label they send with your box. Once UPS scans your box’s label, your next Nuuly is unlocked and you can start picking pieces for the next month.

Pros

• I automatically have something to wear for special occasions. When I pick out my Nuuly, I just take a quick look at the next month’s upcoming special events and I shop specifically for that. I’ve gotten special, over-the-top items for the holidays, a ski trip, vacations out of town and even just for nice date nights.

• The subscription model means that even when I don’t take have a huge clothing budget for the month, I’m still able to wear something nice and new (to me). The pieces I’ve received have been some of the best clothing brands and all have been in great condition.

• No cleaning required! You don’t have to worry about shrinking a sweater or dropping off dry cleaning or anything. In fact, you don’t even have to worry about damages because you’re never charged if something rips or tears while in your care. That takes a lot of pressure off wearing quality clothing.

• If you really love a piece you rent and can’t bear to part with it, you can buy it! Inside the Nuuly app, you can see the retail price that the item is worth, as well as the discounted price that you’ll pay if you choose to buy it. Because the items have been worn before, you always get a great discount, and because you’ve already tried it out, it’s a great way to ensure you only fill your closet with pieces you absolutely love.

• My personal style happens to be really outlandish – bright colors, bold prints and fun details. Because of this, my clothes are very recognizable which means it’s harder to get away with wearing the same dress over and over again. Obviously this is just my personal preference, but I LOVE having something new and unique to wear every month, without buying more and more clothes that my closet will never be able to hold.

• I feel really happy with how much more sustainable filling my closet has become. Nuuly sends out the clothes in really cute, reusable garment bags so there’s almost no waste involved. I’ve never felt so good about online shopping before.

• Free shipping both ways! It doesn’t get any better than that.

• I’m not sure how often they get new pieces in, but it does seem that they have plenty of inventory in general. Is it never-ending? No (see complaint below). But it’s enough that I feel I could get an entire year’s worth of new styles with what they offer right now and not get bored.

• Customer service seems top notch. I’ve never had a problem (except with one piece that had a broken button that was purely decorative), but it seems really easy to take care of. There’s a place where you can report damage and request a new piece if necessary.

• I love trying new trends with my Nuuly. I’ve recently rented a cropped sweater vest, a cape, trendy jean styles and jumpsuits galore. It’s a totally affordable way to be a little more adventurous with your wardrobe with very little risk.

• The reviews are amazing! Almost every new outfit I put in my bag has a handful of really useful reviews that speak to fit, quality and how often the person wore the piece. I also love sharing my feedback after wearing my pieces.

Cons

• The first month I didn’t notice this problem, but around the holidays, it was quite difficult to find a variety of different sizes in the pieces that I had my eye on. I’m assuming that they have a lot more customers sign up for monthly memberships around Christmastime when everyone is going to fancy parties and the like, but I was pretty frustrated for the months of November and December when all my top choices were out of stock.

• You’re limited to the brands that Nuuly offers. If you’re not a fan of the funky pieces that places like Free People and Anthro offer, then this might not be the rental subscription service for you. But even if you don’t generally shop at these places, it might be worth a shot. It seems like they offer a good variety of classics as well as statement pieces.

• Unlike other, more high end rental companies, Nuuly doesn’t offer a personal styling service or unlimited exchanges. You’re pretty much stuck with the pieces you have for the full month unless you choose to get charged sooner for more pieces. As mentioned before, you also can’t get designer clothing brands at Nuuly, but that’s never been my kind of style so it doesn’t bother me.

• There’s no variety in membership plans. Nuuly only has the one tier with very little in the way of customization. You can add up to 2 bonus items for $20 each but I’ve never felt that was necessary. However, as I put more work events on my schedule, I could see myself scheduling a second box in the middle of the month which customer service assured me is a possibility as long as you have a second email address to order with.

Overall, Nuuly has been a fantastic online clothing rental option that I’ve loved receiving every month! If you’re the type of person who loves wearing new things but doesn’t want the hassle of storing and caring for a huge closet full of clothes, or just wants to be a more conscious consumer, you’ve got to try Nuuly.