The Psychology of clothes renting
The last few years have seen an increasing number of companies offering clothing and accessories rental services - such as Hurr, By Rotation, and Rent the Runway but their popularity of use has lagged somewhat behind all the buzz. Why might this be? Psychology can help us identify the behaviours and traits which may make someone more likely to rent clothes as well as any potential barriers to uptake.
Who engages in fashion rental?
Fashion rental is expected to grow by 10% each year until 2027. But despite the rosy forecasts and the potential benefits of renting clothes for the environment, helping to tackle issues of overconsumption and reducing waste, clothing rental is still not as popular as other circular fashion behaviours, such as resale and thrifting.
Why might this be?
One way of finding out might be to look at who rents clothes and why, examining the personality profile of the typical clothes renter. Research investigating people who engage in the related behaviour of ‘merchandise borrowing’ (returning worn purchases) may shed some light. For example, an exploratory study found engaging in merchandise borrowing is positively related to openness to renting clothing.
Identifying who is best positioned to use renting services can help to better understand which types of people are more likely to take up these services, and if they aren't, how we may encourage them to. As well as help discourage people away from merchandise borrowing and towards a more ethical and sustainable way of ‘borrowing clothes’.
If people aren’t renting clothing in the numbers we would expect them to, how can we use psychology to inform our approach in order to prompt this behaviour?
In other words, how can we encourage fashion rental among more people?
Putting the ‘I’ in buy
One trait ripe for illumination into the profile of fashion renters is narcissism*.
Narcissists are defined as self-centred, self-aggrandising, dominant and manipulative. A central feature is that narcissists focus on the self, engaging in behaviours that enhance and maintain their sense of self-worth.
Research into consumers' fashion choices has shown that individuals are motivated to choose clothes for several different purposes, most notably for individuality – to be distinct and unique, and this may be especially true for narcissists.
Those scoring highly in narcissism may also be well positioned to engage in clothes renting due to the desire to be seen in the latest fashionable clothing. By borrowing the latest trends they can satisfy this urge, as it allows them to display novel and high-status items continuously with a smaller financial cost than buying new.
Action for marketers: To encourage clothes renting, fashion borrowing and rental services could target narcissistic individuals in promotional campaigns, highlighting the opportunities to be unique and stay on-trend, or appeal to the narcissistic tendencies within us all.
*Note: all humans are narcissistic to a degree and this is different from a clinically diagnosed condition of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. I am discussing research on narcissism that has been conducted in relation to non-clinical samples.
The influence of personality on rental behaviour
Studies investigating merchandise borrowing suggest that other personality factors also affect clothing rental.
Merchandise borrowing is positively related to greater interest in fashion, awareness and avoidance of outfit repetition. Borrowers display a greater need for feedback and social approval regarding their appearance.
Other research suggests compulsive buyers are more likely to engage in borrowing, returning goods for no apparent quality reason. It might be that compulsive buyers are more satisfied with temporary product possession, as it gives them time to obtain an acknowledgement from others, in comparison to actual product ownership.
Further, there is evidence to suggest that borrowers score highly in thrill-seeking, expressing excitement after successfully returning borrowed merchandise and tend to have high thrill-seeking needs. Although, other research has found no relationship between borrowing and thrill-seeking.
In addition, participants who place importance on material goods consider retail borrowing a moral behaviour. However, other studies found no significant relationship between materialism and attitude towards retail borrowing.
Suggesting thrill-seeking and materialism may be less important in motivating individuals to borrow.
Action for marketers: To encourage clothes renting, brands could highlight the social aspects of renting, encouraging consumers to show off their new clothes to friends. The advantages of getting a new outfit whilst being eco-conscious could also be highlighted in campaigns as well as the benefits of temporary ownership, such as more choice and experimentation.
The context of clothes renting
External factors also affect clothing rental, sometimes interplaying with personality characteristics.
Such as, the willingness to engage in the added effort of ordering and returning the items to the renter can be influenced by the consumer’s level of motivation.
Moreover, fashion rental services are often used for luxury, high-value items or occasionwear, which isn't as relevant to the everyday person choosing what to wear in their daily lives. Therefore, we need to consider how the context affects who is likely to engage in renting.
Research examining the sociocultural factors related to merchandise borrowing has shown that past retail borrowing and positive perception of retail borrowing is related to participants’ attitude towards retail borrowing. People who engage in merchandise borrowing are more likely to know other people who do and have a positive perception of this behaviour.
Similarly, cultural influences such as the media may normalize merchandise borrowing, for example through films and television programmes featuring characters engaging in this behaviour.
What can this tell us about renters?
Fashion renters could be more likely to be those who have engaged in some form of clothing borrowing before, have positive attitudes towards the idea of borrowing clothes, and know people who also engage in lending.
Action for marketers: by highlighting known others who engage in renting, as well as fostering positive attitudes and experiences about borrowing and lending clothes, brands may encourage more people to rent.
Merchandise borrowers also report borrowing for socialising purposes. Such as, one study found that 42% of participants cited reasons for borrowing involving social needs (e.g., to attend a wedding/party, to look good for a date, to keep up with friends, for graduation picture taking, etc.).
Meanwhile, 27% indicated economic needs were why they borrowed (e.g., high prices and low income, to save money).
Although, the effect that income level has on borrowing habits is unclear, suggesting something more than purely economic motives may be driving the borrowing of clothing from retailers.
Action for marketers: Therefore, to encourage clothes renting, brands could highlight how rental fulfils customers’ social needs as well as the value for money it affords.
The Psychology of Fashion Renting
So what does a fashion renter look like, ‘psychologically’? The available research might suggest an archetypical clothes renter to be: a young, fashion-conscious woman, who desires social approval, compulsively buys and displays higher levels of narcissism. However, there are also cultural behaviours and contexts that can foster an interest in clothes renting.
More research is needed on clothes renting specifically to assess the degree to which renters actually fit this profile, helping to discover more about who engages in this behaviour, and in what contexts.
Hopefully, this will shed light on what we can do to encourage engagement in fashion rental more widely.
Final thoughts:
Have you ever used a fashion rental service? Why or why not?
What other behaviours or characteristics would make someone likely to rent clothes?
I would love to know your thoughts, write to me in the comments!
Key points - The psychology of clothes renting
Psychology can help to identify the behaviours and traits which may make someone more likely to engage in fashion rental as well as any potential barriers to uptake.
The typical renter may be a young fashion-conscious woman, who desires social approval, compulsively buys and displays higher levels of narcissism.
To encourage clothes renting, fashion borrowing and rental services could target our narcissistic traits in promotional campaigns, highlighting the opportunities to be unique and stay on-trend. They could also showcase the social aspects of renting, such as showing off new clothes to friends, promote the benefits of getting a new outfit whilst being eco-conscious and the advantages of temporary ownership, as well as the value-for-money renting affords.
Further reading
If you would like to understand more about fashion rental, where you can rent from, what the process is like, or you want to know more about the psychology behind borrowing clothing, check out these resources below.
Fashion rental sites
Readings
Wardrobing in A Digital Age: Further Exploration of Merchandise Borrowers' Traits and Behaviors
Luxury fashion consumption in the sharing economy: A study of Indian millennials
Listen
A conversation with Lucy Hall and Jen Sharon about their peer-to-peer fashion rental app, Loanhood, which is championing an inclusive and circular retail experience.
