$164 per month. That's what Rent the Runway charges for unlimited fashion rentals. And according to six US consumers, that number is a conversation-killer.
I ran a Ditto study to understand consumer reactions to fashion rental services. The pricing feedback was unanimous and brutal.
The Participants
Six US adults aged 28-45, fashion-aware consumers who buy clothing regularly. Mix of professionals, busy parents, and style-conscious individuals. They represent the target demo for rental services: people who want variety without the full retail commitment.
What Stops You From Trying Clothing Rental?
Before we even got to pricing, we asked about general barriers to fashion rental.
First reaction: hard pass. A subscription closet sounds like paying a monthly fee to babysit shipping labels and hope the size fits after somebody else sweated in it. Not my thing. Why I’m out: Subscriptions: I avoid them unless the value is obvious. Clothes aren’t software.Fit and wear: Brownsvill...
Hygiene concerns despite cleaning promises
Return logistics and scheduling hassle
Fit uncertainty with no try-before-commit
Subscription trap fears
Key insight: It's not just about price. The 'hassle factor' of returns and the ick factor of worn clothes are significant barriers.
The $164/Month Price Reaction
When we revealed Rent the Runway's actual pricing, the response was swift.
$164 a month for 5 pieces is a hard no for me. I’m not chasing novelty, and I’m not paying to babysit garment bags between showings. That price feels like a premium to do more logistics, not less. Immediate yes looks like $75-99 for a single month ...
The consensus was clear: $50-80/month feels like the ceiling for clothing rental. At $164, consumers feel they're 'paying for nothing they own.'
Key insight: Fashion rental competes with ownership math. At $164/month, consumers can build a wardrobe instead.
The Value Proposition Problem
Top blockers for me: Subscription trap. I will forget to pause and get billed. Auto-renew is a hard no. Hassle of returns. Trekking to a drop-off in -24°C while our lobby door freezes shut is not happening. Delayed shipping turning into late fees mak...
Key insight: The 'access over ownership' pitch needs to beat ownership math, not just sound aspirational.
What This Means for Fashion Rental Brands
Price ceiling is real: $50-80/month is the comfort zone
Hygiene messaging needs to be front and center, with proof
Return logistics must feel effortless, not like another chore
Consider rent-to-own options for commitment-averse customers
Compare total cost vs. buying outright in your marketing
Fashion rental isn't a pricing problem alone. It's a value perception problem compounded by hygiene concerns and return hassles. At $164/month, consumers do the math and choose ownership.
Want to test your own subscription pricing? Ditto lets you run studies like this in hours, not weeks. Book a demo at askditto.io.
What the Research Revealed
We asked real consumers to share their thoughts. Here's what they told us:
What concerns would stop you from trying a clothing rental service? Is it hygiene, fit, hassle of returns, or something else? What would the service n...
Joseph Beckner, 27, Vocational Training Student, Bloomington, MN, USA:
Top blockers for me: Subscription trap. I will forget to pause and get billed. Auto-renew is a hard no. Hassle of returns. Trekking to a drop-off in -24°C while our lobby door freezes shut is not happening. Delayed shipping turning into late fees makes me twitchy. Fit and gendered cuts. Designer stuff skews binary and weirdly tailored. I don’t want to gamble my money on a torso lottery. Hygiene and scents. Bedbug paranoia is real in apartments, and the heavy dry-clean smell wrecks my sinuses. Gotcha fees. Stain charges for a micro splash, or “excess wear” on a jacket that already came pilled. ...
Brandie Ramirez, 40, Stay-at-Home Parent, Sacramento, CA, USA:
Biggest blockers for me, in order: Subscription creep - another monthly nibble at my budget. I can feel my spreadsheet groaning already. Hassle of returns - labels, tracking numbers, deadlines. I know myself; I would be up at 2 a.m. checking a package scan and stressing about late fees. Fit roulette - I do not have time for guessing games. If it pulls at the shoulders or gapes, the whole week is shot. Damage anxiety - kids, dogs, potlucks. I would spend the night guarding a sleeve instead of relaxing. Hidden fine print - cleaning fees, restocking, insurance that is not really insurance. If the...
Nesanel Hernandez, 31, Electrical Engineer, Brownsville city, TX, USA:
Top blockers for me: Fit risk - I don’t trust vanity sizes. One brand’s M wears like a tent, another like a sausage casing. Hygiene and chemical smell - dry-clean funk hits my allergies. Brownsville heat turns delicate fabric into a swamp fast. Border logistics - shipping to the frontera lags. I’m not planning outfits around a mail truck. Subscription trap - monthly fee meter running while I’m busy at the yard. Hard pass on breakage fees and fine print. Time sink - packing, labeling, drop-offs. I’m not babysitting a return window. Liability - who eats it if a button snaps or a zipper fails af...
Scott Cabrera, 33, Sales Manager, Mesa, AZ, USA:
Top blockers for me are fit and friction. Hygiene matters, but I’m more allergic to time sinks and gotcha fees. If it eats my afternoon between showings in Mesa heat, I’m out. Fit - I tailor my staples. If the rise, sleeve, or taper is off, I won’t wear it. Hassle of returns - Boxes, labels, timing windows. I don’t want to babysit garment bags in the car. Recurring fee - Subscriptions creep. If a slow month hits, I resent paying for a closet I didn’t use. Inventory reality - I hate picking items that are “waitlisted” or only available in weird colors. Cleaning and smell - I need crisp, no ...
Rent the Runway costs $164 per month for unlimited swaps of 5 items at a time. Does that price feel worth it for access to designer clothes, or does i...
Scott Cabrera, 33, Sales Manager, Mesa, AZ, USA:
$164 a month for 5 pieces is a hard no for me. I’m not chasing novelty, and I’m not paying to babysit garment bags between showings. That price feels like a premium to do more logistics, not less. Immediate yes looks like $75-99 for a single month - truly month-to-month, no hidden fees - and it needs to be basics-focused, heat-friendly, with fast doorstep pickup and swaps in 2 days. If it’s a special-event month, I’m closer to $60-80 for a clean tux or capsule, wear it, return it, done. If you’ve got a trial month under $100 with easy pickup, send the link....
Brandie Ramirez, 40, Stay-at-Home Parent, Sacramento, CA, USA:
Short answer: it feels too expensive for my life. $164/mo is a lot to babysit 5 fancy pieces I’ll barely wear between school runs, dog hair, and sanding something in the garage. Why it doesn’t pencil out for me: I live in jeans, black tees, church wrap dress, repeat. Designer rotation would sit in the closet most weeks. Subscriptions feel like homework - tracking returns, stains, timing swaps. I don’t want one more thing to manage. Kid spills, dog paws, salsa… I’d be anxious about damage fees the whole time. In my spreadsheet, $164 is Costco proteins + a chunk to the mortgage. That wins. ...
Nesanel Hernandez, 31, Electrical Engineer, Brownsville city, TX, USA:
Too expensive for me. $164 to babysit returns and pray the fit lands after dry-clean chemicals and Brownsville humidity? No value in my world. I wear FR gear all week and a guayabera or a basic blazer to church. I would rather buy, tailor once, and be done. Price to make me say yes immediately: Monthly subscription: No price. The model does not fit my use case. One-off event: I’d consider $30-40 for a single item, guaranteed 2-day delivery to the Valley, cleaning included, no surprise fees.
Princess Krebs, 34, Logistics Coordinator, Rural, MN, USA:
Hard pass for me at $164. I do not need designer rotation to sit at a TMS and haul crockpots to church. That is nearly two grand a year, and I could buy a full, durable wardrobe that actually fits my winters. Out here, shipping and returns are a hassle, and storms blow delivery windows to bits. Sure, a package showed up early last week, but I would not trust that timing in February when the plows are behind. What would make me say yes immediately: $50 to $60 per month for 2 items at a time, free shipping both ways, pause anytime.Or a $40 to $60 one-weekend rental when I have a wedding or banq...
Rent the Runway lets you rent designer clothes for a monthly subscription instead of buying them. You pick 5 items, wear them, then swap for new piece...
Nesanel Hernandez, 31, Electrical Engineer, Brownsville city, TX, USA:
First reaction: hard pass. A subscription closet sounds like paying a monthly fee to babysit shipping labels and hope the size fits after somebody else sweated in it. Not my thing. Why I’m out: Subscriptions: I avoid them unless the value is obvious. Clothes aren’t software.Fit and wear: Brownsville heat is humid. Delicate fabrics plus sweat equals returns and hassle. Dry-clean smells trigger my allergies sometimes.Logistics: Border shipping can lag. I don’t like planning outfits around a mailer.Total cost: I’d rather own a solid suit, two dress shirts, rotate, tailor once, done.Waste: Extra ...
Scott Cabrera, 33, Sales Manager, Mesa, AZ, USA:
Gut check: cool idea for people who chase novelty, not for me day to day. Recurring fee - I keep subscriptions tight. My income swings, so I kill anything that doesn’t save real time. Friction - boxes, returns, tracking swaps... hard pass. I don’t want to babysit garment bags between showings. Fit - I tailor my staples. Rentals rarely hit that clean, Arizona-heat-friendly fit I want. Style - I live in neutral basics, no loud logos. Designer rotation feels like paying for attention I don’t want. Sustainability - love the intent, but shipping stuff back and forth needs real numbers. My greenw...
Joseph Beckner, 27, Vocational Training Student, Bloomington, MN, USA:
Honestly? My first reaction is subscription trap. Cool idea in theory - less buying, more sharing - but month-to-month boxes I have to babysit and ship back just sounds like a chore. I live in hoodies, joggers, and one good parka, not runway stuff, and designer cuts are usually super gendered so the fit game for me is a headache. Also it’s -24°C here and I’m not mailing silk tops during a cold snap while the lobby door freezes shut. Budget-wise, I’d rather thrift one solid piece I’ll wear for years than keep feeding a sub. I’ve been burned by auto-renew before and I’m not doing that dance ag...
Brandie Ramirez, 40, Stay-at-Home Parent, Sacramento, CA, USA:
Gut reaction? Another subscription nibbling at my budget. My shoulders tense just thinking about tracking shipments, swapping pieces, and wondering what surprise fee pops up if Mateo wipes salsa on a sleeve. Cute concept for people with galas and weddings every other weekend, but that is not my life. What I like, in theory: Reuse - sharing clothes instead of buying and tossing is smart.Occasional variety - a fun dress for a night out or a wedding without committing. Why it mostly misses for me: Subscription creep - I keep my spreadsheet tight. I do not want a monthly charge hanging over me.T...
