Finding a silver lining in the climate change crisis is admittedly no easy task, but if we had to think of one positive, the abundance of rental platforms – with additional services constantly emerging – changing the fashion industry for the better is something that can only be celebrated, IMO. And, as well as the multitude of dress hire brands plus ski clothes rental services that now exist, there are also dedicated sites that allow you to rent a handbag.
Stocking the most drool-worthy designer names (think Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Loewe and more), it's a fashion girlie's dream scenario. Big name brands on a budget.
Handbags are a very personal accessory. Are you a ‘bring everything and the kitchen sink’ kinda gal? Do you need something that's pretty *and* practical, like a crossbody or a sling bag? Or, do you like to keep up to date with all the latest bag trends and rotate your arm candy seasonally?
As well as being a far more sustainable option, it also allows you to try out your dream designer bag IRL before splashing out the equivalent of three months' rent (in some cases) on a bag you don't know will be worth it or not.
With so many different dress hire services now available, we chose to try out dedicated clothing rental services, specifically:
- Bag Butler
- Cocoon Club
- Selfridges
Scroll through to see what the Cosmo team thought of each bag rental service and how they compared on cost, product range and platform usability.
Bag Butler
Rented by: Alexandria, Fashion Writer
Bag rented: Chanel Pink Chevron Mini Flap, £175 for four days, bagbutler.co.uk
The deal: BagButler specialises in luxury designer bags. Rent a bag of your choosing for four to 14 days, booked up to six months in advance. There’s also a Seasonal Membership option, giving you three bag rentals across a three-month period for £450, with discounts offered on additional rentals.
The experience: BagButler’s most popular bags are all Chanel, so it seemed like a no-brainer to select a classic Mini Flap bag in a trend-led Barbie-pink hue for a weekend getaway, costing me £175. She arrived carefully packaged in a dust bag and wrapped in tissue, and as I’d ordered on a weekday, shipping was free. The return process was just as straightforward – I received a text reminder and used the prepaid mailer bag I’d received. The £250 deposit I’d paid to cover any damage was refunded to me in full 24 hours later. There is the option to buy, but that is well out of my price range.
Cocoon Club
Rented by: Maddy, Fashion Editor
Bag rented: Balenciaga Mini City Bag, £79 a month with Premium Membership, cocoon.club
The deal: Cocoon is a bag lover’s dream, offering everything from rental memberships to a platform to buy and sell preloved designer bags. Purchase a one-off weekly rental for £19, or tiered monthly memberships for £79 or £99. The deluxe tier gets you access to bags valued up to £3,500 with two free swaps. It has all the brands you could possibly want, too: Bottega Veneta, Christian Dior, Prada, Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton… it’s a treasure trove, tbh.
The experience: I was like a kid in a candy shop; choosing was the hardest part! I landed on a Balenciaga Mini City Bag I’ve wanted since I was a teenager. The rest was a breeze; it arrived swiftly, boxed up with a dust bag and a handy returns label.
Selfridges Rental
Rented by: Sophie, Bookings Director
Bag rented: Jacquemus Jac Le Bisou, £60 a month with membership, selfridgesrental.com/subscribe
The deal: The iconic department store now offers a rental subscription service that’ll treat you to a monthly designer bag. Ideal for the handbag-obsessed (but indecisive) fashion girlies among us. There’s a three, six or 12-month plan starting at £60 a month for the annual option. You’re also entitled to one swap a month, if 30 days feels like too long a wait for your next rental fix.
The experience: A mix of timeless designers and new names to know, the choice of on-trend bags is lust-worthy. Nab a classic tote from Stella or Acne Studios to spruce up an office ’fit. Or, for me, it’s the plethora of chic shoulder bags – ideal for wedding season – that stood out. From L’alingi, Ganni, Giarité and Coperni I opted for a gorge Jacquemus brown leather number. After a month together, I attached the prepaid label to the reusable zipped bag it arrived in and dropped it at the post office on the return date to unlock my next rental beauty.
Alexandria Dale is Digital Fashion Writer at Cosmopolitan & Women's Health UK. Covering everything from the celebrity style moments worth knowing about to the latest fashion news, there’s nothing she loves more than finding a high street dupe of a must-have designer item. As well as discovering new brands, she’s passionate about sustainable fashion and establishing the trends that are actually worth investing in. Having worked in fashion journalism for six years, she has experience at both digital and print publications including Glamour and Ok!
Maddy Alford is the Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan UK and Women's Health UK, covering fashion content online and in print. Maddy specialises in shopping galleries and first-person reviews of the best fashion buys, from jeans and jewellery to wedding dresses, gymwear, and winter coats. She also writes op-eds on on pop culture, viral fashion moments, travel journalism, fitness, and the LGBTQ+ community's relationship with style. Maddy is also a fashion stylist who has worked on over 100 photoshoots at Hearst, including those starring Raye, Niall Horan, and Lena Dunham. Previously, she has worked in fashion PR and e-commerce, including stints at ELLE US and UK, Net-a-Porter, InStyle, and Time Out New York. Maddy has ten years of experience in the fashion industry in both London and New York City, after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She is passionate about second-hand shopping, inclusive fashion, running on Regent's Canal, and finding London's cosiest pubs.
Sophie Leen is the Bookings Editor for Cosmopolitan UK and Women's Health UK. She specialises in creating fashion and shopping content across both digital and print platforms, as well as producing all of our fashion editorial photoshoots, which have included our digital cover with Olly Alexander and our curve influencer’s letter to the high street story. Sophie also looks after our Try Before You Train franchise where our team have tested and reviewed over 100 gymwear items.
