Finding ways to support eco-friendly fashion is very important to me since what we do now will impact the future of our planet. A great way to do this is by supporting businesses such as Nuuly! (This isn’t sponsored, I’m just very excited about this!!) For a monthly fee, you can rent six items of clothing. Then the next month you can return them and pick six more. You may purchase the clothing if you want, but I haven’t yet. Nuuly rental is a great way to try out some new styles that you might not want to invest in buying. Maybe you are trying to identify what style suits you best. (I wrote an article called “How to Find Your Aesthetic: Romantic Academia” that may be helpful!) When deciding what to rent for the upcoming month, I take a look at the calendar to figure out what I may need. From a gold metallic coat that I wore many times, including to the Christmas tree farm, to the festive gingham dress I found for Friendsgiving, Nuuly has given me the opportunity to have more wardrobe options than I would normally have in any given month.

As a performer, I often need outfits that aren’t practical for everyday wear, so I am grateful to have found rental options. In addition to restyling thrift store clothing, which is an interest of mine, clothing rental is another way of adding variety to your wardrobe in an environmentally friendly way. (See my other posts for more: “Upcycling a Jean Jacket” & “Coco Chanel: Thrift Store Edition”). I hope that this post inspires you to consider looking for ways to expand your wardrobe responsibly and have fun too!

Fashion is one form of personal expression. Sometimes we dress as we perceive others want us to rather than what we personally resonate with. This can be a result of either wanting to fit into peer groups who tend to dress alike or fear of being criticized for “trying too hard.” I would argue that such criticism tells you more about the source. Whether you know your style or are experimenting to see what you feel best wearing, be true to yourself. We need to spend more time lifting each other up. Some people feel best wearing their favorite jeans and soft sweatshirt while others enjoy putting together outfits with coordinated jewelry and accessories. Let’s take the shame out of our appearance. When we spend time worrying about not being enough or being over the top or too much, we forget to be our authentic selves. When we free ourselves from the cycle of praise and criticism, fashion becomes a fun form of self-expression where the only person we have to please is ourself. I have found clothing rental to be a great way to be experimental with fashion. There are wide variety of styles available for differing tastes, ages, and body types. No matter whether you love fashion or could care less about it, let’s drop the talk of body shaming or body checking and support each other as human beings.