If your purse is feeling light but you still want bags of style, fret no more.
Bag, clothing and jewellery rental services are springing up in Singapore faster than you can say 'cash or credit'.
While bag rental stores and websites are not new, those specialising in clothing and jewellery are.
A quick browse through search engines threw up 11 stores and websites here that provide clothing rentals and another five that offered jewellery.
Online sites such as three-month-old Bag For It rent out necklaces and bracelets from Dior and Tiffany worth as much as $700 for as little as $28 per week.
The catch is, if you do not return an item, you have to pay its full retail price.
The online store adds new products every three months and the two owners aim to have over 100 bags and 50 pieces of jewellery by the first quarter of next year.
The demand for such services has grown, say operators.
Tan Ho Ching, 38, owner of year-old bag rental service That Bag I Want, has seen a steady month-on-month increase in customers, adding that business has jumped threefold compared to a year ago.
'People who would normally buy handbags are now looking for a more economical way to expand their wardrobes,' he says.
'They want to keep up with the trends but may not have the means to keep buying new items.'
Evening wear rental store i.Dazzle has experienced a 50 per cent increase in customers compared to last year. In fact, transactions are so brisk that the owners plan to open a branch at Golden Landmark Shopping Centre next month.
Fuelling the demand for such services is the desire to be seen in the latest and most expensive threads.
A typical customer is banking associate Geraldyne Wilkinson, 25, who confesses: 'Real fashionistas don't like to be seen in public wearing the same outfit more than once.
'Renting items for a week or two lets us fool people into thinking that we can afford to own these items.'
I.DAZZLE
Who: Besides offering evening wear, prom dresses and bridal gowns (Photo 2) for rent, one-year-old i.Dazzle also has tailor-made dresses priced from $100 for a knee-length gown. Evening gown sizes are from UK size 2 to 14 and cocktail dresses from UK size 0 to 8.
What: Evening wear and prom dresses in limited pieces from American brands such as Mori Lee, Demetrious and Raylia.
Rental prices: Evening gowns cost $75 for a three-day rental period. There is also a package deal - which comes with accessories such as tiaras, necklaces and bracelets and a make-up session - for between $125 and $150.
Check them out: http://idazzle.ocnk.biz
CLOSET INFINITE
Who: Closet Infinite, a month-old Singapore-based website where members rent clothes donated by other members.
How it works: By contributing and shipping your clothes to the website owners, you are immediately granted membership. Each item donated entitles you to six months of membership. Browse the site, pick the outfits you want to rent and they will be posted to you.
What: Everything from dresses to quirky tops and denim jackets in good condition.
Rental prices: There is a $6.50 handling fee per item - this includes packaging, postage, cleaning and labour costs - as well as a deposit of $30 which is refunded when you send the clothes back.
You can hold on to items for at most five days. Late charges apply at $5 for each overdue day. Lost, damaged or stolen items incur a $30 charge.
Check them out: http://closetinfinite.wordpress.com
BAG FOR IT
Who: Set up by two gal pals, this year-old Singapore-based website rents out branded bags and jewellery.
What: Bags from labels such as Gucci, Miu Miu, Balenciaga, Chanel, Chloe and Loewe; baubles from Dior and Tiffany & Co.
The online store adds new products every three months and the two owners aim to have more than 100 bags and 50 pieces of jewellery by next year.
It currently has 34 bags and nine pieces of branded jewellery.
Rental prices: Weekly rental starts at $28 for a clutch from Miu Miu. The most expensive bag is the classic Chanel 2.55, which goes for $188.
Weekly rental for the baubles ranges from $28 for a silver Tiffany pendant to $68 for a Dior gold bracelet adorned with red and yellow crystals. Customers who lose the item have to pay the full retail price of the jewellery.
The site also holds sales of second-hand designer jewellery twice a year. Sign up as a member to be on the mailing list.
Check them out: http://www.bagforit.com.sg
BAGS NO ENOUGH
Who: Seven-month-old local website Bags No Enough rents out branded luxury bags.
What: Bags from fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Fendi and Dior. The store currently stocks more than 50 bags from 10 brands and the owners jet off to Paris to get their hands on the latest season's bags every month or so.
Rental prices: Weekly rental starts from $38.80 for a Kate Spade hobo bag (Photo 5) to $108.80 for a Prada nylon bag (Photo 6). This Miu Miu classic black patent leather clutch (Photo 7) is going for just $56.80 per week.
No deposit or membership fees are required; just pay the weekly rental fees. However, you must register with the site. You can then rent the bags for up to eight weeks.
The price includes drop-off and pick-up costs.
Collection is painless: you receive an SMS alert or phone call from the owners one day before the due date. Simply reply to the SMS with your preferred time of collection and they will collect the bag from you.
Check them out: http://www.bagsnoenough.com.sg
This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.
