My Nuuly Review: A Subscription Clothing Service
I’ve thought about joining a rental clothing service, but always concluded it wasn’t for me. But for the past year, my friend Erin has shared her Nuuly order with me via text, and the items she rents are always so cute. After looking at my clothes spending in 2022, I finally pulled the trigger last month in an effort to hopefully cut my shopping habit a bit. I just send back my second box of items, so it’s time to share my Nuuly review!
I’m still a fairly new customer, so these are my first impressions and some thoughts I have on how to make the most out of your rental. If you’re interested, this link is my “refer a friend” link, and will give both of us $10 toward our next Nuuly order!
WHAT IS NUULY?
Nuuly is a subscription clothing rental service with everything from casual wear to formal wear and even maternity clothing if you’re in the market for that! The shipping is fast and returns are free. The damage and repair policy is fantastic. Nuuly doesn’t charge for either. You just send the item back with your other items.
WHAT DO I LOVE ABOUT NUULY?
They only offer one plan of six items for $88+tax which is helpful for anyone struggling to make decisions. You can pause your membership or skip a month at any time. Flexibility is important if I’m just not feeling up to renting anything for a month. Of the 12 items I’ve rented, the quality is great. I’ve yet to rent something that seemed overworn. I think the user experience on their site is enjoyable and I’m not constantly scrolling looking for items I would want to rent. My closet is currently very full for all seasons. Lastly, it allows me to feel excited about “new” to me items instead of shopping.
HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM RENT THE RUNWAY?
Nuuly’s plan is more affordable than Rent the Runway, and you get two more items than RTR’s cheapest plan. Overall, I feel like Nuuly is more everyday stuff, and RTR seems like wedding guest attire to me or designers I don’t recognize. And while I’ve only ever rented wedding guest dresses from RTR, I feel like I am constantly scrolling to find something in my size that I want to wear.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Nuuly costs $88+ tax for six items. You can keep the items for as long as you like, and you can also purchase any of them for a discount since they are worn. You won’t pay retail for the items you love! you can return your items early and “unlock” your next month early by paying the $88+tax earlier than your scheduled renewal date.
WHO IS NUULY GREAT FOR?
It is great for those who are on wanting to stick to a specific budget or cut back on their monthly clothes spending like myself. I love the idea of “new” stuff, but I recognize that isn’t financially possible if I want to reach my financial goals this year and it’s also not good for the planet as overconsumption contributes to pollution.
I’ve found that I’m using it to help source pieces in my wardrobe I currently lack like date night outfits. These are fun pieces I would love to have, but really don’t have a need to own them or want to pay the price for them given how rarely they will be worn. Nuuly allows you to borrow those fun, but maybe not so versatile pieces.
If you are traveling, Nuuly is ideal for any trip you have coming up! I’m heading to San Francisco and Monterey in early March and I will 100% be renting items for that trip. Nuuly helps alleviate the stress of buying new items for the bachelorette trip, girls’ trips, weddings, etc. For example, for my first box, I rented items to wear in Tucson in December while were there for the bowl game. I knew I wanted warmer weather, and more fun items than what my current closet had to offer here in Ohio.
There is also a maternity section. If you are in the phase of life, this is a great option to keep your clothing costs low as your body changes.
MY INITIAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, I am really happy with my experience over the last two months. Renting items is easy, unlocking your Nuuly early is easy, purchasing items you rented is easy, and returning your items is easy. I’ve found I have a closet full of items I’m excited to rent in the future months, and I’ve already started to look at my calendar for trips to plan around as I WFH and don’t get dressed in quite the same I did pre 2020.
I think the filters make it so easy to find items I like and the system shares items you may like as you click on items. And I’m loving the ability to rent really fun pieces that spice up my mostly capsule wardrobe.
Also, I love many of the brands they carry, and the few I haven’t heard of carry items that I would most definitely rent. Everything I’ve rented has been in great (NWT) or good condition. For now, I am keeping my Nuuly order to a monthly cadence. If you’re interested, this link is my “refer a friend” link, and will give both of us $10 toward our next Nuuly order!
HERE’S WHAT I ORDERED THIS PAST MONTH WITH NUULY:
Theo & Spence Zebra Knit Sweater
I loved this sweater. It was so fun and a perfect piece to borrow as I’m not sure I’d wear this a ton if I owned it. I wore it to lounge around the house for WFH days and out to run errands and feel put together yet comfy.
Maeve Puffed Sheer-Sleeved Blouse
As I mentioned above, my closet lacks date night outfits. I’m a regular t-shirt and chucks girl. I loved this top. I wore it to dinner during restaurant week and received a handful of compliments.
This piece is so warm, and I loved the leather details. It was an elevated cozy piece. I wore this around the house to WFH, and it made me feel more put together.
Unreal Fur Orient Express Coat
This piece made the entire month worth it as the coat itself is worth $550! I LOVED this coat. It was so fun and got all the girlies talking when I wore it. With coats, I tend to wear them to date nights, over matching sweat sets, etc. They go with EVERYTHING! And leopard is a neutral.
Maeve Junie High-Rise Flare Jeans
I rented these because I really want to be a flare girlie, but I am thinking I am not. While this items was fine and in good condition, it just wasn’t for me. BUT that is one thing I enjoy about Nuuly, I can try items without the commitment of buying.
I wanted to love this dress, but the material was sooo itchy to me, and the skirt wasn’t lined. I hoped to wear it out to dinner on a date night, but ultimately never wore it. There were no reviews at the time for me to make a judgement call on either. I am glad I tried it otherwise I’d be left wondering about it.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I will order from Nuuly again. I actually dropped my box off earlier today, and might unlock my box early so I can get more cozy weather stuff as it has turned icy and very chilly here in Ohio and I’m headed to Colorado at the end of the month for a work trip in the mountains.
Don’t forget: if you’re interested, this link is my “refer a friend” link, and will give both of us $10 toward our next Nuuly order! I hope this was helpful in determining if this service is the right choice for you!
xx,
Lindsae
