I'm a regular user of Rent the Runway Unlimited — here's what I thought about Vince's luxury rental service that's the same price
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- Clothing rental services are becoming more and more popular, and Vince is one of the latest brands to take part with its rental service, Vince Unfold.
- For $160 a month, this service gives you four Vince pieces at a time with unlimited swaps.
- As a regular user of Rent the Runway, I tried Vince Unfold for two months to see how the rental services compared. While I love Vince's aesthetic and enjoyed all of the pieces I rented, ultimately I will be keeping my Rent the Runway subscription.
- With access to a plethora of brands rather than just one, RTR is a better value for my lifestyle. You can find more of my thoughts on the service below.
A few years ago, the idea of sharing clothing with strangers would have been foreign, but today it's pretty standard.
The clothing rental industry is thriving. Retail unicorn Rent the Runway has accumulated a community of over nine million members who use the service to rent everything from gowns fit for black-tie events to casual items like sweatshirts and jeans. More affordable subscription options, like Haverdash and Nuuly, let users bring new pieces to their clothing rotation for less than $100 a month. More and more clothing brands are seeing the merit of the sharing economy. Rebecca Taylor, American Eagle, and Banana Republic are just a few of the brands that have started in-house rental services of their own.
One of the latest rental services to join is Vince Unfold. Vince, a luxury clothing brand based out of California, makes beautiful basics and minimalist pieces that work for just about any occasion. I've always loved the brand, but shop there selectively because the items are pricey — a classic black blazer goes for $445, while a simple white T-shirt runs about $85. That's why I was so excited to discover this service that costs just $160 a month (the same cost as RTR Unlimited) for unlimited access to Vince pieces. As a Rent the Runway subscriber myself, I thought it would be interesting to see how the service compares. For transparency, I got to try the service for two months for free. Below, I'll dive into my experience.
How to get started
If you've ever used a clothing rental service before, Vince Unfold will seem familiar to you. If not, it's still an easy service to get used to.
Vince Unfold
First, you'll sign up and create an account, which allows you to browse the Vince Unfold selection. The selection doesn't include everything you would find on the Vince site, though there are plenty of different options to choose from. You'll find a lot of tops, bottoms, dresses, jackets, and sweaters. When you find a piece you like, just pick out your size and add it to your Edit — this is essentially where all of your tentative rentals will live.
Once you have at least 10 items in your Edit, Vince Unfold will curate a box of four pieces for you. You don't know exactly which pieces will arrive, which I found to be part of the fun. If there's something you really want to try, you can prioritize it in your Edit, which signals that you want it to be in your next shipment, though nothing is guaranteed.
Your shipment should arrive in two to three days. Wear the pieces as often as you'd like, and when you're ready for a new batch, send them back in the pre-paid bag that came with the delivery. Shipping and returns are always free. So long as you're subscribed to the service, you can swap out or keep pieces for as often as you'd like.
The pros
Vince Unfold lets you try new styles without making any long-term closet commitments. Considering most items of clothing at Vince cost more than $160 on their own, the monthly fee is a pretty good deal. If you love to shop at Vince, this service lets you try pieces from the brand before you buy them. Plus, you'll be able to buy the pieces you do love at a discounted price.
Renting from one brand also has its perks. If you love the Vince aesthetic, you can be sure you'll be pleased with the selection of pieces. Additionally, I appreciated how easy it was to get the right size every time. When using Rent the Runway, I sometimes miss the mark in terms of sizing because all the brands size their clothing differently. With Vince, I know what size I am and that translates across most items. The fact that there are no major sizing discrepancies made placing orders a breeze. Even if I didn't love every style I received, each piece still fit me well.
If you're indecisive like me, you'll probably appreciate that Vince Unfold chooses the pieces they send you. I often spend hours mulling through the options on Rent the Runway, but when using Vince Unfold I was able to cut that time down. Instead, I picked a few items I really liked and was pleasantly surprised by the ones that ended up in my shipment. One of my favorite items was a long purple satin skirt. I paired it with a plain black t-shirt and white sneakers for a look that was on-trend, comfortable, and compliment-inducing. I still think about that skirt and wonder if I made a mistake by not purchasing it.
Remi Rosmarin/Business Insider
The cons
Renting from solely one brand also has its disadvantages. If you like experimenting with a lot of different styles, you'll probably get tired of having access to only one brand, but that's the whole premise of the service after all.
If you want to know which pieces you'll be receiving in advance of your shipment, Vince Unfold is probably not right for you. You can prioritize items in your "Edit" so that there's a greater chance they end up in your shipment, but there's no way to know what you're getting until it ships out. If you want to rent clothing for a specific event like a wedding, I could see the unpredictability being a problem.
If you don't know your size in the brand, you may have some misses. Because the service is relatively new, most items don't have any reviews. All items have size guides to help you find the best option, and I find that Vince generally runs pretty true to size. But, if you are new to the brand, this may be an issue at first.
Additionally, there are no prices listed alongside the pieces on the rental site. I actually didn't find this feature to be a bother at all, but if you are hoping to buy an item in the long run, you may be hit with higher prices than you expected.
One of my main qualms with the service was the shipping. As a Rent the Runway user, I've gotten accustomed to the speedy same-day shipping and easy-to-carry garment bags. I understand that's not a reality for all services just yet, but I did miss that while using Vince Unfold. The boxes are a little bulky, which was a bit of a nuisance to me as I had to carry them home from my office, where I chose to have them delivered. You also have to ship the four items back together, so you won't be able to return as frequently as other services where you can ship rentals back one at a time.
Bottom line
I think Vince Unfold is a great service. If you love the brand's clothing, you'll probably love getting to wear all sorts of pieces and having the option to buy them at a discounted price. Personally, I find that Rent the Runway is better for my lifestyle. While I love Vince styles and was impressed with most of the pieces I rented, ultimately I like the variety that comes with having access to multiple brands. If Vince is totally your speed, though, I think you'll really appreciate the value and convenience.