Summary Nuuly is a great option for people with both sustainability and style in mind. Their clothing rental service is affordable and offers an impressive selection of size-inclusive clothing ranging from classic to trendy — and everything in between.
PROS
- I was thrilled to find that Nuuly has inclusive sizing, up to a 5X, with a wide variety of options.
- Nuuly is affordable. One month of their subscription is $98 plus tax (with no additional fees, even for damage).
- The brand takes care of dry cleaning and repair for each garment.
- I enjoyed wearing my Nuuly garments on a number of occasions — their options range from workwear to casual looks and even vintage pieces.
CONS
- Nuuly’s parent company is URBN, a fast-fashion company. The overall environmental impact of their operation is hard to gauge.
Shopping and I have had a love-hate relationship for the past few years. As a plus-size woman, finding clothes that are both stylish and affordable is often a struggle, so I tend to stick to the same brands or stores when I need a wardrobe refresh.
“Nuuly, an online clothing rental service, offers inclusive sizing up to a 5X.”
This also makes sustainability hard to honor because sifting through a thrift store or consignment shop tends to deflate those of us living in a bigger body — searching for a piece that I love and is in my size is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Once I discovered Nuuly while scrolling through my feed, however, I was immediately intrigued.
I think I can speak for most plus-size women when I say that clothing rental services can be just as challenging as shopping else. While they offer a more sustainable option than shopping at a fast fashion retailer for a one-time event or for trendy pieces that we’ll only wear a few times, there’s not always a guarantee that we’ll find what we’re looking for in our size. That said, I was incredibly impressed to learn that Nuuly, an online clothing rental service, offers inclusive sizing up to a 5X. Not only that, but their plus-size selection is awesome.
The brand is owned by URBN — home to Urban Outfitters, Free People, and Anthropologie, among others— so there are plenty of trendy (and honestly, high-quality) options for every Nuuly member. While Nuuly offers a sustainable solution for closets — giving many clothing items a longer life than they would have otherwise — many readers may still have questions about the business practices underpinning the operation. You can read more about their initiatives here, and informative reporting about how Nuuly fits into URBN’s business here.
Onboarding and unboxing
“You aren’t restricted to certain brands or styles, so everything in your size is fair game.”
Signing up for Nuuly was a cinch, and dare I say… fun? You’ll go through the usual steps, registering for an account with your name, email, and general information. You will need a credit card for the initial sign-up, but don’t worry — you won’t be charged until you actually place your first order. After registration comes the fun part: Picking your first six pieces. Nuuly is unlike some other clothing rental services in that you aren’t restricted to certain brands or styles, so everything in your size is fair game.
I received my Nuuly package about a week after I placed my initial order, and I was pleasantly surprised with their packaging. In the name of sustainability, they don’t ship in a box or plastic package, but a reusable and sturdy cloth zip-up bag complete with a pre-made return label for ultimate convenience. Everything was packaged and folded neatly, and I was so excited to dig in and try everything on.
My try-on session felt like a full-on fashion show because I was so pleased with both the fit and the quality of all six pieces I chose. Not only were they totally clean and free of signs of damage or wear, but they were all so comfy, stylish, and true-to-size. I tried to choose a variety of styles to get a good idea of their sizing across the board, and I was immediately tempted to just purchase nearly everything I rented — I loved them that much.
Nuuly’s membership allows you an incredibly wide range of clothing styles, from casual to formal to choose from, and you can rent six pieces to keep for a month at a time.
“Nuuly then recycles your rentals by dry cleaning and/or repairing them when necessary, and then ships them out again to the next renter.”
You can wear them as many times as you want, and the return process is simple — just place your six items back into the shipping bag, fix the included return label to it, and drop it off at your nearest UPS before your next billing date (which is always listed on your Nuuly account). Nuuly then recycles your rentals by dry cleaning and/or repairing them when necessary, and then ships them out again to the next renter. If you really fall in love with one or more of your rental items, you can also purchase-to-own at a discount, on your Nuuly account.
My month with Nuuly
Like I mentioned, it’s not always easy for me to find clothing I actually like that also fits my body as a plus-size person. Many brands and retailers take the easy route and offer extended sizes in the same styles or patterns, but the options I found on Nuuly made me feel that I truly had access to trends that I wanted to try out. And I could do it sustainably. I was honestly so pleased with the incredible variety I found in my size (I’m a size 20 or 2x, for reference).
I specifically chose pieces that I could make full outfits out of, and I was immediately in love with all of them. The dress I rented, specifically, was a true winner and I wore it several times over the course of the month. The jumpsuit was one of the best and most comfortable things I’ve ever worn, and the two full outfits I put together with the four other garments were so fun and perfectly suited for a few casual dinners and happy hours I attended.
“Nuuly is a sustainable way to try out new trends without worrying about limitations based on size.”
As I browsed and added these items to my virtual “closet” on Nuuly, I noticed one important perk of the service — how cost-effective it is. Everything I chose ranged from $98 to $249 retail price, so to say $98 is a great value for what you get is an understatement. Especially as a person who enjoys keeping my wardrobe relatively current and incorporating new pieces to mix and match every so often, renting high-quality brands at an accessible price, not to mention in my size, has shown to be a really great method.
Is Nuuly worth it?
A Nuuly subscription costs just $98 per month (plus applicable taxes), and they never charge any fees or costs for cleaning or damage. Yes, even if you spill a little wine at happy hour, you still aren’t on the hook for dry cleaning.
“Even if you spill a little wine at happy hour, you still aren’t on the hook for dry cleaning.”
Based on the price ranges I noticed for each item available on the site — with many items being well over $200 a piece — I think $98 is a fantastic value for having the opportunity to wear them as many times as you’d like in a month.
If you value style and sustainability but want access to trends beyond a capsule or minimalist wardrobe, Nuuly is a really nice way to manage your closet at an accessible price point. Rather than buy new clothes every time a trend comes around, you can rent something similar on Nuuly, wear it for a whole month, and then cycle through your next six pieces in the next. It’s a great way to try new things and keep your wardrobe fresh without shelling out hundreds each time. Plus, your OOTDs on Instagram will be totally enviable.
Personally, I was so impressed with Nuuly’s quick processing time, the quality of items, and even the sustainable way they package and ship the clothing. I certainly didn’t feel restricted by my size whatsoever while I was browsing to choose my items. If anything, I felt like the amount of options I had made it hard to narrow down to six. I think the price, quality, variety of offerings, and sustainable aspirations of Nuuly make it well worth a try.
Lexi Inks (she/her) is a lifestyle journalist based in Jacksonville, Florida. Lexi holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Jacksonville University, which she has chosen to make everyone’s problem. A self-proclaimed “hot mess with a big heart”, she is a Libra sun, Capricorn moon, and Sagittarius rising. When she’s not hunched over her laptop, you can probably find her drinking an ungodly amount of Diet Coke, oversharing on social media, draining her limited social battery, or being codependent with her rescue dog, Remi. You can follow Lexi on Instagram and Twitter.
