Clothing Rental Subscriptions That Cater To Plus-Sized Fashionistas

According to data from the "International Journal of Fashion Design Technology and Education," the average clothing size for women in the United States is 16-18, but despite a large percentage of women falling into sizing considered plus-size, brands often fail the plus-size community in favor of their straight size ranges. Improper fit, dated designs, and a lack of availability in-store can leave women frustrated and looking for alternative options, often forcing them to look into more inclusive brands and order clothing online.

After years of settling for less from typical stores, however, it's not uncommon for plus-sized women to feel like they've lost their sense of style in favor of functionality. That's where fashion rental services come in. These subscriptions allow you to receive a monthly box of items from brands you may have never heard of, giving you the opportunity to test-run the pieces for a limited time. Once the time is up, you can either return the items for no additional charge or purchase them to help expand your wardrobe. This approach gives you the chance to explore your own style for a fraction of the cost of buying items outright, and acts as a way to introduce people to new brands they may end up loving.

Gwynnie Bee is a clothing subscription service that started off by offering options for women in sizes 10 through 32. Now, they've expanded their sizing a bit to include straight sizes as well, but it's clear that most of their focus is still on brands that carry inclusive or plus-size ranges. Their model is similar to other clothing subscription boxes, but there isn't a set time limit on how long you can keep your items. Instead of sending your box back at the end of the month, you're allowed to hang on to pieces for as long as you want, so long as you still have an active subscription. Once you decide you want a new box, you send your items back or purchase what you'd like to keep.

Gwynnie Bee's pricing depends on the number of items you'd like to rent at a time, but it starts at $49 monthly for one item and goes up to $199 a month for ten. Because there are no set dates, the exact number of items you receive throughout your month is dependent on your activity — you can choose to maximize your variety and send back items after wearing them once or twice, or you can take them for a spin for months on end.

Dia & Co is an online store that carries brands specifically in the 1X-5X size range, and their subscription box service proves that plus-size fashion is their focus. For this service, you take a style quiz that covers both your fashion taste and your individual body type, and you receive a monthly box of personalized recommendations based on those factors. For many plus-sized women, this is a game changer. Because brands tend to ignore the needs of their plus-sized customers and slack on finding fit models that accurately represent a larger size range, plus-sized items tend to just be sized-up versions of their straight-size stock. With Dia & Co's approach, you're able to find items that should actually fit your specific measurements.

This subscription is also one of the more cost-effective options on the market. Plans range from $18 a month for three items to $30 a month for seven, and they also offer one-time boxes if you're looking to test out their styling service without committing to a subscription.

Wantable, similar to Stitch Fix, focuses on more of a try-before-you-buy model than a direct rental service. For $20, you take a style quiz and are matched with seven items you would enjoy and wear according to your size and preferred style. You have the choice to either send them back or buy them outright, with the styling fee going towards your total cost. While prices per item vary, most are in the $50-$100 range. Sizes aren't divided by straight size and plus, but their offerings go up to 3X and your preferred fit is incorporated into your final selections.

With Wantable, you're also able to specifically note items you do or do not want to receive in your box with new updates daily. Additionally, they have four specific edits to allow you to explore more than just daily wear items — the style edit for day-to-day clothing, the active edit for workout gear and athleisure, the sleep and body edit for lingerie and lounge, and a specific men's active edit.

Fashion to Figure is a trendy, plus-sized-focused online clothing store. If you'd rather maximize your dollars and expand the number of items you can try, however, their Fashion to Figure Closet feature allows you to rent pieces until you move on to your next selection. Each month, you're allowed to choose a collection of three styles from their size 12-28 selection to borrow at a time. If you want to wear them once and swap them, you have unlimited chances to select new options to be delivered. Or you can hold on to them for as long as you maintain your subscription with the brand.

Subscription packages are $55 a month for clothing, but you can also add on the option for accessories for an additional fee. With this service, you also have the chance to outright buy the items you end up loving for a solid 50% off of their listed retail price.