Hirestreet data shows LBDs and sequins are key for party season

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Nov 23, 2022

Rental specialist Hirestreet has released data showing the likely most popular Christmas party weekend for 2022 and the looks women will be wearing, based on its rental data so far.

It said that the weekend of 9/10 December “will be the busiest dates for Christmas parties based on rental demand for partywear”.

Many styles have already been booked out entirely for the party season – the first pandemic-restriction-free festive season for three years.

And it added that 92% of millennials “will wear something ‘new’ this Christmas – but those items don’t have to be brand-new”. What this means is that its figures show “the feeling of ‘new on you’ is enough”.

Rental demand is “spiking” on the platform at present and only halfway through November, revenues were up 50% compared to October as a whole. It’s predicting 100% growth by the end of the month.

That adds further weight to the view that the rental sector is best positioned to take advantage of demand for occasion dressing. Those occasions don't have to be parties, weddings and other social events, of course.

We've already heard from Selfridges that skiwear for adults is one of its key rental categories, so it seems that consumers are particularly switching on to rental for items that they might previously have bought but wouldn't wear that often, and also for items that can be quite expensive.

So what exactly are Hirestreet customers renting? 

This season the little black dress is the most popular rental style alongside jewel colours. Luxe velvets, sequins and feather embellishments are also popular.

In fact, ‘sequin’ and ‘sequin dress’ have both featured in the top five search terms on the platform during November. The rental of sequin items grew 230% between Covid-hit 2020 and 2021 and sequin rentals are forecast to more than double again this year.

The leading rental items so far for December are topped by the Nine by River Island Charlize bodycon dress that can be rented for £36 but has an RRP of £200. 

Next is the Lavish Alice burgundy diamanté velvet wrap mini dress, and the label’s bandeau midi dress with feather trim in black sequins. Whistles’ black velvet tux blazer and trouser co-ord, and Vogue Williams at Little Mistress's black sequin wrap dress make up the rest of the top five.

After the top five come the Little Mistress Nicky black embellished sequin maxi dress, Lavish Alice satin mix bandeau bow detail jumpsuit in emerald, Seven Wonders red Rosalia mini dress, Oasis navy lace tiered strappy midi dress, and Nobody's Child Zola midi dress.