Why spend hundreds on an outfit you will only wear once? Here’s where to rent the best party attire

Want a jaw-dropping outfit for Christmas Day, but don’t have hundreds of them to drop on a dress after buying all those goodies? Take advantage of the rise of fashion rental platforms and rent yourself a designer piece for a fraction of the purchase cost.

My Wardrobe HQ (the company Carrie Johnson rented her wedding dress) has a huge inventory of designer jewelry – think Gucci, Versace, Jenny Packham – with rental prices starting at £ 4 a day.

Temperley London’s pink glitter delight (second from left) has a retail price of £ 1,913, but you can rent it for just £ 31. Order by December 20 for Christmas delivery and by December 27 for New Years Eve.

Combination, Roland Mouret on byrotation.com, rent from £ 29, RRP £ 950; shoes, £ 275, terrydehavilland.com

Robe, Temperley London on mywardrobehq.com, rent from £ 31, RRP £ 1,913; bag, shrimp on byrotation.com, rent from £ 15, RRP £ 475; shoes, £ 285, terrydehavilland.com

Dress, Marks & Spencer x Ghost on hiringstreetuk.com, rent from £ 15, RRP £ 79; bag, Saint Laurent at cocoon.club, RRP £ 1,190, memberships from £ 39 per year

At Endless Wardrobe you can rent clothes like Essentiel Antwerp, alongside newer brands like UK brand Harmur – rent a silk halter dress (far right) for a reasonable price of £ 49. Order by December 21 for Christmas delivery and by December 29 for New Year’s Eve.

Onloan works on a subscription basis, starting at £ 69 for two rentals per month. Her list of designers includes Joseph, Lily & Lionel, Shrimps and Maggie Marilyn (see bonbon rose midi, third from right). There is next day delivery for all orders placed before 10am (excluding holidays, so plan ahead accordingly).

With Hurr, you borrow designer pieces directly from its very stylish members. If you’ve always wanted to wear one of The Vampire’s Wife’s iconic dresses but can’t afford the £ 1,595 price tag, you can hire one via Hurr for £ 174 (second from right). There are also cheaper parts from Ganni, Rixo and Kitri to hire from £ 14 a day.

Jumpsuit, Rock The Jumpsuit on mywardrobehq.com, hire from £ 8, RRP £ 285

Robe, De La Vali on no finwardrobe.com, rent from £ 75, RRP £ 575; shoes, £ 384, deeocleppo.com; bag, £ 29.99, zara.com

Dress, Maggie Marilyn on loan. co, memberships from £ 69 per month; bag, Bottega Veneta at cocoon.club, RRP £ 1,900, memberships from £ 39 per year; shoes, £ 29.99, zara.com

Dress, The Vampire’s Wife on hurrcollective.com, rent from £ 174, RRP £ 1,595; bag, Paco Rabanne at cocoon.club, RRP £ 490, memberships from £ 39 per year; shoes, £ 79.99, zara.com

The By Rotation app lets you rent directly from other users – I found a Roland Mouret velor jumpsuit (far left) for just £ 29. Delivery times depend on the lender, so don’t leave it to the last minute. You’ll find some great accessories on these platforms too, but if you’ve got a penchant for bags, consider a Cocoon Membership starting at £ 39 a year, which gets you access to bags worth thousands of pounds – like these gorgeous Saint Laurent (third from left) and Bottega Veneta clutches (third from right) – available to hire for just £ 40 per week. Standard delivery is two to three business days.

If you’re not yet a convert to fashion rental, the holiday season is the time to try it. You will be able to wear something much more fabulous for your money.