The Best Dress Hire Options in Sydney to Give Your Wallet a Break

Don't get us wrong—we love shopping as much as the next person but with over 6000kg of clothing being thrown away in Australia every 10 minutes, we also know that something has to change. Enter designer dress hire, the sustainable fashion alternative to buying a dress for a special occasion only to see it hang idly in your closet for the rest of the year.

These companies offer the best dress hire options in Sydney, so before your next major social event, check out these designer rental companies—your wallet and your planet will thank you!

Glam Corner

With one-off rentals and membership plans, this industry-leading Sydney dress hire company has it all figured out. Glam Corner has three membership plans which allow you to keep items in your box for a month, come with free shipping, returns and dry cleaning as well as access to a personal stylist. The membership plans allow access to their thousands of exclusive pieces that aren’t available to one-time renters.

If you’re looking to rent as a one-off, simply browse the site, choose what you want to rent, rock it for four to eight days and then send the item back in the pre-paid bag. Glam Corner takes care of all the cleaning and all dresses come with accidental damage insurance.

If you’re looking for something a bit more permanent you can also buy the retired items. There are (at current count) over a thousand pre-loved designer items on sale just a fraction of their retail price. If you’re interested in the full celebrity glam squad experience you can also stop into the David Jones Elizabeth Street store to see one of their stylists. 

The Volte

The Volte is a marketplace that allows stockists as well as "real" people to use the site to rent out their designer clothing. Whether it’s a commercial stockist or an individual, you’ll be able to browse someone’s entire ‘closet’ which means that, once you’ve found someone whose clothes fit you, you can keep hiring from them. It’s the next best thing to having a best friend, with designer clothes and everything in your size. Shop designers like Zimmerman, Alex Perry, Thurley, Camilla and Alice McCall and enjoy a wide range of sizes with items from size 4 to size 20. 

Dress Hire AU

Established in 2015 by then-final year university student Ellie Dunstan, Dress Hire AU is a Melbourne-based dress hire company that ships Australia-wide. Ellie dreamt of a time when you could look fab without draining your bank account, and so, she kicked off Dress Hire AU to make luxury fashion more accessible. Gone are the days of merely daydreaming about donning your favourite designer pieces!

With a commitment to style, Dress Hire AU connects lenders and borrowers, offering a curated collection featuring both homegrown and international brands. Noteworthy perks: they handle all the dry-cleaning hassle for you, and they've got a plethora of pieces to suit everyone's sartorial styles and sizes.

All The Dresses

A marketplace that lists all of Australia’s best designer dress hire companies in one place, All The Dresses was started by husband and wife team, Basil & Olivia Vlachou back in 2017. Olivia worked as a fashion and events stylist and consequently was hiring a lot of dresses herself. After flicking through what felt like a hundred different websites she lamented to her IT specialist husband that she wished she could ‘just see all the dresses’. The rest is history, today All The Dresses serves as a forum for over 40 small dress hire companies and offers over 15,000 designer items. 

Your Closet

In the sunlit showroom of Your Closet, a dress hire spot in North Sydney, you can find so many affordable and chic four-figure dresses you can rent for under $200. You can also easily complete your 'fit here, as they've got a whole range of accessories that run the gamut from jewellery and jackets, to clutches and crowns. You can shop by occasions from race day to date night and even mother of the bride looks, and you can tailor your dress selection by shopping for your specific body shape. 

Dress For A Night

This sustainable Sydney dress hire store is all about the benefits that renting clothing has on the environment. With Dress For A Night, you save money and do your bit for the planet by stepping away from fast fashion and reducing your carbon footprint by renting rather than buying a dress you might only wear for one night. Like Dress Hire AU, they’ll let you add a backup dress or - for a small convenience fee, you can try on a dress in the comfort of your own home. They have hundreds of styles to choose between from cute structural sundresses to opulent ball gowns so you're bound to find the perfect piece!

Style Theory

With a shopfront in Melbourne but shipping Australia-wide, Style Theory’s mission statement is all about helping their customers to feel beautiful and that’s something we can 100% get behind! This might just be the most affordable of the designer dress rental companies. Style Theory has a whole host of beautiful designer pieces for under $150 including plenty of dreamy Rebecca Vallance dresses and gowns that usually retail for over $1000. They also have a major range of high-end designers on their roster like Aje, Scanlan and Theodore and Alexander Wang—they've got you covered for all your special occasions!

One Night Stand Boutique

One Night Stand Boutique, a savvy choice for dress hire in Sydney, brings local fashionistas a curated selection from Australia's top designers. With exclusive brands like D'lelle, an emerging  designer in evening wear, and a roster featuring Thurley, Stephanie Chehade, Ae’lkemi, and more, they've got the glam game covered. Founded by Natalia, who hails from a family with over 50 years of formal hire and garment care expertise, this boutique ensures freedom of choice for women seeking luxurious gowns. Whether you stroll into their Sydney boutique or peruse online, One Night Stand Boutique makes the high-end formalwear rental process a breeze.

Shop 1/57 Harbour Street, Mosman 

Passion for Fashion

For a wardrobe makeover that's light on the pocket and heavy on style, Sydneysiders are turning to Passion For Fashion for their dress hire needs. This local gem, powered by a passion for sustainability and a love for fashion, offers a curated closet filled with designer styles available for rent, wear, and return (or keep!). With every trend, colour, and print you've ever dreamt of wearing, it's a fraction of the cost for maximum style. Plus, with a philanthropic touch, they donate $1 from each booking to Baby Give Back. Dress hire in Sydney just got a whole lot more fabulous and eco-friendly!

High St. Hire

High St. Hire, a reliable dress hire in Sydney, boasts a wardrobe built on values of access-over-ownership, saying a resounding no to disposable fashion. They are on a mission to make luxury fashion accessible and sustainable for all women, fostering a guilt-free and fearless embrace of personal style. High St. Hire lets you enjoy a huge collection of clothes that fit your aesthetic and needs—whether you prefer modest pieces or if you're dressing around a bump!

What's more, they won't let you leave with pieces that won't make you look your best. With their personalised shopping at their Sydney boutique, you're sure to stay on-trend with up-to-the-minute collections from both Australian and international designers. Score!

Shop 6/251-269 Bay Street, Brighton-Le-Sands

Are you a hard-core fashionista reading up on Sydney dress hire companies in an effort to become more sustainable? We can help. Bring some sustainable style to your home with the best second-hand and antique furniture in Sydney. Or, if you're looking for a destination for your next all-out shopping spree, check out the best homegrown labels from jewellery to skincare and makeup brands.