I tried the 'Airbnb for clothes.' Here's what I found
Called Style Lend, the company hosts hundreds of designer styles that users can rent for a fraction of the cost and return after a few days' time. The difference, however, is that the clothes actually belong to someone else.
Style Lend launched out of Y Combinator's winter 2014 class and, in general, is pretty similar to competitors Rent the Runway and Armarium - although TechCrunch compares it to an Airbnb for clothes.
For the owners of the clothes on the site, it seems like a great way to earn back money spent on expensive clothing, bags, and accessories, but I wondered what it was like for a user. As someone with three older sisters and a bevy of generous female friends, I've never been hesitant about borrowing clothes from someone else. But what would it be like borrowing clothes from a stranger?
I decided to give it a try.