Buy Vs. Borrow

sarah brown and michelle obama april 09.jpg The concept of borrowing clothes is a fairly new one. While celebrities have taken advantage of the idea for years, it’s recently caught the public eye via sites like Bag, Borrow or Steal and stores like Ilus. And now, the practice has reached the political stage, too.

Sarah Brown, Britain’s Michelle Obama, may not play in the same fashion leagues as our First Lady, but her clothing choices haven’t escaped the public eye. The bottom line is, the Browns lack the Obamas’ bank account without lacking the media exposure. Also, Britain’s laws prohibit her from accepting gifts, which means that while her outfits at something like the G20 receive the same scrutiny as Michelle and Carla’s, she can’t quite buy from the runway.

But, she can rent - for about one-tenth the cost.

Despite the presence of rent-able fashion, it’s not so discussed. Are you a Sarah or a Michelle - and we don’t mean your bank account? Would you rather rent this Marchesa dress for $190 or spend an extra $200 and buy your own Alex Wang instead?

—CARSON GRIFFITH

posted by guest

Apr 09, 2009 3:50PM

I love how you use a picture of Michelle in JCrew for this article.... Surely Sarah can afford JCrew if I can. http://isnotfashion.blogspot.com

Apr 09, 2009 4:04PM

um, its probably the only one they had of them together. michelle wears expensive designers all the time though too. i'd rather just buy a cheaper dress than wear something someone else has. that's just me.

posted by mpw

Apr 09, 2009 5:05PM

Definitely buy. I only wear pieces that I love and would want to keep for ages.

Apr 09, 2009 5:22PM

I grew up with five sisters. I will never, ever wear another person's clothes again. I'll buy my own, thank you. Besides, I think it's a waste of money to rent something when you can pay a few dollars more and wear it over and over again. (But, I guess if you're in the public eye you can't actually something over and over, can you?)

posted by etoilee8

Apr 10, 2009 2:48AM

If this were available in high school I would have happily done this for prom.

Apr 10, 2009 10:54AM

It would be great to rent wedding dress styles that didn't require alterations. It's so dumb to have to buy a dress you'll only wear once (which I did, but I'm planning on reselling it if possible).

Apr 10, 2009 4:47PM

like bridesmaid dresses? or actual wedding dresses? definitely a great idea for prom dresses, but if you really love a dress for a night out. it can often be worth the hefty price tag. i don't think it's worth michelle or sarah paying the prices though bc they can only wear things once (photographed), especially since they don't even have daughters the right age to pass it down to, unless it's a keepsake or a classic

Apr 11, 2009 6:27AM

Buy Is its something Im gonna wear on more the one occasion. If its just I one time thing than mabye Ill rent it but I dont like borowwing I want my own stuff !

posted by darcykins

Apr 13, 2009 9:45AM

ick. I wouldn't be a Sarah or a Michelle, although maybe a Michaëlle Jean.
I rather think of myself as a Carla.

Apr 15, 2009 7:50AM

renting for a special occasion is totally practical and convenient. There are lots of great shops that provide this option. Save your money for a must have and save yourself the headache of overspending on something that you neither need or want to have as a treasured piece in your wardrobe.
fluff chance

Apr 15, 2009 4:07PM

i know they've had other pictures together, but that's beside the point.

i personally love michelle's style. it's fashionable but not too trendy, so maybe i would be like her, in that i would just buy it. she's re-worn a lot of her accessories and jackets and probably wears a lot of the same pieces day to day. granted, she's a very lucky woman, financially, and needs to look great for the camera. i just love michelle.

i think i agree with guest # 10 though, that for a special occasion, where you know you won't be wearing the dress again, if ever, renting might be a good idea. don't think i'd rent my wedding dress though; i'll either keep it for my daughter to wear (well, probably re-create by then!) or i'll sell it. i want my wedding dress to be MINE, if that doesn't sound too stupid.

this was long and rambling, sorry!

Jun 10, 2009 1:56PM

My sister rented her wedding dress and all of her 10!!! bridesmaids rented their dresses too. We rented our maids dresses plus shoes for $50.00 total and it was the cutest dress we found amoung all the bridal shops we went to. We got a better deal than the guys did with their tuxes. My sister got a couture gown that we tried on the same dress in other shops for $200 rental rather than having to buy it for $1300.00 I used to think renting clothes was a bad idea till you save money on a wedding like we all did and had a great experience. The dresses looked brand new and you could not tell that they had been worn. The store was very professional, clean and really fun to shop in. The place was called Classy Concepts and it was in Austin, TX. I don't know their website but if you google it, you will find it.