Riding the second-hand wave: rent out an occasion wardrobe instead of letting it sleep.
$6,744
net profit per year · That's on average $562 per month
150 bookings per year
Yearly costs
€0/month — billed only per confirmed booking
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Estimate before taxes and contributions, based on your assumptions. This is not an income promise — adjust every value to your situation.
A dress bought for around €400 and hired at €25 per day for two days brings in about €50 per rental. At 30 rental days a year, or roughly 15 bookings, theoretical revenue reaches €750 per dress before cleaning, overheads, labour and taxes.
In France, businesses such as Une Robe Un Soir have made dress rental familiar to customers. Prices vary with the label, hire period, fitting and dry cleaning. €50 for two days remains a realistic reference point for a mid-range evening dress, especially during the May-to-September wedding season and December celebrations.
The calculator allows 10% of the purchase price for maintenance, or €40 per dress each year, plus around €200 of fixed costs. Compare this with your invoices: basic dry cleaning may cost €5 to €15 after every hire, and more for delicate fabrics. Alterations, garment bags and hangers also add up.
Professional liability cover is advisable, alongside insurance for stock, transport and theft where appropriate. Your agreement should state the dress condition, dates, price, security deposit, late-return terms, stains and repair schedule. Photograph every handover and return; a security deposit is neither insurance nor proof of damage.
Start with several sizes and easy-to-adjust cuts, then buy according to requests you genuinely cannot fulfil. Offer fittings by appointment and publish each dress worn, with measurements, availability and price. Instagram is a strong starting channel, while a local business listing and partnerships with photographers, make-up artists and venues can bring steadier enquiries.
Online booking prevents clashes and scattered follow-ups across calls, messages and spreadsheets. Louez.io can bring together availability, payment, contracts and security deposits, charging per booking rather than through a monthly subscription. Your own polished storefront also avoids marketplace commission: in its early model, Les Cachotières stated a 30% commission.
An initial collection of ten dresses at around €400 each represents €4,000. Add garment bags, hangers, a rail, photography, packaging, insurance and cash for dry cleaning or alterations. Ten coherent styles covering several sizes and occasions are usually more useful than a wide collection that is hard to match. Test local demand with appointment-only fittings and keep a reserve to quickly replace a zip, lining or dress that is out of service.
Dress hire does not automatically require a specific professional insurance policy, but professional liability cover is strongly recommended. Ask whether your stock is insured at home or in your premises, in transit and against theft, fire and water damage. Declare the collection’s maximum value accurately. A security deposit can address some customer-caused damage; it does not cover every loss and should never be retained without evidence.
Choose a structure that suits your country, expected turnover and tax position. In France, a micro-entreprise is often used to test a solo rental business because its formalities and accounting are lighter. Its drawback is that actual costs are not deducted: dresses, dry cleaning, alterations, premises and travel remain your expense. Check the activity classification, thresholds and applicable VAT rules when registering. As stock and costs grow, compare a sole trader regime with a company.
It can be, if each dress rents often enough and cleaning is included in the price. Under the calculator assumptions, one dress generates €750 in annual revenue from a €400 investment. That is not profit: maintenance, fixed-cost share, actual dry cleaning, payment fees, insurance, social charges, taxes and fitting time still need to be deducted. Profitability depends mainly on utilisation from May to September, then in December.
At €50 for a two-day hire, eight rentals theoretically cover a dress bought for €400. In practice, you need more because every hire creates cleaning, wear and administration. Track payback dress by dress: income received minus cleaning, alterations, payment fees and any commission. A dress hired 15 times a year can help fund styles or sizes that are essential to offer but chosen less often.
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