Frequently asked questions

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How long can I rent a dress for?
The minimum rental period is for 2 weeks. You can request additional weeks for an increased cost, up to 6 weeks. If you are interested in a period longer than 6 weeks, please reach out.
When does the rental period start? When does it end?
The rental period begins on the requested start date. The rental period ends on the target return date. Depending on shipping and when local exchanges are coordinated, these dates could vary.
How long should I allow for shipping?

As a lender, please ship the dress/handbag to the borrower so that it arrives on or before the request date. Standard USPS shipping is 3-5 days.

As a borrower, please ship the dress/handbag back to the lender by the target return date. The item doesn’t need to be back to the lender by the date, but it needs to be on its way, unless otherwise discussed.

What if my dress/handbag does not come on time?
If you are renting an item for a specific event and it does not come in time, we will help reconcile with you and the lender. We connect you and the lender ahead of time to coordinate shipping and exchanges - we hope this level of communication will help mitigate mishaps.
When do I need to return the dress/handbag?
Items need to be returned on the target return date. If you are shipping, please ensure that the dress is on its way back to the lender by the target return date. If you are doing a local exchange, please plan to meet up on or around the target return date.
Does the rental period include dry cleaning?
Yes. The dress must be dry cleaned (if that is the preferred cleaning method) within the rental time period. Please plan accordingly and ensure that you allot enough time to pick up the items and return by the target return date.
What happens if the dress does not fit?

We encourage you to ask questions on the listing to better understand the fit and condition of the dress before requesting it. We know that fit is subjective, but we hope that encouraging conversation between lender and borrower will result in a more informed decision. There are a couple of exceptions.

  • If you do a local exchange, and try the dress on within one day of receiving the dress and it does not fit/work for your needs, you can return it. The dress MUST be back to the lender ASAP, or you will not incur a full refund.
  • If you borrow a dress in one of our top two tiers (with starting rental fees at $170 and $200) and you determine that the dress doesn’t work within 2 days of receiving the dress, we will offer a partial refund. The dress must be sent back to the lender immediately. These policies are to accommodate financial and physical efforts by both lender and borrower.
What if the dress I receive does not meet the description?
Please reach out to Our Closet immediately and we will help facilitate.
What if I receive a dress back from a borrower and there is damage?
Please reach out to Our Closet immediately and we will help facilitate with the borrower. If there is significant damage or loss of the dress/handbag, the borrower could be responsible for up to the full retail price of the item.
What if someone borrows my dress and I don’t hear from them?
Our Closet’s mission is to enable flexible rentals for borrowers and lenders, but this is only possible with the cooperation of both parties. If the borrower does not respond to emails regarding the rental and fails to return the dress on time, they will incur a late penalty for each day past the target return date. If never returned, the borrower could be responsible for up to the full retail price of the item.
What if I don’t have Instagram?
While we started off on Instagram, you don’t need to be on Instagram to add to or request from Our Closet. Our request and submission forms will be available on our website.
How do I communicate with Our Closet and the borrower/lender about a rental?
We love seeing comments on our Instagram posts! Once a rental request has been made, we connect borrowers and lenders via email and/or text message. This is all to help build the OC community, and make the process simple, convenient, and flexible. We hope some day to have a chat feature to facilitate more conversations between lenders and borrowers.
Can I add anything to Our Closet?
Our Closet is different from other peer-to-peer rental services because we focus on occasion dresses and handbags. In other words, we don’t accept casual wear, tops, pants, or shoes. If you have a formal jumpsuit or item you’d wear to a formal event, we will absolutely accept it! When in doubt, go ahead and fill out our submission form. We review each piece! Our requirements are that the items are in good/great condition and retail over $75.
How does the pricing work?

We decided on a tiered pricing structure to be as simple and straightforward as possible. We have 5 rental fee tiers. When you submit an item to Our Closet, we will suggest a tier based on the retail price of the item, however, the lender will decide which tier is appropriate based on condition, style, exclusivity, location, etc. Lenders can change the price of the dress whenever they want. We do encourage lenders to review their inventory to make sure items are appropriately priced and remain in good condition. Below are some examples of how lenders may evaluate which tier is most appropriate:

  • Example A: a dress that retails for over $700 may fall under the fourth tier ($170) based on retail price, but if it's been worn multiple times and is no longer in GREAT or LIKE NEW condition, its probably better suited at a lower tier.
  • Example B: a dress that retails for under $700 may fall under the third tier ($120) based on retail price, but perhaps the dress is super exclusive or sold out, so the lender could choose to list it at a higher price in anticipation of high demand and wanting to maintain good condition of the dress.
Who pays for dry cleaning?
Borrowers are responsible for dry cleaning. Lenders will set cleaning preferences for each listing, to be returned either 1) dry cleaned 2) machine washed 3) do not clean before returning. We will confirm these preferences with each request.
Who pays for shipping?
Borrowers are responsible for all shipping costs at this time. Lenders: when you ship an item to a borrower, please share the receipt in the email chain so that the borrower can Venmo for the cost of shipping. We ask that you please choose the lowest cost fare that will get the item to the destination by the correct date, to be mindful of the borrower. If the request is tight, expedited shipping may be required in which case costs can be discussed. We hope to have prepaid shipping labels in the future to make this easier and more cost effective.
How much money do I get for listing my dresses?
Our Closet pays lenders commission for every rental of their dresses/handbags. Right now, our commission rate is 75% of the full rental cost. Until we have a more polished process in place, we Venmo our lenders their earnings after the rental is complete.