Finally, a sustainable option for needing a new dress for last-minute plans

Angel Jones is a Cardiff-based 28-year-old who has set up Angels Clothes Rentals @angels_clothesrentals on Instagram. The company is a sustainable clothes rental shop where you can rent outfits for plans without buying something new that you will only wear once. The website features stylish, trendy dresses from big brands such as Oh Polly that have been sourced second-hand. This is because many of us are becoming more environmentally aware and realise we don’t have to buy new things whenever we have plans. The dresses are cleaned and stored near Cardiff city centre to stick to the brand’s ethos, and all deliveries are made via electric scooter to reduce emissions.

The brand gives you the unique option of collecting or getting the dress dropped off on the same day. They also feature an appointment option for customers to try on the outfit before deciding to rent, so there are no last-minute meltdowns.

After Angel graduated in business and management, where she studied ethics and sustainability, she was shocked to find out clothing was second after oil for polluting the planet. She knew she wanted to set up a business to promote change. Angel has a passion for shopping and dressing up to go out. She knows how easy it is to be convinced by these fast fashion brands to buy new every time, especially with the next-day delivery option. A recent example of this is how during the love island final, asos pushed out a notification saying, “Don’t worry, the summer fun isn’t over yet”, promoting their summer range. Angels clothes rentals have a unique selling point of being local and fast, unlike other sustainable businesses such as vinted and depop, as they don’t make it as reliable and fast. 

We are finally starting to wake up and see the fashion industry’s impact more than ever. As consumers, we are becoming more conscious about what we purchase and who we support as we want authenticity from the people we plan to support. 

Cardiff needs more fashion-based small businesses, especially sustainable ones making Angelsclothesrentals the perfect brand to support. Angel is passionate about helping the environment and people around Cardiff who don’t trust the next-day delivery these fast fashion brands offer us. Instead, they want that in-person interaction to try stuff on and ensure it’s right for the evening.

Renting outfits is the way forward. We all have stuff in our wardrobes that we know had our Instagram picture, and now we don’t know what to do with it. Renting from a place such as this solves all of these issues simultaneously. In addition, angel clothes rentals are unique because they are second-hand, giving them a 3rd home to rent.

The brand currently has a following of 1600 on Instagram with some fantastic reviews. The local business has done sustainable fashion shows bringing some eco-friendly fashion events to Cardiff. With the success of Angel clothes rental’s last fashion show, stays tuned for the next one in May 2023. 

Support a local brand that has good brand ethics by attending the next fashion show as an opportunity to see what outfits the brand has to offer you, as there will be a runway showing off the new second-hand items added to the shop. Be a part of the change that we are all trying to make.