Carrie Symonds pays £10-a-month to rent designer clothes for official events
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She has been praised for her fashion choices since becoming the UK’s ‘first girlfriend’.
Now, it has been revealed that Carrie Symonds, 31, keeps wardrobe costs down - and does her bit for the environment - by renting designer clothes for official engagements.
According to the Daily Mail, the partner of Prime Minister Boris Johnson pays £9.99 per month to loan out pricey outfits for events, rather than buying them outright.
The stylish PR executive reportedly uses the site My Wardrobe HQ to hire out looks - including a blue-and-white check ensemble she wore to meet the Queen.
READ MORE: Carrie Symonds wears £85 & Other Stories dress at Conservative Party Conference
Their monthly membership - described as a “private members’ club for the fashion world” - allows customers to browse then rent designs for a fraction of their full retail price.
After being borrowed for up to seven days, pieces are then returned where they are cleaned ready for another person to enjoy.
It is claimed that Carrie, who is a self-described “conservationist” and works as an adviser to environmental campaign group Oceana, has already made regular use of the service after signing up.
A source close to the site told the paper that the blue-and-white check Eponine dress she wore to meet the Queen at Balmoral in September set her back £225 - rather than £2,100.
READ MORE: Carrie Symonds wears vintage blue tweed dress to visit Queen at Balmoral
Carrie paired the outfit with knee-high Chloe boots worth £995, which cost her just £115.
She also used the service when she joined her other half - and royals including Meghan Markle and Prince Harry - at the Festival of Remembrance in November.
Her all-black £1,740 outfit for the event at London’s Royal Albert Hall was rented for £204.
For a trip to New York as part of her day job for Oceana, where she met Bill and Melissa Gates, she hired £780 worth of clothes for £118.
READ MORE: Carrie Symonds wore a £255 sustainable eco-dress - and this is where you can buy it
A source close to the site said: “Carrie loves eco fashion so borrowing clothes for special occasions means they aren’t just left hanging in her wardrobe and rarely worn. One dress can go a long way.”
It has been reported that £140 million worth of clothing is sent to landfill in the UK each year, fuelling a rise in companies - including Hire Street, Hurr, By Rotation and Girl Meets Dress - allowing people to rent outfits that they may only want to wear once instead.
Tina Lake, co-founder of My Wardrobe HQ, said in a recent interview: “I think the average consumer is a lot more educated in terms of the damage fast fashion is having on the planet.
“What we’ve done is worked with high-profile, influential models and celebrities, helping educate their followers to know that rental can be glamorous, not something you should be ashamed of.”
Yahoo Style UK have approached My Wardrobe HQ for comment.
