Like most young women, Brittany Courtney has only worn a designer dress once.
The college student started cashing in on her wardrobe two years ago after realizing the fashion rental market was big business.
What started as a hobby of renting dresses to friends quickly turned into a lucrative side hustle, and now an impressive collection of about 200 fine dresses takes over her family's dining room.
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The 20-year-old from Brisbane earns up to $30,000 a month.
“It doesn't seem real,” Brittany told 7Life.
“I don't work because I'm studying. It makes studying a lot easier and I don't have to worry about work.”
Brittany grew up borrowing and swapping clothes from her two younger sisters.
But the idea to start a side hustle was born in 2021 when the then Year 12 student posted a photo on Instagram of herself wearing a flashy frock to a school formal.
“I've had a lot of girls message me asking where my dress came from and if they can rent it,” Brittany says.
“To be honest, I didn't even know you could hire dresses.”
Since Brittany was still a student, she says she couldn't afford expensive clothes.
“I was young and didn't have a job, but I was lucky that my parents gave me the money to buy a dress,” she says.
She started renting dresses from her wardrobe on fashion rental platform The Volte.
The platform offers lenders the option to purchase insurance against loss of items, so you'll always have peace of mind when renting her expensive gown.
According to the website, there will be a charge if professional dry cleaning or repairs are required.
Brittany says she spends all the money she makes on growing her side hustle.
“Most of the money I make from renting dresses goes toward buying new dresses,” she says.
She currently owns between 180 and 200 designer dresses.
“I keep all my dresses in the house. They've completely taken over the dining room and now it's my dressing room,” she says.
“All the dresses take up a lot of space and we've already outgrown our dressing room, so we need to expand.”
Her most expensive piece is the cult Gaia Renata dress, which retails for $4,000.
“I rent it for $530,” she says.
“It took me six months to get my money back because it was such a popular item after a guest at Sofia Richie's wedding went viral.
“I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in Australia who has rented this movie.”
Brittany says her income is inconsistent from month to month, depending on the season.
“It sounds easy to say you make $30,000 a month, but it actually varies. In a slow month, it's about $5,000 to $10,000,” she explains.
“October, November and December are the busiest months, with a disruption in dress rentals, while January and February are usually the quieter months.
“There's no doubt that glittery dresses were all the rage during Taylor Swift's tour.
“Not many people wear crazy, sparkly dresses, so there was a huge demand for them until her show.”
However, any business has expenses.
“If you rent a dress, you'll need to factor in dry cleaning and shipping costs, and in some cases, the dress may need repairs,” she says.
Brittany is a full-time student studying prosthodontics and has two years left to complete her degree.
When she's not studying, she's packing every order so customers can have their dresses delivered in time for special events, from weddings to races.
Like any side hustle, renting statement pieces has its ups and downs, Brittany says.
“It's a great side hustle, especially if you're attending a lot of events and the dresses are just sitting in your wardrobe,” she explains.
“I personally buy a dress and wear it once. I know many women have the same attitude, but it's very good because if you rent a dress, it pays for itself.''
“What makes it (points) low is that many of the orders I receive are last minute and have to be shipped quickly to arrive in time.
“As soon as we receive your order, we will package it and send it right away.
“If I go on vacation, many people will forget to dress.”
For those looking to start renting wardrobes, Brittany has this advice:
“Buy stocks slowly using what you already have and the money you earn.”
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