Like most young women, Brittany Courtney only ever wears a designer dress once.
The university student started cashing in her wardrobe two years ago when she realised the fashion rental market was big business.
What started as a hobby renting out dresses to her friends quickly turned into a lucrative side hustle — with a stunning collection of almost 200 high-end dresses now taking 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 feel real,” Brittany tells 7Life.
“I personally don’t work as I’m studying and it makes it really easy for me to study and not have to worry about having a job.”
Growing up, Brittany enjoyed borrowing from and swapping clothes with her two younger sisters.
But the idea to start a side hustle came in 2021 after the then-Year 12 student posted pictures on Instagram showing herself wearing a fancy frock at her school formal.
“I had so many girls message me asking where my dress was from and if I could rent it to them,” Brittany says.
“I honestly didn’t even know hiring dresses was a thing.”
Because she was still in school, Brittany says she couldn’t afford to buy high-end outfits.
“I was still young so I didn’t have a job but I was lucky enough my parents funded the dresses I got,” she says.
She began renting out the dresses from her wardrobe on fashion hire platform The Volte.
The platform offers lenders the option to purchase insurance for loss of items so there’s always peace of mind when renting out her expensive gowns.
According to the website, customers are charged for any specialist dry-cleaning or repairs necessary.
Brittany says she puts every cent she makes towards growing her side hustle.
“Pretty much all the money I make from dress hire goes towards buying new dresses,” she says.
She now owns between 180 to 200 designer dresses.
“I store all of my dresses in the house, I’ve completely taken over our dining room and it’s now the dress room,” she says.
“All the dresses take up so much space and I’ve already outgrown the dress room so will need to expand.”
The most expensive piece she owns is the Cult Gaia Renata gown, retailed at $4000.
“I hire it for $530,” she says.
“It took six months to make the money back as it was a very popular piece after a guest from Sofia Richie’s wedding wore it and it went viral.
“I am pretty sure I am the only one in Australia to rent this piece.”
Depending on the seasons, Brittany says her earnings are not consistent every month.
“It sounds easy to say that I earn $30,000 a month but it does vary… In the quieter months it’s about $5000 to $10,000,” she explains.
“I find October, November and December is chaotic — and the most busiest — with dress hires, while January and February are usually the quieter months.
“I definitely saw a big boom for sparkly dresses during the Taylor Swift Eras Tour.
“Not too often people wear crazy sparkly dresses so there was a huge demand leading up to her shows.”
But with every business comes expenses.
“For hiring dresses, you need to consider dry cleaning, shipping costs and, sometimes, dresses need repairs,” she says.
Brittany is a full-time student studying dental prosthetics — with two years left on her degree.
When she’s not studying, she’s packing every order, so her customers can get their dresses in time for special events, ranging from weddings to the races.
Like any side hustle, Brittany says there are highs and lows to renting out statement pieces.
“It’s very good side hustle, especially if you go to lots of events and just have dresses sitting in the wardrobe,” she explains.
“I personally buy a dress and wear it once. I know lots of ladies have the same attitude and it’s so good as you can make your money back by hiring the dresses.
“A low (point) would be a lot of the orders I get are very last minute, like I have to send it off pretty much straight away for it to arrive in time.
“As soon as I get the order, I pretty much pack it up and send it straight off to them.
“If I went on holiday, lots of people would miss out on outfits.”
For those keen to start renting out their wardrobes, Brittany suggests: “Don’t go out of your way to buy heaps and heaps of dresses to begin with.
“Use what you already have, and the money you make, to buy more stock slowly.”
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