Solace London Rental Versus Buying: When Each Makes Sense

Solace London is widely available to rent, but because many of its styles are boned and cut close with little stretch, buying in the right size and having the hem tailored often gives the better fit. Renting makes most sense for a single event in a colour you would not wear again.

Searches for renting the label come mostly from the UK, Ireland and Australia, where dress hire is a normal part of wedding season. The question behind them is simple: is a Solace London gown worth owning, and is it better borrowed for the night? The answer depends less on the dress than on how you plan to use it. We set out how we would decide, and neither answer is right every time.

Where you can rent Solace London

Several rental platforms list the label. Rent the Runway in the US, HURR in the UK and Endless in the UAE all appear in search results for Solace London rental, and Irish shoppers search for local rental as well. What each platform carries changes all the time, and rental stock is often a season behind, sometimes more, the brand’s own collections. If you want a specific style from the newest range, renting may not be an option yet.

We do not rent dresses at Coveti. We sell the current Solace London range, 343 styles in UK sizes 4 to 16, and our guide to where to buy Solace London covers the other places that sell it.

Renting versus buying at a glance

Why fit matters more with Solace London

Most rental advice treats every dress the same. Solace London is different, because of how its dresses are built. Many styles have boned bodices, and the brand’s own fit notes describe them as designed to sculpt the body with minimal stretch. A boned strapless bodice, as on the Dandridge Maxi Dress in Black, has to fit your ribcage closely to stay up. A little too loose and it slips; a little too tight and you will feel it all night.

When you rent, you get the size the platform has available on your date, already worn and cleaned, with no way of adjusting it. That is fine for a forgiving shape. It is a real risk with a corseted gown. Our Solace London size guide has the body chart and the fit notes by style, and it is worth reading before you rent as much as before you buy.

Alterations you cannot make on a rental

Rental platforms generally do not allow alterations, so check the terms of the one you use. That rules out three things that make the biggest difference to a Solace London dress.

• The hem. Solace London maxis are cut to reach the floor on tall models. On a shorter wearer they pool unless you wear a very high heel. Buying lets a tailor set the hem for your height and your shoes.
• The bodice. A tailor can take in the side seams of a boned bodice for a closer fit. On a rental you live with the fit it arrives in.
• Straps and shaping. On some styles a discreet strap and an extra hook can make a strapless gown far more secure. Again, only an option on a dress you own.

When renting makes sense

Rent when the occasion is a one-off and the dress is one you would not wear again. A themed party, a colour picked by the bride for the wedding party, a gala with a specific palette and a holiday wedding where you do not want to pack a gown are all good reasons. Rent too when you want to try the label’s fit before you commit to buying a style you will keep, since wearing one for an evening tells you a lot about how the brand’s sizing works on your body.

Renting also suits the more dramatic pieces. A gown with a sculptural train and a big scarf is memorable, which is the point, and it can be hard to wear twice in the same circle of friends.

When buying makes sense

Buy when you have more than one event in the diary, when you want a dress that fits exactly, and when you are building a small black tie wardrobe. A well-chosen Solace London gown in black, navy and a deep jewel tone can carry you through several weddings and galas, especially if you change the jewellery and shoes each time.

The simplest way to decide is to think in wears. Count the events you have coming up in the next year where the dress would be right. If the number is one, rent. If it is three and more, buy, and set the hem once. In between, it comes down to how much the exact fit matters to you, and how much you like the dress.

Does Solace London fit differently when rented?

It can. A rental dress has been worn and cleaned many times. Stretch knit crepe can relax slightly over many wears, and boning can soften. The hem may have been let down and taken up by previous renters, if the platform allows it, so the length can vary. None of this makes a rental a bad dress, but it may not fit exactly the way the size chart suggests.

The easiest Solace London styles to rewear

If you buy, choose a style that does not announce itself. Plain columns and clean necklines in dark colours are the easiest to wear again and again.

• The Olivia Maxi Dress in Black: a long, close sleeve and a straight fall to the floor, in 95% polyester and 5% elastane. It works for winter weddings, black tie and covered dress codes.
• The Lang Maxi Dress in Ruby: a body-conscious column with a capped sleeve and a moulded neckline in stretch knit crepe. Easy to move in and easy to restyle.
• The Kira Maxi Dress in Black: a one-shoulder maxi in 100% polyester, one of the label’s best-known shapes.
• The Nanette Maxi Dress in Black: a graphic, body-conscious maxi with a high mock neck and an asymmetrical split, in stretch knit crepe.
• The Deacon Maxi Dress in Black: a tailored long-sleeved maxi with an exaggerated shoulder and a deep V neckline, in lightweight textured crepe.

Our Solace London signature styles guide explains the label’s best-known names, and our guide to how to style Solace London shows how to change one dress for different events.

Looking after a dress you own

Every Solace London product page we have read gives the same care instructions: dry clean only, cool iron, do not tumble dry. Store a boned gown hanging on a padded hanger, and a heavy satin one flat-folded with tissue so the weight does not pull at the shoulders. Between wears, steam rather than iron the crepe styles. A good dry cleaner and tailor can replace a zip and re-face a worn hem, which keeps an owned dress going far longer than any rental.

Renting abroad

For a wedding overseas, rental can save carrying a gown in a suitcase. In the UAE, Endless is the platform that appears for the label, and our guide to Solace London in Dubai and the Gulf covers where to buy there. If you buy instead, roll the dress in tissue inside a garment bag and hang it as soon as you arrive.

If you are still undecided, our guide to renting versus buying Rachel Gilbert works through the same question for another occasion label, and our brands like Solace London edit covers similar designers. The full current range is on our Solace London brand page and in the designer dresses category.

Frequently asked questions

Can you rent Solace London?

Yes. Rent the Runway in the US, HURR in the UK and Endless in the UAE all appear in search results for Solace London rental. Stock varies by platform and is often a season behind the brand’s own range.

Is it better to rent a Solace London dress?

Rent a Solace London dress for a one-off event in a colour you will not wear again. Buy one when you have several events coming up and want an exact fit, since many styles are boned and cut close with little stretch.

Can you alter a rented Solace London gown?

Rental platforms generally do not allow alterations, so check the terms. That means you cannot hem a rented Solace London maxi for your height, nor take in a boned bodice, which are the two changes that matter most on this label.

How many times should you wear a Solace London dress to justify buying?

Count the events in the next year where the Solace London dress would be right. If it is one, rent. If it is three and more, buying makes sense, especially if you set the hem once and change the accessories each time.

Does Solace London fit differently when rented?

It can. A rented Solace London dress has been worn and cleaned many times, so stretch crepe can relax, boning can soften and the hem length can vary. It may not fit exactly the way the size chart suggests.

Which Solace London styles are easiest to rewear?

Plain Solace London columns in dark colours are the easiest to rewear: the Olivia with a long sleeve, the Lang with a capped sleeve, the one-shoulder Kira, the high-necked Nanette and the tailored Deacon.

More Solace London guides

Every Coveti guide to the label, plus the full Solace London edit.

• Is Solace London a Luxury Brand? Quality, Fabric and Fit Assessed
• Solace London Size Guide: UK, US and EU Sizes with Body Measurements
• Where to Buy Solace London in the US, UK and Australia
• Solace London Gowns: The Evening Styles Worth Knowing
• Solace London Wedding Guest Dresses for Every Dress Code
• Solace London Bridal: Wedding Dresses, Reception Looks and Civil Ceremony Styles
• Solace London Modest Dresses: Long Sleeves, High Necks and Full Lengths
• Solace London Dresses by Colour: Black, Red, White, Pink, Green and Blue
• Solace London Strapless, One Shoulder and Off the Shoulder Dresses
• Solace London Signature Styles: Kinsley, Lang, Kira, Olivia and the Icons Explained
• Which Celebrities Wear Solace London? Every Verified Look
• Brands Like Solace London: 6 Alternatives We Stock
• Solace London in Dubai, Riyadh and the Gulf: Where to Shop and What to Wear
• Solace London Long Sleeve Dresses: Columns, Blouson Sleeves and Covered Gowns
• Solace London Mother of the Bride Dresses: Elegant Styles for the Whole Day
• Solace London for Winter Weddings and Black Tie Galas
• Solace London Christmas Party Dresses: Minis, Midis and Party Maxis
• Solace London Maxi, Midi and Mini Dresses: Lengths Explained
• Solace London Resort 2027: The New Collection
• Solace London Real Versus Fake: How to Check Your Dress and the Site You Buy From
• How to Style Solace London: Shoes, Bags, Jewellery and Cover Ups