(Image: pagadesign / iStockphoto)

The smartest thing in the world is having lots of money. People like Time Magazine can talk about intelligence and leadership all they want, but you’ll notice that all of their non-gimmick People of the Year can either buy or run countries in their spare time. Inversely, losing money must be the stupidest thing in the world, which is why we have wallets to hold it. And just as a smart person can evaluate your clothes by looking at your shoes, a worn-out wallet will make you look like you stole (or, worse these days, burrowed) the cash inside.

Which is why we’ve found 9 super-smart wallets.

Techno Walletry

The first way to make something smarter is stuff it with circuitry (at least according to Hollywood cyborg movies).

1. The Illuminating Walit

Walit Illuminating Wallet

The Walit combines cool TRON effects with a simple and incredibly useful application. Opening the Walit triggers an internal light, meaning you can always see exactly how much you’re handing over no matter how dark the taxi (or other darkened place you’re counting out untraceable cash). Either way it’s something you want to get right, and often want to do quickly.

2. Proverbial Wallets

Proverbial Wallets

The Proverbial Wallets are in development by MIT to help people be smarter about their spending. Bluetooth connections turn financial information into tactile feedback, based on the idea that people aren’t as stupid with cold, hard cash as they are with almost imaginary credit. The Bumblebee buzzes every time your credit card is processed, reminding you that this is real money (and alerting you to fraud), while the Mother Bear’s motorized hinge actively resists opening when you’re over budget for the month. It’ll still let you in, of course, but the resistance reminds you not to be so free with your finances.

3. The iWallet

iWallet

If the iWallet contained any more hardware it would start demanding a share of your money for services rendered, and also be hunting for John Connor. Built from carbon fiber or steel — so you can choose your own favorite ridiculously tough material — it’s equipped with a biometric thumb lock (a highly advanced piece of personal security that would unfortunately lose to any pick-pockets “bash it with a rock” counter-strategy) and a much more useful Bluetooth distress call should it wander too far from you. But with all this equipment and the resulting $300 price tag, it’s doubtful you’ll have any cash left to put in it.

Protection

The second way to improve something is to make it tougher (another thing we learned from Hollywood cyborg movies).

4. Dosh Wallet

Dosh Wallet

The Dosh Wallet boasts a striking alternative style, a funky fresh folding plastic shell fitting in your pocket without any possibility of coins, cards, or subway tokens rolling out to annoy you. It probably won’t fit with the suit-and-tie crowd, but for students and outdoor adventurers it’s a fun match. It’s like someone actually sat down and thought “how would we build these things?” instead of “how do we build them?”

5. Nooka Asset Organizer

Nooka Asset Organizer

The Nooka takes the alternative approach even further, reducing the design to a single flexible pouch for cards and cash. Designed to fit in back pockets and bag compartments, this is for those adventuring outdoors or other places where you might need some emergency credit but won’t be whipping it out every two seconds.

6. Flipside Wallet

Flipside Wallet

The Flipside is another unconventional design, more a clamshell cigar case than a standard cash carrier. The hard shell makes it perfect for those who love the crisp feel of new notes, which at the last check was absolutely everybody. It also boasts RFID protection but unless you’re reading this from your secret agency’s cloaked-flying-black-helicopter base, it’s probably best not to focus on that paranoid element. Instead enjoy the slim style which won’t ruin the line of your suit.

7. Tactical Wallet

The Flipside’s big brother who ran away from home, grew up in the woods fighting bears, and then joined the army. The Swiss Army.

Tactical Wallet

The TMT Tactical Wallet is the manliest, MacGuyveriest wallet we’ve ever seen, making it an ideal birthday present for the man who likes spending spare time in the garage with his tools. But probably only for him. It’s great fun for the outdoors but you’d need to be using those tools regularly to make it worth lugging the immense container around — if you’re only going to need one from time to time it’s easier, and overall means less carrying, if you just go get a toolbox when you need it instead.

Tools including a compass, tweezers, glass-breaker, and hidden compartments in an unusual combination of outdoors, aesthetics, and espionage.

Recycled Style

Real recycling is really smart: it’s got a bad rep because a bunch of silly hippies insist it means ugly discomfort as you wipe yourself with molecule-thin strands of reprocessed sandpaper and flush with a thimble of water. Intelligent recycling, or “upcycling,” means looking at all the waste as a resource and asking “what would be awesome?” instead of “how can I get rid of that?”

8. Seat Belt Wallet

One of the best bits of upcycling we’ve ever seen. Wallets experience more erosion than the cliff under a waterfall, except those get more beautiful they more worn they are. The Seat Belt Wallet takes one of the toughest wallet-sized bands of material in existence and refolds it into a stylish and extremely sturdy cloth wallet.

Upcycled Seatbelt Wallet

This is the sort of recycling where you don’t have to excuse the appearance as ecological because it’s tough and looks cool.

9. Necktie and Suit

The final entry is the gentleman of the bunch, and it couldn’t be better suited because it’s actually made of suit.

Stylish Suit Wallet

Spare suit material is some of the most spectacularly wasted fabric, initially chosen to be gorgeous but the the whole thing can ruined by a single flaw. Which leaves yards of fabric just waiting for someone to do something, and UncommonGoods finally did.

###

(Image: Stockphoto4u / iStockphoto)

Wearing glasses is stereotypically intelligent, and like many stereotypes, it’s no longer true. We’ve reached a point where we can not only correct imperfect vision, but where “firing a laser into your eyeball” is a good thing, an incredible triumph of technology over common sense (and itself).

Some people still have to wear chunks of glass over their face because of unlaserable conditions, though, and we decided that if there’s going to be a problem laser-blasting can’t solve (in direct contravention of everything we’ve ever learned from sci-fi), we should at least have cool eyeglasses as compensation.

You do want to look good, don’t you?

1. Look Smart

We already mentioned how glasses make you look smart, but didn’t point out how that “smart” in this case is an adverb instead of an adjective. Augmented Reality overlays information on your regular field of view, meaning you instantly learn new things about any object you see: you become smarter about it simply because you can use the Internet without saying, “Wait a minute,” and thumbpadding your phone for a minute. All intelligence comes from your head. We’re just moving the facts in front of your eyeball instead of storing them behind.

Augmented Reality Walker

The AR Walker uses a retinal display to give you a video game Heads Up Display (HUD) in real-life. You’ve seen such things before, but the difference is this isn’t an idealistic research lab looking for publicity. This was demonstrated at the Japanese CEATAC showoff by Olympus, a huge digital camera manufacturer, and NTT DoCoMo, a major Japanese mobile phone provider. These are real people who make real money by providing real hardware and communications technology. They couldn’t be more serious about providing a real product without kidnapping your family to make you buy it.

This is still the prototype, but considering how it works, doesn’t look stupid, and is light enough for a human to carry, it won’t be long before you can buy one. It’s like a Bluetooth for your eyes, and the Jawbone clip-on earpiece has already pushed through the “makes you look stupid” barrier for us.

2. Look Cool

Function over form is all very admirable, but only an idiot would insist that sunglasses have a more important function than “make you look cool and/or badass.” The Japan Self Defense Force sunglasses accomplish both (probably because of their name). This is a country that wasn’t allowed to have an army by international treaty and just came up with another name that means “bunch of guys trained to kill people.” You couldn’t get any tougher without cloning Van Damme out of diamond.

Japan Self Defense Force Sunglasses

The shades’ only problem is the omnipresent lawyer, which only enhances their coolness because their enemy is so evil. The advertising says that they “will not fracture even if struck at 171km/h (106mph) by a 6.55mm (0.3″) diameter object,” which couldn’t more clearly suggest bullets without actually firing at you…but it isn’t allowed to say “bulletproof” in case some scumbag gets himself shot in the face and tries to earn money instead of a Darwinian removal from the world. And in a final mockery of modern law, the advertising picture shows them resisting a bullet anyway.

So the only people who could possibly object to these are lawyers and idiots. That is to say, they are awesome and cool.

3. Gunnar Glasses

“Gunnar Glasses” might sound like they’re for the Self Defense Force’s big brother — the one that sends agents into volcano bases to retrieve the nuclear warheads — but they’re the exact opposite: practical. While you aren’t going to have to deal with bullets shooting you in the eye (or at least not more than once), your face is bombarded with unnatural radiation every day. Gunnar glasses filter out the blue end of the spectrum, softening the artificial glare from fluorescent lighting and monitors that gives your eyes the horrible burning sensation that feels like spreadsheets are burning out your mind. Well, okay, the blue light is only part of that feeling, but it’s the part we can do something about.

Gunnar Glasses

The result is reduced eye strain and just incidentally looking a lot cooler. And they know it — with a range of styles from “Edge Ash” to “Rocket Mercury,” these are computer user goggles designed to look precisely not like someone who needs computer-using goggles.

Bonus Tip: If you’re interested in softening the strain on your eyes but don’t want to shell out on the extra optics, try f.lux software. It’s free and automatically adjusts your computer display for a similar effect.

4. Gucci Aviator 3D

The ultimate in 3D movie style isn’t on the screen, but on your face. This is good, because the last thing from the movies famous for being on your face was incredibly ugly.

Very unfashionable. And kind of fatal.

Gucci has gotten into the 3D glasses game. They’re awesomely using the latest movie gimmick to resurrect some real style from the ancient 80s: Aviator shades!

Gucci 3D Glasses

The designer shades work with Real D technology, making them compatible with 3D cinema and the upcoming Samsung H3DTVs (and if that’s not the acronym they’re using, then it should be). And this only makes us wonder: is someone who spends money to look good in the one environment designed to make sure people are looking somewhere else then unfashionable, or the most fashionable?

Pro Tip: He’s wearing the coolest glasses. That’s a hint.

5. Transcend

Recon Instruments is awesome, not just for having the coolest name in consumer technology since Xenon Cooling, but for installing a fighter jet HUD in ski goggles. You couldn’t get more extreme words in one sentence without inventing shark-boarding.

These are some extreme ski goggles

It’s the ultimate in luxury adrenaline tech, a three word phrase that means you win simply by getting to say it. The goggles contain a GPS, route map, and a full 3D accelerometer. That last bit requires not only the GPS data, but an accurate altimeter to work out the speed you’re shooting down the hill at woohoooooo!

It turns the entire sport into a video game. That’s the ultimate in kickass holiday luxury until someone invents jetpack racing.

###

(Image: LdF / iStockphoto)

Living a smart life means eliminating the unnecessary: bad news for watches. Approximately every single person in the world already has a phone, which can not only tell the time, but also phone Australia to ask when it is there as well. And then it can access the Internet to find the time shift between here and the Land Down Under.

A basic ability to tell the hour and minute isn’t exactly worth a whole other gadget anymore, especially an expensive one which commands control of an entire limb. (As in, “I can’t reach my hand in there. I’m wearing an expensive watch.” And knowing the Tag Heuer time to within a second is no good when your bathroom is flooding.)

This is why we’ve found five watches that offer their own advantages above and beyond a minute hand.

1. Nano Watches

Our first extra-useful watch actually comes from a useless product: the iPod nano (a.k.a. “how are we meant to use this and why does it still cost so much?”) There was a surge in silly wrist-mounts for this Lilliputian player — most about as exciting as a poorly-crafted piece of reprocessed plastic could be — but we found two examples worth your time.

The first is the awesome Slap bracelet, built from memory metal wrapped in soft silicone. No, it’s not a Real Doll crossed with a Terminator (the silicone isn’t used for fake skin or “implants”), but it is equally cool and feels almost as good to touch. The ruler-straight product slaps and wraps around your wrist. Because it’s the sixth generation, the wear and tear problems in early models have been dealt with.

Slap Bracelet Unfolded

Where the Slap is fun and funky, Thinkgeek’s leather and steel offering is style itself. The obvious reasons are the leather band linked to laser-cut steel. The less obvious reason is how it’s been laser-cut into a bottle opener…and all of those are awesome.

Steel and Leather Watch

2. Mutewatch

The idea of function over form is one of an immature mind, someone smart enough to know that style needs substance, but not yet wise enough to know style massively helps substance as well. The Mutewatch is understated elegance, the only true type of elegance.

Stylish Mutewatch

The blank band is actually a hidden watch, activated by touch and able to slide between clock, timer and alarm modes. Since it’s so terribly déclassé to beep and boop like some kind of commoner’s microwave, the Mutewatch gently vibrates to alert its owner (nay, master, for this is a higher-class creation that is more butler than belonging) that it may perchance be the time sir or madam wished to know of. Even better, the alarm is ended by pinching the screen. Yes, that is the super-exclusive gesture Apple products make such a big deal about. Yes, the Mutewatch really doesn’t feel such an insecure need to brag.

3. Garmin Forerunner

Garmin already had an excellent fitness watch with the Forerunner 405. So, they improved on it with the Forerunner 110. You get to make the number smaller when the new product is smaller, lighter, smarter, and cheaper. The Forerunner comes equipped with a heart monitor, GPS-enabled speed and distance tracking, and as Q would put it (if he worked in watches), “all the usual refinements.”

Garmin Forerunner 110

If you think GPS-for-running is an idiotic joke (“How far do you think I’m going to jog?“), then you don’t understand just how powerfully harsh data motivates the human brain. We might have evolved to outpace saber-tooth tigers, but it’s now cruel numbers that scare us. The harsh honesty of the bathroom scales, for example. Turn this numerophobio to good by using the Garmin Connect site: the watch can automatically upload your training data to a tracking website, where you can see just how much you have (or haven’t) been doing recently, and be spurred to improve.

It does seem to be moving one or two people a bit

4. WeWood Ebony

Attention enviro-mentalists: going green does not mean attempting to live like a penny-pinching OCD caveman in the middle of a major metropolis. It means being smarter about things and, in an amazing anti-hippie revelation (most smart things tend to be anti–hippie), it turns out that being environmentally friendly doesn’t necessarily mean looking like an abandoned hedge that’s been chewed on by endangered animals either.

WeWood Ebony Watches

The WeWood watches are extremely cool, as opposed to the almost aggressively unfashionable efforts of most people you’ll find parking themselves in front of bulldozers and/or interesting kinds of snail sitting in the way of roads. Each of the four styles plays on a different grain and color of wood, with ebony unquestionably the most stylish, and for every watch sold they plant a tree. Which is much more useful than hugging one.

5. The Decider

Indecision is the enemy of achievement. If you make a decision and it’s right, you advance. If it’s wrong, you learn… unless it’s lethal. (Protip: Don’t guess about life-or-death decisions.) The Decider is an actual cybernetic attachment, a machine you can attach to your limb and end uncertainty for the rest of time (which it can also tell).

The Decider Watch

The Yes/No display cycles every second, so simply think of your question and glance at your wrist. It’s always on, where even searching for a coin to flip is excuse enough for the indecisive (or lazy) enough to avoid commitment.  It’s even called The Decider, an action movie hero vibe that’ll force you into a decision. The idea is reinforced by how the display is color-coded, so you can’t pretend you saw the wrong thing… or realize that if you did try to pretend, you just made the decision anyway!

###

(Photo: kickstand / iStockphoto)

Whether you’re planning to go to the prom, attend a black-tie benefit, or walk down the red carpet, you’ll want to look your best. Traditionally, this has involved a series of frantic phone calls to formal wear rental places or dizzying tours of expensive designer boutiques, dressmakers, and shopping malls. Not anymore!

Now, you can relax in the comfort of your own home while you peruse through the hundreds of available formal wear fashions and accessories available for rent via the Internet. Not only will most online clothing rental sites tailor your rental to suit your unique size, shape and style, many will deliver your outfit, together with any requested matching accessories, right to your front door!

If you’re game for giving up the hassle of in-store clothing rentals and want to try the online route, here’s a brief tutorial.

How to Rent Clothes Online

Visit one of the sites listed below or do a Google search for “online clothing rental” to find your own source. Read the “how to” directions provided on the company’s website and register for a membership, if necessary. Click around to find your favorite styles and sizes, then make a list of the duds you’d most like to hire.

Before going further, have someone take detailed measurements of your body and use a template or chart to ensure you have an accurate record for future use. (You can measure yourself, but it is probably worth the expense to have a professional seamstress or tailor do an accurate set of measurements for you. After all, what good is renting expensive designer attire if the fit isn’t just right?)

When you have your measurements, go back to the site, make your selection, and provide your payment information. Some clothing rental companies will require a hefty deposit. Don’t worry — you’ll get this back as soon as you return the clothing in good condition.

Once you’re done with the outfit, place it in the pre-addressed envelope provided by the company and stick it in the mail. Do not attempt to clean the outfit, as most companies prefer that you leave the clothing care up to them. If you notice damage to the outfit, be sure to take a photograph of it before sending the clothing back to the company. This will ensure that you have a record of the extent of the damage, should a legal issue arise. In general, most companies will allow you to purchase damaged or lost clothing for around 75 percent of its retail value. Though not mandatory, it is always a good idea to buy a bit of insurance for anything of worth you send through the mail. A couple of dollars will pay for peace of mind should the dress get lost in the mail or stolen.

A good rule of thumb when trying to decide between purchasing an outfit or renting one is estimating how many times you plan to wear the clothing over the next few years. Multiply that by the cost of rental and, if the number you come up with is more than the retail price of the clothes, you’re better of just purchasing the outfit. Otherwise, renting is the way to go.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind when considering online attire rental.

Pros of Renting Clothing Online

• Convenience: With just a few clicks, you can shop online for rental-wear that will arrive in a day or two straight to your doorstep. Wear it, stick it in the prepaid envelope, and send it back. Done.
• Time-saving: By shopping for your rental wardrobe online, you’ll save yourself up to two hours or more of driving, browsing and dealing with salespeople and crowds.
• Thrift: Why spend a fortune for formal wear that you’ll only wear a few times? For a tiny fraction of the cost — roughly 15 percent, in most cases — you can dress like a diva without spending your life savings.
• Selection: Your glamorous wardrobe will make you the envy of your friends… and you’ll never show up wearing the same thing twice! Many online formal wear rental sites offer the latest designer duds and accessories, jewelry, purses and shoes to match any outfit in their collection.

Cons of Online Clothing Rental vs. Local, In-Store Rental

• Sizing: Because designer fashion sizing can be inconsistent, it is harder to ensure that your rental outfit will fit properly when you get it. Many sites offer sizing charts and detailed instructions on taking your own measurements. Still, without actually seeing yourself in the clothing before renting it, you won’t know how it will look on your frame until it comes to your door.
• Lack of Flexibility: Because most online clothing rentals are for a week or less, you have less wiggle room to cancel your order should your plans change. Also, if the clothes don’t look the way you hoped, it’s harder to make a last minute exchange.
• Smaller Selection for Plus-Sized Women: I had a hard time finding anything larger than a size 10 when browsing through several of the sites. The selection seemed much bigger for smaller gals: size 0 to 6.

The Inside Scoop with Dress Vault

We interviewed Patricia Harr, CEO and founder of DressVault.com, to get the scoop on clothing for hire. Here is what she had to say:

Q: What happens if I spill cranberry juice on my dress? Do I have to pay for cleaning or am I liable for the replacement cost of the clothing?

As a borrower, you do not clean or alter the dress. You return the dress, which will be cleaned appropriately by the owner. Therefore, borrowers are not charged a cleaning fee. Dress owners are in charge of caring for the dresses returned to them by cleaning in the way they see fit.

Lenders receive a warranty (insurance) on the protection of their dress(es) while in the possession of a borrower. The state of the dress when received by the borrower is the state of the dress expected when the dress is turned in by the borrower. If not, and when the dress can be proven to be more than 15 percent changed from its original state, the borrower will be charged a dress care fee of 5 percent of its original value. If more than 35 percent damage is proven, the borrower’s account form of payment will be charged 45 percent of the original retail value. If a dress is not returned to a lender within the one week described period, the borrower will be charged 65 percent of the dress’ original retail value and will be banned from the site. Additionally, the lender will have the option to press charges with the assistance of DressVault.com and reporting the event to PayPal services.

Q: What if I try the outfit on and decide it looks terrible on me? Can I replace my rental without charge?

DressVault.com offers an implied warranty stating that the dresses listed in the lenders’ closets are of wearable and respectable quality for the price paid by the borrower. Therefore, there are no returns allowed on our site. This is because the dresses listed in members’ closets are empirically described with text and images, thus borrowers should always be well-informed of the dress they agree to borrow. Borrowers are allowed to request permission from a dress owner to temporarily alter a dress in a reversible form. (Example–hems, darts at waist, etc.) Additionally, DressVault.com is a social network atmosphere. Thus, users can communicate with lenders/borrowers as much as possible to develop reliable relationships and ensure successful transactions.

Q: Do I need to reserve clothing well in advance or do you have last-minute formal attire up for grabs at a discount?

No, but again, the network functionality of DressVault.com enables users to communicate about such happenings, so the options of allowing a dress to be reserved would be up to the dress owner (but I can’t imagine anyone would refuse a confirmed borrow).

From my research, it seems like online clothing, shoes, jewelry, costume and accessory rental is the way to go for those with big plans, but a limited budget. Not only is it an environmentally-friendly approach to excess, it offers those of us with less time and cash to spare a way to have fun and look fantastic without going broke.

30+ Places to Rent Clothing and Accessories Online

So, what are some of the top online clothing rental places on the Internet? We’ve rounded up over thirty such websites for your browsing pleasure.

Accessories, Jewelry and Handbags

• AdornBrides: This online bridal jewelry rental site offers professionally inspected and cleaned designer and fine quality jewels for your wedding party. Browse, pick, pay a deposit of 25 percent of the lease price, and they’ll ship it to you. When you’re done, stick it back in the envelope, and send it home via UPS. Done deal.
• AllThatBags: This online designer handbag rental outlet offers 25 percent off your first order and a membership rewards program for frequent renters. If you fall in love with your purse, you can buy it for up to 70 percent off its retail value. Now that’s a bargain!
• BagBorrowOrSteal: This site’s slogan is “Guilty Pleasure, Minus the Guilt.” If you sign up as a member of this designer handbag rental site, you’ll get priority on choosing the newest weekly arrivals and you’ll also get a 20 percent discount on rental items.
• BlingYourself: This “recession-proof” jewelry rental site is frequented by celebrities and average Joes alike, offering men’s and women’s expensive jewelry. Whether you want to rent a Rolex or diamond earrings, you’ll find it here, and it won’t break your bank. What’s more, they offer free pickup when you’re done and frequent renters can earn bonus points towards future rentals.
• BorrowedBling: With a full line of evening accessories, including belts, jewels and handbags, this site will rent or sell you what you’re looking for on a budget. You can even keep the stuff as long as you like, provided you continue to pay your monthly membership fee. With four membership levels, there’s something for every pocket book.
• FromBagsToRiches: This designer handbag rental site even offers a Nintendo DS as a fashion accessory to its preferred members. Become a member of Club Diva and you can earn points towards discounts on future rentals. They also offer gift certificates, so you can share your secret with friends.
• iRent2u: This is sort of an eBay-like rental site where anyone can lend or borrow any item for cash. Prospective renters and lenders can search by location and a broad list of categories to find what they need, where it is and how to rent it. In addition to rental items, this site offers a link to services for hire, as well. An onsite blog allows renters and rentees to discuss their experiences, network with others, and air any grievances they may have in a public forum. From drills to yachts, if you want to rent it, they probably have it listed.
• KissMyBag: This affordable designer handbag rental site offers next-day delivery to people that order by 1pm. They require a credit check, so don’t bother if your score is low. You can rent by the month and membership on the site gets you 20 percent off rentals. In order to qualify for membership, you must live in England or Wales, but guest membership is also available and is free of charge.
• RentMeaHandBag: This site offers free shipping within the U.S, up to $100 free insurance on rented items, and a low, flat rate monthly membership plan for frequent designer handbag, clothing, shoe and accessory renters. It caters to men and women and offers up to 80 percent off the retail price for purchased inventory. There is no fee to join and no monthly charge for access to the collection. You simply pay for the items you rent on a weekly or monthly basis. They even have two-for-one specials!

Maternity Clothing Rental

• ChangesWithStyle: This Ottawa-based maternity rental site offers five-week terms for designer maternity wear, allowing your wardrobe to evolve along with your body. With several prepaid packages to choose from, ranging from $310 for 6 outfits to $640 for 18 outfits, you can ensure a fashionable pregnancy, even on a budget. The only bummer about this company is that you have to physically show up in their Ottawa showroom for your fitting and to make your selections. No pun intended, but if this thing were completely automated through the Web, it could be BIG!

Costumes

• Costumeholidayhouse: This site offers everything a real costume store offers without the hassle of fighting your way through the mob scene and competing with small children for the salesperson’s attention. Here, you can click your way through the selections, order, pay via credit card and sit back and wait for your doorbell to ring. You’ll have to cough up a hefty deposit for the more expensive costumes, but that’s probably true of most physical stores as well. They offer costumes for all ages and sizes, including wigs and jewelry.
• CostumeSalon: This luxury costume rental site is not cheap, but if you’ve got the money and want to rent authentic historic, fantasy, plus sized or theatrical show costumes, this is where you should go. Their selection is astounding, and the site is beautifully designed so that you can click your way around a virtual museum of costumes and examine the details of your prospective piece visually from all angles, as well as textually, with boxed descriptions and rental terms. This site is worth a visit even if you’re not planning on renting anything. It’s visually appealing and offers historical interest.
• CostumesGalore: You’ll need a little advance notice before renting from this site. The costumes ship out anywhere from five to seven days after your order. Also, there is a $25 cancellation fee with cancellation at least three weeks in advance of your order. Otherwise, it seems pretty user friendly and relatively inexpensive. They offer a large selection of costumes for kids and adults alike. If you’re looking for well-known cartoon characters or icons, here’s your one-stop virtual rental shopping site. They’ve got ‘em all.

Dresses, Suits and Tuxedos

• ClosetElite: Well-designed site offering high-fashion and designer wear for women. Affordable options and a detailed size chart make this site accessible to the average Jane. They carry dresses in most sizes, up to 14 and offer additional insurance for an additional price. I didn’t see anything that would be appropriate for the over 30 set, however.
• DressVault: This “online closet service” facilitates the lending and borrowing of dresses to and by site members. It is a fashion social network of virtual closets with over 900 current members. The selection is, at present, somewhat limited, but I envision a rapid expansion of membership and available clothing in the coming months. This site provides easy access to reasonably priced off the rack designs, but they need to add a search by size function to make things simpler. Like most sites I visited, there are fewer designs available in the larger sizes. (I counted one size 16 dress!) I like the idea that lending and borrowing clothing is “environmentally friendly,” and with their detailed instructions, you’ll know just what to expect in terms of price, repairs, cleaning, deposits, and so on.
• JimsFormalWear: This site bills itself as “America’s most trusted tuxedo source.” Although it offers the convenience of shopping for your tux rental online, you’ll still have to show up in person at one of their retail locations to be fitted and make a down payment on your rental. You’ll also have to drop the tux off when you’re done, and if you’re late, there will be a fee.
• Tuxedo-Rental: This men’s clothing rental site offers 68 designer styles to choose from and ships your tuxedo for free. They claim to be able to suit you up in five minutes! You can also rent ties, vests, shoes and other accessories here, and their set (and reasonable) pricing makes figuring out your bill easy. They give discounts on multiple tux orders, have a detailed measuring chart, and guarantee a perfect fit. If I were a guy looking for an easy tux rental, this would be my pick.
• AlbrightNYC: You can browse through this extensive designer collection online, but you’ll have to visit the Cooper Square warehouse in lower Manhattan for these luxury rentals. Their fashion library includes designs by Armani, Posen, Chanel and others at a rental price of 10 to 15 percent of the original retail purchase price. Their collection features one of a kind couture dresses and a “fashion smorgasbord” of top designer fashions. They specialize in providing magazine editors with clothing for big star photo shoots, so bring your piggy bank.

General

• Zilok: This one year-old online rental marketplace offers a little bit of everything for rent. With an international and nearly-nationwide (New Jersey, you’re out of luck for now!) network of lenders and borrowers, chances are if you need to rent it, it’s here. This is the currently the largest rental network online. It offers items from both private individuals and businesses. It’s user-friendly, visually appealing and jam-packed full of interesting rental stuff and services. If I had to bookmark one online rental site, this would be it.

International

• DoesMyTumLookBigInThis: Maternity clothing for hire in the United Kingdom. From casual to business, special occasion to evening wear, there’s a designer fashion for every size mom-to-be. (They even have maternity bridal dresses for rent!) If you fall in love with your rental wardrobe, you can purchase it at a heavy discount or just buy it new from the site. Oversees shipping is available by credit card and UK payment is in pounds sterling. There are several physical “for hire” locations in the UK and potential renters are encouraged to shop in person for their rental maternity wardrobe.
• Edge2Edge: This UK site specializes in all things ski and snowboard rental, including clothing and attire. They offer pickup at two local airports or home delivery for a small fee. You can try before you buy and apply rental charges to your purchase price, which they claim will be the lowest price available.
• FormalAffair: With 80 different styles of mens’ suits and tuxedos offered for hire, this site claims to have one of the widest selections anywhere. They offer a complimentary swatch service in order to help men match the fabric of their for-hire wedding clothing with the bridesmaid’s dresses. Retail service is available to those that live near one of their in-store locations, and home delivery can be arranged for a small fee. In addition to men’s formal wear, they offer a wide range of clothing for boys as well. They claim they will beat any price and offer 5-day rental for no additional charge and 10 day rental for a small fee.
• GetAheadHats: You can book your fancy hat online at this lady’s hat shop and rental outfit, but you’ll have to show up in person at one of the dozens of UK showrooms to get it. Not for the faint of pocketbook, if you know what I mean…
• Joke: This is an online costume rental site for the UK. They offer a wide selection of sizes and styles, and their prices are relatively reasonable. Most items are shipped the same day of your order and priority shipping is available for a small fee. International and oversees shipping is also an option, as well as next-day delivery for orders within the UK. The site is easy to navigate and has icon photographs of most costumes and accessories.
• MaternityExchange: This claims to be the UK’s largest maternity wear dress clearance agency and clearance outfit. In addition to selling maternity clothes at a discount, they also rent fine maternity wear for business, formal and special occasions. You can click through their inventory and order online or visit their physical location in Bourne End Bucks. Shop by size, make or newest inventory links, and make up to 50 percent on your own used maternity clothing when you consign it to the site.
• MaternityExchange: This Singapore-based online maternity clothing rental site offers gift vouchers, frequent shopper bonuses, a wide-variety of sizes and styles and even specialty items, such as maternity nursing wear. Click on what you want, order it, pay online, wear it, and return it to the company. Easy.
• Moss: Expect men’s formal wear for hire and sale from this outlet that offers a wide variety of designer fashions for boys to men. The site is well-designed and visually appealing with detailed information on pricing, sizing, shipping and shopping for formal rentals. You’ll most likely need to be fitted in person, however.
• RentASuit: This site bills itself as the “Mobile Formal Wear Hire Specialist.” The prices are reasonable, the selection is manageable, and you won’t have to make an in-store appearance to be fitted. Major credit cards are accepted.
• SkiTogsHire: Difficult to read because of the bright orange, teensy fonts, this Oxford-based UK site offers online ski togs rental. No deposit is required, but if you don’t return your ski clothing on time, they will charge your credit card 100 percent of the value of the items. Free next day delivery is available for those whose rentals cost over 200 Euros, but you’ll have to pay for return delivery yourself.

###