When Halley Kate McGookin, a social media influencer who goes by Halley Kate, posted to her 1.6 million TikTok followers after testifying in a New York City court, many of her commenters focused not on the case, but on the matcha-colored polka-dot wrap blouse and cascade skirt she was wearing.
“Someone please tell me where this fit is from,” read one comment. “This dress omg,” read another. “This is the absolute perfect outfit for court and I may need one too.”
And they can get Ms. McGookin’s look on Vita Grace, an online fashion boutique, for $255. But there’s another, more affordable option: For just $55, they can rent it directly from Ms. McGookin through an app called Pickle.
Pickle is one of the latest additions to a rapidly expanding apparel-rental industry. In contrast to the process at Rent the Runway, Nuuly and Vivrelle, which charge monthly subscription fees, Pickle’s users rent the wares directly from their owners, who set their own fees based on the item and the loan time. There are currently 350,000 items for rent on the app, including the matching shirt and skirt from Ms. McGookin’s court appearance; some owners also list their items for sale. Owners are responsible for cleaning between rentals, but Pickle takes care of the rest, providing courier services for local drop-offs, or shipping labels if the rental is farther away. Pickle has a protection policy intended to hold renters liable for things like late returns, missing items and damage.
“The way we describe Pickle today is, it’s a rental and resale marketplace,” said Brian McMahon, one of the app’s founders, “but for things that you own.”
Pickle initially started as a polling marketplace to “help people make better purchase decisions,” Mr. McMahon said. He explained that a user trying to choose among, say, several dresses would post the options under consideration, and others would vote on them. But Mr. McMahon and his co-founder, Julia O’Mara, noticed that users tended to suggest things they already owned, so in 2022, they decided to recast the platform into one where people could borrow items from one another. Currently the focus is on clothing, shoes and accessories, though Mr. McMahon said the second-most-rented item in 2025 was the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II, a digital camera popular with influencers. (The first was a slinky green wedding-guest dress.)
Trends cycle through social media at breakneck speed, and keeping up appearances has never been costlier. The pressure on younger consumers, especially those with less disposable income, is driving them into debt. Many turn to fast fashion, which is inexpensive but can be disastrous to the environment. In 2023, Shein emitted more carbon dioxide than four coal power plants combined spew in a year. What Pickle provides is, if not an antidote, then certainly a way for consumers to limit their carbon footprint. So far this year, 67 percent of users have rented from their local communities instead of having rentals shipped across state lines.
Kendal Chandler, 28, a content creator and actor in Los Angeles, said a Pickle renter had come to her looking for outfits to wear for an expensive ski trip.
“She’s never been to Aspen before, and she was like, ‘All of my friends are of generational wealth — I’m not from that world,’” Ms. Chandler said. “I’m not either. I totally bonded with her on that.” She helped the renter select seven items, which would have retailed for more than $15,000. On Pickle, renting them for a week totaled $1,058.
“I feel like I’m helping a friend,” Ms. Chandler said.
Bushra Khan, 33, a Pilates instructor in Naples, Fla., has a closet full of high-end clothes she has worn only once. She joined Pickle because she realized renting them out was a way to make money and help others cut costs.
“Things have gotten so expensive, and we still want to have fun, and we want to go out and we want to look beautiful,” Ms. Khan said.
While renters are saving money using the peer-to-peer service, some owners are enjoying financial success, with top Pickle owners earning as much as $10,000 to $15,000 a month, according to Mr. McMahon.
When Emma Dykes, 24, an actor and educational consultant on New York City’s Upper East Side, got a great deal on a $2,000 Clio Peppiatt crystal-embellished bridal dress on Poshmark, she snatched it up quickly, but not because she was getting married. “I actually bought it with the intention of renting it out,” she said. Previously, she had been reselling her clothes for less than their worth. But by listing them on Pickle, Ms. Dykes was able not only to recoup her losses but to generate income as well.
Since she posted the dress on the platform, Ms. Dykes said, it has become one of the items she has rented out most frequently. “It has paid for itself several times over now,” she said.
“I love that if I rent a dress from a girl in my neighborhood, that $40 could pay for her drinks or her dinner,” Ms. Dykes said.
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