Rent-a-car, rent-a-bike, rent-a-boat, rent-a-umbrella, rent-a-pine… Why buy when you can ‘rent’? From apartments to dresses, you can have everything for a week or two, or even shorter. However, when the word ‘rental’ is mentioned, the first things that come to mind are real estate or cars, especially in June when we glance at the calendar in the bottom right corner of the screen, but it is also the month that is abundant with weddings, prom nights, and corporate parties that are organized in anticipation of summer vacations. All these are occasions for purchasing new formal dresses that, unfortunately, we often push to the back of the closet with the thought ‘let’s keep them for special occasions’. To put an end to this trend, the rental business has developed, rent-a-dress. Such a business, named Rent4Style, is run by local influencer and entrepreneur Matea Miljan Rafaj, who claims that the demand for dress rentals in Croatia is excellent.
– May was much better and stronger than expected. Women contact us with enthusiasm when they hear about Rent4Style, and then they stay with us renting further. I can say that we have truly changed the habits of women in Croatia with our brand, which I am extremely proud of. Our best advertisement is precisely the clients who wear the dresses and who spread the story about us based on their own experience – says Miljan Rafaj, whose business has encompassed everything from businesswomen to prom girls.
Of course, dresses can be rented for various occasions throughout the year (although they are most sought after during the ‘season’ of weddings and prom nights), but ‘renting’ is generally most popular in the summer because the tourist season on the Adriatic, along with apartments, which are a story in themselves, has developed opportunities for renting absolutely everything, although tourists most often rent vehicles, so depending on their purchasing power, preferred activities, and type of travel, they rent bicycles, cars, yachts, and boats. How do those who rent the most luxurious vehicles or vessels operate?
Vessels are most often rented by clients from Central Europe, especially from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, says Jelena Matković, the booking manager at Croatia Yachting, noting that their offer includes the rental of boats without a professional skipper (bareboat) and boats with a crew (crewed).
‘; 
