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We’ve seen several efforts to apply the rental model to clothes over the years, but it wasn’t until just recently that we came across a venture that not only focuses on jeans but is also led by the brand itself. Enter Mud Jeans, a Dutch clothing brand that recently kicked off a brand-new leasing program. Mud Jeans’ pants are made from organic and recycled cotton through responsible production methods, the company says. In part to facilitate that recycling capability, the company now offers its jeans for yearly lease. Consumers pay a one-time “entry” fee of EUR 20 for the pants they like, followed by EUR 5 per month for a year. During that time Mud offers free repair service should the jeans get ripped or torn. Then, at the end of the year, consumers can send back their pants, pay EUR 7.50 for shipping to switch to a new pair, and then embark on another yearly lease. Alternatively, they can pay four more months’ payments and keep the original pants indefinitely; if at some point down the road they decide to send them back after all, Mud will apply their initial EUR 20 payment toward their purchase of a new pair. The bottom line, of course, is that ownership-averse transumers can stay up-to-date on fashion while Mud gets to reclaim much of the high-end fabric it uses and put it right back into new products. Other clothing brands around the globe: see any downside here? Spotted by: Smith Alan & Elisa Huijsman