Transitional Sizes is a new company helping dieting women dress well without breaking the bank.  The company rents out brand name clothing for temporary use while the pounds come off.

Great concept.  There have been companies that rent maternity wear for some time, but there is so much more business in dieting!  Let’s face it:  many more women end up dieting for longer periods of time – and sometimes over and over again – then there are ladies who get pregnant (and don’t forget the overlap!).

The company rents women’s clothing in sizes 4-26 for monthly rental fees ranging anywhere from $3 to $25 apiece.  A customer orders the items she needs and can keep them as long as she likes; once she is ready to return, she’s asked to clean the pieces and send them back in the original box free of charge. 

A woman does not need to be a member of the site to use it, but membership packages give dieters a variety of extra perks including discounts and weight loss incentives.  The site is still a little new, and no one’s winning an fashion contests wearing the gear that’s currently available, but let’s assume they get it right. 

And when they do, there are so many opportunities to drive revenue.  How about an option where the member automatically gets a new box of clothes when she has committed to being one size smaller: and the cost is automatically billed to her credit card?  Money can be motivating…  And I would strongly consider partnerships with weight loss companies (Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers), relevant media (parenting and self-improvement magazines, like Parents and Self) and possibly the medical community (a la the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology).

What other untapped “leasing” opportunities are out there?  We’ve got clothing, handbags, jewelry (ever see Borrowed Bling?), cars, cell phones from hotels and airports…