Kilts have been worn in Scotland for centuries. First, as the Feileadh Mòr or great kilt and worn only by highlanders and then as the kilt we know today, from the around late 17th century. However, it wasn't until the 19th century that the kilt had its great revival and its popularity soared. From this period onwards, kilts became more and more common, not as everyday wear but worn at special occasions. That popularity hasn’t slowed down, quite the opposite has happened and kilts today are arguably more in demand than in any other period of history. At least in Scotland, that is.
Buying or Hiring a Kilt Outfit
When it comes to kilts and kilt outfits you have two options. You can choose to buy your own outfit and have it in the wardrobe ready for your next event or you can choose to hire a different outfit each time you want to wear one. Both options have their pros and cons. Buying a kilt is a great choice because you’ll always have something to wear, no matter the event but they can be expensive depending on your choices. Hiring is great because you can rent a premium quality kilt for a relatively low cost but you need to be organised enough to book the outfit far enough in advance to ensure it’s available for your dates.
How Far in Advance Should You Organise Your Kilt Hire?
At MacGregor and MacDuff we recommend organising your kilt outfit hire as early as possible. Doing things early allows us to make sure we have the kilt and jacket you want in stock for your dates. Generally speaking, for us at Macgregor and MacDuff, there are two times of year, wedding season and not wedding season. Wedding season is the busiest time of year and runs from around April to September. During this period we highly recommend ordering your hire and getting measured no later than 12 weeks in advance. Due to all the delays from the last two years, the 2022 wedding season started earlier than usual and is likely to run longer, so make sure you take this into consideration when planning your hire, especially if you are a groom or groomsmen.
What About Outwith Wedding Season?
At MacGregor and MacDuff we hold a lot of hire stock to accommodate the busy parts of the year, this means that during the quieter times, we can accommodate hires with a much shorter notice period. While we will always say you should book and measure well in advance, we are often able to offer last-minute hires and even some same-day hires. Obviously, the less time we have to prepare for your hire, the fewer choices we may be able to offer you, so keep that in mind.
What About National Events?
When it comes to days like Hogmanay, Burns Night, and communion’s, our hire availability does tend to get quite full. So although these examples are outwith our busiest time of year, it’s still worth remembering that you’ll need to plan ahead if you’re wanting to hire a kilt outfit. The good thing is that these usually happen at the same time each year so they shouldn't sneak up on you.
Hire In-Store or Online?
Whether you want to hire from us in person at one of our stores or order you hire online is totally up to you. If you come into one of our store locations you should book an appointment beforehand so we can get some sizing kilts and jackets ready for you. We will take all your measurements and you’ll be able to come and collect your outfit a couple of days before your event. Hiring your outfit online will allow you to do this wherever and whenever you want to. We have a comprehensive guide to self-measuring and we can post your outfit anywhere in mainland UK to arrive four days before your event.
If you know you have an event coming up that you’d like to hire an outfit for, don’t delay, get in touch with us today at info@macgregorandmacduff.co.uk or order your outfit online.