Kiltsforhire have been established since 1909 and from then we have striven to be innovators and leaders in the highland wear industry. We have been bringing quality authentic Scottish kilt outfits to people all over the world. Going from a little shop in the heart of Paisley in 1909 to being a standout company in the clothing rental market sector.
This blog covers what sustainability means to us, our responsibility for our environmental impact and dive into the benefits of clothing rental.
What is sustainability-
What actually is sustainability?. Well sustainability focusses on the impact of multiple areas on environmental and waste damage. Sustainability is and has been a key issue in most market sectors as we, the people, consume products, food and household produce to live life functionally. Sustainability concerns draw from that consumption the human race drives, what does this mean though?.
Well for example the surge in population means more mouths to feed, more bodies to clothe, more housing needed, more consumption of day to day products to support a functional way of living.
Consumption is the main leader in environmental issues as production of all these extra things means using more fossil fuels, more transportation of stock, more farming and so on and so forth.
Manufacturing production and distribution releases lots of co2 emissions and chemicals and the effects of this ultimately cause areas of concern on our environment. But this isn't an easy fix as being a more circular sustainability driven economy requires more responsible consumption from consumers and corporate responsibility from brands.
What does sustainability mean to us -
The fashion industry is one of the top sectors contributing to over consumption, production and landfill waste. what most don't release is over consumption leads to increased waste, we see this especially in fast fashion. Trends come in quickly and leave quickly. this leads to over production to keep up with demand and ultimately when the trend fades out all the unsold stock is sent to landfill and so does all the clothes people throw away.
To be a circular economy means to be more sustainability minded, conscious and responsible, the issue with this is its a fully circle effort , being more sustainable means consumers shopping more consciously , brands being more responsible and making sustainability more accessible. Everyone from the designer to to the manufacturer to the distributor to the supplier to the consumer.
Reversing the damage we have created from our societal over consumption, requires effort from all areas but it starts at the top which is why kiltsforhire strive to be leaders in the highland wear industry tackling our responsibility as a premium highland wear company.
The beauty of kilts for hire is that we make premium luxury highland wear to people all over the world, making affordable quality highland wear to peoples door steps. But we also have a responsibility to consider our carbon footprint of being able to provide our products on a global scale.
Kilt hire & rental fashion
As mentioned creating a circular economy means doing our part so you can do yours, clothing rental is one of the most sustainable methods of responsible shopping. We aim to make sustainable fashion as accessible as we can on our part which is why we offer kilt hire. Kilt hire and occasion clothing rental has been around for a long time and only started to take off the past few decades. Clothing rental was always seen as a cost efficient way of living and is it but the potential in the sustainable aspect of it has only come to life in recent years are academics, brands and leaders realised we had to make a change.
Why should you consider renting? - Well you save money, you save clothing just sitting at the back of your wardrobe that's not going to be worn, our kilt hires come with the entire outfit and can be customised to your liking, one kilt being made and hired out multiple times has less environmental damage than mass manufactured cheap kilts that wont last in your wardrobe and will most likely end up in landfill when you eventually throw them away.
When you hire with us you're getting the best quality premium kilt with the rest of the outfit and accessories to complete a full highland wear look with only the best stock. Our kilt hires have over £1500 worth of premium luxury highland wear.
How are kilts sustainable?-
A well made quality kilt will last someone a lifetime maybe even passed down through generations and are some of the longest used pieces of clothing out there. The craft of kiltmaking has been studied immensely, majority of hand kilt makers are experts in their craft and a true well made Scottish kilt will out do multiple cheaply made kilts.
Kilts are also made of wool which is a completely natural and renewable fabric as the sheep's which grow their wool will always grow it back and it would be sheered off anyways for warmer weather conditions.
Due to the construction of a kilt there is actually very little fabric waste and even if a kilt has seen its days it can be completely taken apart and remade again.
Kilts have and always will remain in fashion as a key piece of Scottish identity and heritage, the craftsmanship of kiltmaking is only shared amongst a small community of people and we only use our own kilt making experts which we have been with for decades. We know when you receive your kilt its a statement of quality and only use the best suppliers. Our kilt hire stock lasts us decades and is regularly topped up with new styles, colours, tartans.
Any hire stock that's had its time will be recycled or put into ex-hire meaning someone can buy it and get a cheap quality kilt to own or spend a small portion of money to alter it back to new and save themselves hundreds of pounds over buying a new kilt.
Why hire a hire with us?
We covered the importance of sustainable fashion, clothing rental and sustainable kilt hire, but why should you hire with us?. Well your kilt hire is complete with everything you could need for the perfect highland wear outfit for your occasions.
Your hire can be completely customised to your liking, we offer the widest tartan range in Scotland available for hire giving you the widest range of choice, we have multiple styles of jackets, buttons, accessories and all the small details to let you customised your hire truly to you.
We also have our instore alterations team who can alter your hire sleeves and hems to ensure you've got the best fitting highland wear outfit. Your high is only made up of the best quality clothing and accessories from authentic quality Scottish suppliers.
We offer a long hires for those who are possibly travelling for an event and last minute hires for those last minute special events you cant miss out on.
Ex-hire kilts & Made to order kilts-
If your looking to be a little more sustainable and considering buying a kilt to own we also offer made to order kilts. although kilt hire is the most sustainable service and product we offer, made to order kilts are also great as investment pieces as you can wear your kilt to multiple functions throughout your lifetime, keep it as a memento of a special occasion or pass it down your family.
Made to order kilts are still sustainable as it doesn't lead to unnecessary consumption but rather only producing kilts when made to order and buying a kilt is one of the longest lasting quality pieces of clothing you can buy.
Ex-hire kilts are also a great option, they are much cheaper than buying a made to order kilt and give an ex hire kilt a new lease of life.
We even have a few brand new kilts in ex-hire that possibly have minor defects or haven't been used. Ex-hire is a great budget friendly sustainable option and your kilt can still last you a long time with proper care.
Many people buy an affordable ex-hire kilt and just spend a little on alterations to make it like new again and save hundreds compared to buying a made to order kilt. Due to the nature of ex-hire kilts the range will depend on stock availability at that moment in time.