FYI: Gordon nicholson ex-hire sale

[OC Richard]

...some risk taking...my own more conservative approach would be to make such purchases of used clothing at Highland Games or similar events where I could eyeball them and even try them on.

Yes that's ideal but none of the Games I attend have much in the way of used Highland jackets.

Happily I'm an easy-to-fit size and I know if I buy a jacket it will fit, so these online ex-hire sales are great for me.

[jsrnephdoc]

Yes that's ideal but none of the Games I attend have much in the way of used Highland jackets.

Happily I'm an easy-to-fit size and I know if I buy a jacket it will fit, so these online ex-hire sales are great for me.

I picked up a Prince Charlie at the Bitterroot Highland Games in Hamilton, MT 4 years ago, discovered at a used clothing kiosk along the vendor mall in the very last few minutes of our visit, and while I was browsing, my son found a matching PC Waistcoat at ANOTHER vendor.

I don't have many occasions where wearing a PC is necessary or even recommended, retired and living far from big cities, but the combo has come off my rack and onto my body at least half a dozen times since then. I probably spent no more than 20% of what I would have for a new (non-Pakistani) properly made off-the-rack jacket and vest, but every time I wear it I wonder a bit if other people notice signs of its heritage. For example, the black satin lapels are just a bit but obviously wrinkled, and my guess is that stems from repetitive post-rent dry cleaning. Also, the sleeves were just TOO tapered from shoulder to wrist, and a bit too long, but I have a VERY skilled local seamstress who shaped and shortened the cuffs so that my 3-Robertson-beast-crest cufflinks fit and protrude nicely.

And, although I wear it rarely, it's the one item that, were I to replace it, I'd probably do so with a jacket sourced from one of the high end shops in Scotland where I could have it tailored or altered to fit perfectly.

(and, check out today's other posts for a question about what's acceptable at the other end of the body from the kilt hose).

But I also have a few related questions for people who have experience with ex-hire garments:

First, how do mainline shops; e.g., Gordon Nicolson, manage their inventory? Is cleaning (or washing) and pressing after EACH rental customary?

Second (and noting the varying pricing for seemingly identical garments), what stimulates that variation? Is it more likely that there's just one or two items left for a tartan that the shop has decided to suspend from availability, or is it more likely that an an offer garment is in such an odd size that it is likely to languish (take up space in the shop) for a LONG, long time? Or is it more likely a reliable index of the condition of the garment?

[OC Richard]

I don't have many occasions where wearing a PC is necessary or even recommended, retired and living far from big cities, but the combo has come off my rack and onto my body at least half a dozen times since then.

You're doing better than I am! I picked up a nice Scottish-made PC a decade ago and have only worn it twice. Here in Southern California we just don't do much in the way of formal dressing.

First, how do mainline shops; e.g., Gordon Nicolson, manage their inventory? Is cleaning (or washing) and pressing after EACH rental customary?

I don't know about them, but I worked at a Highland Outfitter here who did kilt hire, and we dry-cleaned the kilts and jackets every time.

Second (and noting the varying pricing for seemingly identical garments), what stimulates that variation? Is it more likely that there's just one or two items left for a tartan that the shop has decided to suspend from availability, or is it more likely that an offer garment is in such an odd size that it is likely to languish (take up space in the shop) for a LONG, long time? Or is it more likely a reliable index of the condition of the garment?

Probably all those factors.

Kilt hire is a massive industry in the UK, and fashion tastes can vary season to season.

I used to follow the UK kilt hire trends closely (not so much now) and for example greyscale kilts (led by Grey Douglas) would become the rage for a few years, then purple kilts (led by Isle of Skye) would become the rage for a few years, and the big hire shops would stock up on the in-demand tartans which left out-of-demand tartans sitting on the racks.

The big ex-hire sales are usually in the late fall and around the new year, when shops are getting rid of tartans that aren't popular to make room. At first they'll have a big range of sizes in a given tartan, but once they're picked over they'll only have a couple left, on the ends of the bell-shaped-curve of sizes, and they get marked down more.

In August I visited several Highland Wear shops in Scotland (Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Kilmarnock) and there would often be a sad rack of odds and sods, a couple random jackets in tiny sizes and a couple more in huge sizes, at quite low prices. But the shops who are part of a chain will have a single designated location where all of these things are sent, and only that location will do ex-hire sales (walk-in and/or online).

And yes condition is a factor. Some garments will have damages, generally trifling.

Ex-hire used to be a great way to get UK-made jackets, kilts, etc at low prices HOWEVER back when I was following UK kilt hire trends at one point I suddenly saw a number of new kilt hire shops and chains appear hiring everything for half the cost of the established shops.

How? Their hire stock was made in Pakistan. It was obvious both from the prices and the appearance of the items themselves.

You can see for yourself, just look at the hire prices from ten or so shops and you'll see a two-tier system of price and quality.

So this must be taken into account nowadays when lookng at ex-hire things.

Another thing to be taken into account is the rise in places selling new Pakistani things as "ex-hire". It's a deceitful ploy to make you think you're getting a bargain. I even see Pakistani firms claiming that everything they sell is "ex-hire" (I doubt the Kilt Hire industry in Sialkot is very large).