KILT-hire companies are warning of shortages this summer due to the wedding sector being under "significant strain" after the pandemic.
Restrictions during the outbreak of Covid-19 meant tens of thousands of ceremonies were called off over the past two years and now queues of couples are eager to tie the knot and enjoy their overdue celebrations.
But the demand has led to a shortage of traditional outfits for men, according to the i newspaper.
Iain Carlton, owner of Kilts4U, which has branches in Glasgow, East Kilbride and Kilmarnock, told the paper: "The whole wedding sector is under significant strain.
"We're just about to enter a period where we are running over 400 hires a week which is a significant number for any company to deal with.
"That’s 1200 garments going in and coming out of the warehouse within a five-day period."
Carlton said guests leaving their outfits until the last minute are risking losing out.
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He said: "If somebody does you the honour of inviting you to the biggest day of their life, the least you can do is get yourself organised for it. If you do that in plenty of time you will get an outfit, but if you leave it to two weeks before [the wedding], you are going to struggle.”
A1 Kilt Hire, which has outlets in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee, also confirmed that they were struggling to cope with the demand.
“The pandemic created a record number of wedding bookings for this summer,” said David Dalrymple, the director of the company.
“Some people have been waiting since early 2020 to tie the knot.
"There are also those who cancelled in 2021, plus couples who had always planned to get married in 2022 — all trying to secure a kilt for their big day. Everyone needs a kilt at the same time and although we have managed to accommodate all requests so far, others have reached their capacity for the whole summer.”
Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers, based in Edinburgh, asked clients wanting to order bespoke outfits to be patient.
“We are experiencing an exceptionally high demand both in-house and across all of our suppliers,” the company said on its website.
“We kindly ask for your patience. Our team are working incredibly hard to get your made-to-measure kilts, jackets, waistcoats, trews and outfits to you and are concentrating on fulfilling orders for those with specific event dates.
It added: “We will be in touch if you are waiting and apologise sincerely for any delays with your order."
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