THE STORE OWNER

Laura McKinnon, 50, East Kilbride

I was chatting to friends one day and they were all saying how much they had just spent on prom dresses for their daughters, which were now just sitting in their wardrobe. And that was the lightbulb moment.

At the time, there were a couple of hire stores but it was mostly online places based in London. I knew I wanted to add a personal touch, so I started renting out dresses from my home.

There has been a steady growth in demand since I started Laura’s Dresses, and a lot of my customers come from word of mouth and repeat business.

There are a lot of things in life you pay a lot of money for but then reuse and reuse, but when it comes to dresses no one wants to wear the same outfit to multiple events – pictures on Instagram and Facebook have put a stop to that, especially for young people.

Renting also helps you save money on high-end fashion. If you’re going to three events, would you shell out £600 or £700 on a dress for each one?

Hiring is much cheaper and includes cleaning and insurance.

My stock is filled with a lot of classic styles and I don’t tend to buy anything that will be in fashion this month and out the next.

I always say I have an endless wardrobe, but nowhere to go!

It’s the Instagram age...and no one wants to wear the same thing twice

Laura, left, opened her dress hire business eight years ago, after being made redundant. Laura’s Dresses has gone from strength to strength, and she regularly sees repeat business.