Proper highland games sporran?

[Andrew M. Stewart]

Is a dress sporran (seal skin etc) considered to be over dressed for a highland games??

[bricelythgoe]

I guess that depends on you. However, I always took the games to be something a little less formal. I wear my leather day sporran to them. However, when I went I saw a lot of people wearing those type of sporrans.

Brice

[billmcc]

Is a dress sporran (seal skin etc) considered to be over dressed for a highland games??

Yes. Some pipers wear a semi-dress sporran, but most non-pipers wear a day sporran.

[Andrew M. Stewart]

And piping in a solo competition I will be! Thanks guys
Slainte

[Nighthawk]

Personally, I don't wear my rabbit fur full dress sporran for anything other than black tie events- with the exception of church this last Sunday. My son wanted me to wear it with my Albannach kilt from USA Kilts, so I dressed up a bit more than usual- black hose, red flashes, dress shoes, white shirt, black waist coat, and tie- just to feel proper wearing my dress sporran. It turned out that a Scottish nun happened to be visiting that day. She spent quite a few minutes after mass gushing over me and how "splendid" I looked, and how she wished more Americans of Scots ancestory would adopt some of their birthright and on and on. It's the only time I've dressed up like that for church since Christmas. Truth is, I personally am as pagan as it gets- I feel like a Viking in church- but it's important to my mom that I go. So I do, and I usually dress nicer than most people there, anyway, but I seldom wear my dress sporran even for that. Usually it's my day sporran. I don't have a semi dress sporran (yet), otherwise, that's what I'd wear.

So- this is a long, roundabout way of saying- I see dress sporrans as being overdressed for Highland games, but not unacceptable. They just look... out of place to my eyes.

[Dall_Piobaire]

as a piper as well, I would say semi-dress. I don't think full is inappropriate, just a bit over the top. Maybe change to a leather day sporran after the boards.

[Nighthawk]

And piping in a solo competition I will be! Thanks guys
Slainte

Nice!! Good luck. I've been learning the pipes for the last year. When I go to the games, I go with my living history group, the Renaissance Scots. The reenactment groups- the Denver Vikings, Legio VI, Castle Wall Productions, and the Ren Scots- organize our own unofficial Highland games competitions. We all have swordsmen in our groups, so we have martial arts competitions. I personally compete at an intermediate level, and as I insist on joining the advanced fighter for at least part of the day, I get my butt kicked- a lot. But I learn so much faster! I recently had a pair of armor grade leather bracers made so I would be able to use my hands come work on Monday. One of the preferred targets are the forearms. Tomorrow is competition day! I can't wait! I go to work on Mondays after the games with all kinds of injuries, which prompts my coworkers to question my sanity...

[McMurdo]

Andrew
Best of luck with the competition. I'd think the semi dress would be fine, see you at Fergus.

[English Bloke]

If you have a choice wear the plainest. If not, wear what you have.

[Chas]

I might have this all wrong and I am fully open to correction, but it is my belief that many piping competitions stipulate a dress code. I thought that there was an overriding/master/senior (however it's called) piping organisation which governed and set the standard throughout the world.

If that is so, then consulting the organisers would be the best course. If I am wrong then I will go back to sitting and playing quietly in the corner.

Good luck with the competition.

Regards

Chas