A Formal Alternative

[ctbuchanan]

My wife and I will be attending a formal black tie wedding reception at one of the mansions in Newport, Rhode Island this summer. It is not a Scottish wedding so I may very well be the only kilted gentleman in attendance.

I will be wearing my Modern Buchanan kilt with a black Argyle jacket (with a white shirt and black bow tie of course). I own an inexpensive 'formal' sporran - the stiff leather kind with a wisp of hide on the front which I dislike intensely. I am not fond of fur and don't really see myself wearing the many options in the furry sporran category. Over the years I have collected several handcrafted casual sporrans - soft leather pouches that expand as needed - with fine workmanship that I appreciate.

I decided I wanted a black sporran that I could cross over into a more formal look if possible. The last sporran I purchased was from Donnie at Wyvern Leatherworks so I contacted him by email with my tale of woe. What could I wear that would look formal to the uninitiated, that I could also wear in an informal setting, that would meet my taste in the unusual and practical?

Within five minutes he replied to my email and said that he had just completed a black sting ray skin sporran that he thought would fit the bill. He sent along a photo and I bought in on Saturday - it arrived at my house on Monday and I am thrilled with it.

I grant that the look isn't entirely traditional, but as all things like this are a matter of personal taste it was exactly what I was looking for. The shiny pebbly grain of the flap is amazing. The pearlescent white flash is a naturally occurring feature of sting ray skins and isn't done justice by the photos. But here is the look. Comments of all kinds will be accepted with good nature.

Close up

[Green Dragon]

I think it looks very sharp and will go well for a formal occasion. As you noted, it may not necessarily be traditional, but meets the need of the occasion.

Congratulations on the new sporran and hope you have a great time.

[McMurdo]

Personally I think dressing for what would look formal to the uninitiated is dangerous business. To my mind anyway I think it is important to dress to the level of formality requested and to keep it consistent, mixing formalities is something I try hard not to do as it generally confuses everyone. That is a nice looking sporran, don't get me wrong, however I do not think I would wear it with the outfit pictured as it is simply a mix in formality.

[CMcG]

First of all, that is a gorgeous sporran. For formal evening wear (black tie), however, it doesn't really cut it, despite the interesting material and fine craftsmanship. To me, the soft pouch just looks too utilitarian.

What time does the event start? A dress Argyll is most at home as formal day wear (morning dress), but does admirably when pressed into service as formal evening wear. If the event starts before 6:00pm, you could go in formal day wear: put on a long necktie (black, if need be, for the great un-kilted masses), with either a high cut waistcoat or a belt, and your new sporran. Then you'd be perfectly traditional by wearing it into the evening

[Manxstralian]

What time does the event start?

That was my first thought as well! Beautiful sporran, but (in my opinion) the sun would need to be out when it was first seen in public.

Cheers,

Cameron

[Texas4wheeler]

I'm also with green dragon , maybe a Texas thing but I like it , but over there you might have an issue , but here no one would have a clue .. Lol... Nice sporran

[CeilidhDoc]

I'm going to have to agree with the comments thus far, I am afraid.

1) That sporran is amazing. I have seen stingray sporrans before and they look pretty neat. This response should not detract from that.

2) I am not a kilt expert nor am I the kilt police, but I do try to dress the kilt in ways that are above all else sensitive to highland tradition. Although that sporran could be good for daywear in certain scenarios a black tie sporran it is not, IMHO and it would already appear that others here agree so I am not alone.

One of the more experienced here can correct me if I am wrong, but AFAIK you have a couple of options for a formal sporran:

A) The typical fur and metal cantle sporran you mentioned that you abhoar.

B) A horsehair or goathair long fur sporran. I suppose you likely would not love that if you do not like the furry look.

C) An animal mask sporran. In your case, I would recommend this option from what you stated above for the following reason: You don't have to have it made out of a furry mammal even though these are by far the most common animal mask sporrans.

Example: I have a very unusual mask sporran made out of a Tawny Owl. This is a protected species and I obtained it from a sporran maker named Kate MacPherson ( www.katemacphersonsporrans.co.uk ). She does not kill animals to make her sporrans, but only uses animals that died of other causes yet are found in good enough shape to make a proper sporran. She will get permits to use even endangered species from time to time, legally. I was lucky to snatch up the owl. Avian sporrans are an example of less common animal mask sporrans that still fit the bill of adhering to tradition but do not violate your "I don't like furry sporrans" rule.

Just some thoughts. I hope they are helpful.

Good luck. I myself am attending a wedding this summer and will likely be the only kilted man present. I always intend to represent the rabble, the highlands, and my Scottish ancestors well. You do have some other options worth checking out that might be to your liking but still ramain traditional.

Slainte

[creagdhubh]

Personally I think dressing for what would look formal to the uninitiated is dangerous business. To my mind anyway I think it is important to dress to the level of formality requested and to keep it consistent, mixing formalities is something I try hard not to do as it generally confuses everyone. That is a nice looking sporran, don't get me wrong, however I do not think I would wear it with the outfit pictured as it is simply a mix in formality.

Agreed. Well put, Glen.

[Nathan]

There could be a nice fur alternative dress sporran made of stingray like this one by Artificer:



I just think the one you purchased is too casual based on the shape and soft bodied construction.

[creagdhubh]

There could be a nice fur alternative dress sporran made of stingray like this one by Artificer:



I just think the one you purchased is too casual based on the shape and soft bodied construction.

I'm not a big fan of ray skin for a sporran, but I've always admired this beauty.