wearing the sporran

[OC Richard]

in 1950:



and today:

[artificer]

Rather than giving my opinion or inventing a rule or quoting somebody else's opinion or rule, let's just have a look-see:

So somewhere between "as a waistplate" and "as a codpiece"

Seriously though, great photos Richard!

For the OP: try wearing it around the house and while out on a good brisk walk. Where it rides on you and where it's comfortable will probably best determine where it should go. It may actually depend on your sporran and what you've got in it as well.

[figheadair]

[QUOTE=M. A. C. Newsome;889125]Peter,

I once had someone who was retired British military criticize my dress because the turn over on the cuff of my hose was either an inch too short, or too long (can't recall now). Point is, it was not "regulation." QUOTE]

Had something similar once where, albeit it in Scotland, someone critcised me for wearing a T-shirt because it wasn't traditional. She of course meant something she knew from her childhood in probably the 1930s rather that 1970. I seem to recall asking whether I should take off my wrist watch as that too wasn't tradtional. All I got was a death stare by way of reply.

[thescot]

. . . My advice is to avoid Scotty Thompson's book like the plague as it's too full of rules that are completely rediculous and have no historical, or inded practical basis . . .

That's not particularly good advice for a novice. The fact is, if a new kilt wearer were to follow the advice to the letter--and it's strictly advice and opinion, and Thompson makes that clear--the new kilt wearer would look very good anywhere he might be. It's very traditional and it is quite conservative.

Traiditionally black brogues are the proper wear with a kilt (see discussions elsewhere a la Jock et al), and most people do wear their sgian's in the right sock.

I always give a copy of the book to any person, especially the young, who wants to start wearing the kilt so as to steer them away from looking like the members of the band, Albanach, or like Mel Gibson in Braveheart.

It's a really good starting place, and, as Thompson says in his book, if you learn what he advises first and then branch out, you'll do fine. Pretty good advice, I think.

[figheadair]

Traiditionally black brogues are the proper wear with a kilt (see discussions elsewhere a la Jock et al), and most people do wear their sgian's in the right sock.

If was are talking tradition from the C19th onward I would agree black brogues have been the norm. Before that not necessarily.

What I don't like about JC's book is his absolutism. I appreciate that it's a guide but to say the only correct this or that, way etc is simply wrong. Not that I wear a sgain dubh but when I did, being left handed, I wore it in my left sock.

[wildrover]

What I notice in all those photos is that, with the possible exception of the first one--the painting--all the sporrans are hanging at the right height for what's being worn, the style of the sporran, etc...I don't mean "two ox feet below the midline measurement of the wearer's third rib, excepting third tuesdays or during a lunar eclipse", rather that it's all visually balanced. Not sure of the right height? Look in a mirror. If it's under the dunlop, it's too low. If it looks like a fanny pack worn in the front, it's too high. If you think it's at a good height, go for a walk, and if it smacks you in the junk, then it's too low. Likewise, if if the strap falls off your butt, then the strap is too loose...which also happens to mean its too low.

FWIW, I've also noticed that if I'm wearing a baggy hoodie (any snowboarder has a closet full of them), I drop the sporran a little lower so it's more apparent beneath the hem of the hoodie...so...check the mirror, and mess with it until it looks "correct".

[OC Richard]

In looking back over the photos I selected, I realised that several of them show the sporran worn rather lower than is usual nowadays. I have just as many photos of them being worn higher:



But what does strike my eye as odd is how the modern Scottish tartan fashion industry, when it dresses up models in Highland Dress for photo shoots, often has the sporran very high, touching the bottom of the jacket or waistcoat, or even so high that the cantle of the sporran overlaps the bottom of the jacket or waistcoat. Note that most of the photos above show a bit of the kilt visible between the bottom of the jacket or waistcoat and the sporran. Here's one of these modern fashion shoots, showing the sporran higher than most people accustomed to wearing the kilt would wear it:



It's difficult to find an old photo of any Scottish lifetime kiltwearer wearing his sporran like that, but I did find one, Archie MacPhedran, piper and pipemaker:

[BLHS209]

Regarding OC's last 2 photo's, it looks like the sporran is higher because there isn't a belt being worn. BTW, thanks for the photo's OC.

[Mike_Oettle]

The pipe major in the group of three pipers is an example of how not to wear the sporran, in my opinion (and, it seems, the opinion of some others on this forum). It hangs just far enough down to show how round his belly is.
I don’t plan to wear a long sporran of any kind, since all I had in the army was a pouch. But I did find that it needed to hang far enough down to hide the apparatus underneath the kilt.
This, to my mind, is the principal reason why a man wears a sporran or pouch with the kilt — and also why a woman does not need it.
Regards,
Mike

[wildrover]

The one of MacPhedran is still lower. The usual kilt hire-style photo has all the usual kilt hire-style mistakes, to my eye.

That jacket's killer, tho...

I wonder if I could convince Josh to build me a sporran like McColl's . It looks like it would take several horses' worth of hair!