Let's talk full dress sporrans

**Nathan** · 6th December 13, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Tobus

Here is where I step delicately with my wording. Notwithstanding the enthusiastic verbiage of my previous post, I did not mean to imply that they are making a "big comeback". But since a few years ago, when we last had the big kerfuffle about hair sporrans for daywear, I have seen a number of random examples from the Highlands of men wearing hair sporrans during the day. Trying to find them at this point would be difficult, since I haven't exactly been keeping notes on where they were or anything. And I'm sure the usual suspects would jump in to say that those are just examples of eccentric Scots who do not represent the whole of traditional Highland wear, or offer some other dismissive explanation as to why it's just wrong, wrong, wrong. They'd probably be correct, in many ways. It is not really a common thing, and may indeed still draw the dreaded raised eyebrow from modern-traditional Highlanders. But one does occasionally see a Highlander wearing a hair sporran during the day, and I seem to think it has become slightly more common (or less rare, as it were) in the last few years.

Of course, examples of hair sporrans for civilian evening attire are numerous. It appears that this is the one commonly accepted civilian use of a hair sporran in the Highlands, as Kyle's photos show.

Thanks for the clarification. I wasn't really talking about day wear though given the nature of the thread. Are there those that hold it's inappropriate for civilian evening wear also?

Incidentally Tobus, do you have a Texan accent? If so, I'll start adding it mentally when I read your posts. I already add a posh British accent in my head when I'm reading Jock and Phil, where rightly or wrongly, I read Fitz and Neloon with various brogues. Some Texans sound Texan, others have a more non-regional diction. It's a bit off topic but I'm curious...

**Tobus** · 6th December 13, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by Nathan

Thanks for the clarification. I wasn't really talking about day wear though given the nature of the thread. Are there those that hold it's inappropriate for civilian evening wear also?

There are, but they are a curmudgeonly minority. As Kyle's photos of Cluny and John Burgess show, well-respected and prominent native Scots wear hair sporrans with evening attire. And let's not forget the Duke of Argyll who wears a hair sporran with both day dress and evening dress (as Colin showed in this post). Granted, he's a "somebody" who wears the somewhat famous sporran of his forefathers. Yet there are persistent elements who follow the Thompson "rule" from So You're Going to Wear the Kilt! which states that an evening sporran must be fur, and they generally claim that us "non-somebodies" cannot get away with a hair sporran.

Incidentally Tobus, do you have a Texan accent? If so, I'll start adding it mentally when I read your posts. I already add a posh British accent in my head when I'm reading Jock and Phil, where rightly or wrongly, I read Fitz and Neloon with various brogues. Some Texans sound Texan, others have a more non-regional diction. It's a bit off topic but I'm curious...

I'm not sure what you expect a Texas accent to sound like, so I don't know. I used to have quite a pronounced West Texas twang, which by the way is distinctly different than the drawl you might find in East Texas, but if it's still present, I don't hear it. But I'm sure if I went up north, everyone else would hear it.

Come to think of it, my good friend down here who is from Manchester teases me all the time about the way I talk (especially the colloquialisms I use), so maybe I do.

**Nathan** · 6th December 13, 01:33 PM

^AYE!^

It seems I'm all out of ayes... I am going to try to find examples of the twang versus the drawl online. Interestingly, they call the accent in my part of Industrial Eastern Cape Breton a "twang" also, while the accent on the more Gaelic parts of West Coast and Bras D'or Cape Breton is referred to as a brogue.

**saxandpipes** · 6th December 13, 02:41 PM

Orionson, that is gorgeous!

I think the idea of a "somebody" being able to pull-off a hair sporran might have something to do with the fact that normally that somebody will be in possession of a unique and beautiful (heirloom) sporran- whether hair/fur or indeed leather (Duke of Edinburgh). I would like to think that any of Scott (Artificer's) sporran's would not be thought of as inappropriate at a formal event- simply because they are all genuine beauties. That being said, they would probably look even more beautiful, when being worn by our sons and grandsons and great-grandsons…!

Cheers,

Michael

**Nathan** · 7th December 13, 07:43 AM

I couldn't agree more and am a huge fan of Scott's work!

Jock Scot must be out shooting or fishing. I'd love to hear his thoughts on this and a few other recent threads!

**Grizzly** · 7th December 13, 10:15 AM

Nathan, Jock is currently away engaged on more pressing matters, but rest assured he is fine and well. no doubt he will be back with us when the opportunity arises.

**TheOfficialBren** · 7th December 13, 09:01 PM

Originally Posted by Grizzly

Nathan, Jock is currently away engaged on more pressing matters, but rest assured he is fine and well. no doubt he will be back with us when the opportunity arises.

I was wondering about that, too. He's a gentleman of a man and his experience and expertise are valued contributions here. Thank you, Simon, for the heads up.

**artificer** · 8th December 13, 07:52 AM

I don't have a dedicated Dress Sporran at the moment- I never seem to have time to make one for myself.
When I eventually do get around to it I want two sporrans.

One based on Ewan Macpherson's seen on the right in the image below:
cf68ab43-4fb7-4602-9b0e-051d8c69d954_zpsc9e1fabe.jpg

and one, with a half octogon similar to Harry Lauder's in either a short fur (musquash or kid goat) OR black leather.
sporan.jpg

I know that the latter in leather wouldn't be QUITE as dressy, but given my (rather sad) lack of invitations to events where Court Dress is required I think I could pull it off.

Also, thanks all for the very kind words shown earlier in the thread about my work. It warms the heart on a brutally cold morning.

ith: