Let's talk full dress sporrans

[ASinclair]

I see why you're pretty happy with the end result, Nathan. That is a foxy looking sporran you've got there! Well done!

[creagdhubh]

Nice job, Nathan!

[OC Richard]

I have heard some scots refer to hair sporrans as "piper's sporrans". I wonder how widespread that perception is.

It's very widespread, but completely false.

Long hair sporrans evolved in the natural course of things from the short-haired sporrans of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They were the general, the universal sort of sporran for some time, being worn in the army and by civilians equally, in the army by all ranks, officers and riflemen and sappers and drummers and pipers alike, by civilians in outdoor dress with tweed and with evening finery.

They never have been, and probably never will be, exclusive to pipers.

[OC Richard]

Richard , I love this sporran !! I have seen you wearing this beauty in quite a few pics and I have always admired it , very classically vintage , very traditional and not overdone . In my humble opinion , it ranks at the top of the list !

Cheers , Mike

Thanks Mike, and I agree... I love that thing. I troll Ebay for this sort of thing, have for years, and every once in a blue moon a real gem pops up. I got into a bit of a bidding war with somebody, but I wanted that thing!

That cantle came on a new Janet Eagleton horsehair body, which I switched out for a modern big goathair body, extremely roomy. I hardly ever wear any other sporran... like Dr Ian Malcolm's black suit, it's good for any occasion.

With tweed



or with evening dress



or at a rugby match



Both the vintage cantle on a Eagleton body, and the goathair body on an ugly modern bronze cantle, were got on Ebay from 'Bugpiper' (aka Steve McVeigh).

[Nathan]

It's very widespread, but completely false...(snip)...
They never have been, and probably never will be, exclusive to pipers.

Of course, but sometimes perception is reality. Since the 1930s, as your catalog collection ably demonstrates, leather sporrans have been considered the appropriate choice to wear with tweeds. I just wondered if the "piper's sporran" myth/perception might account for the two young piper lads wearing sporrans moloch with their tweeds.

[OC Richard]

Yes Highland Dress underwent a huge transformation in the early 20th century with various categories or modes becoming clearly defined, each mode with a dedicated jacket, sporran, and footwear. In the 19th century these modes were less defined, with long hair sporrans worn in all modes, with tartan hose or plain hose worn somewhat indiscriminately with evening and day dress, footwear much more variable, very plain jackets worn with evening finery, glengarries and spats worn by civilians, etc etc.

By the 1920s it was
day dress = tweed jacket, small pocketlike sporran of pigskin, plain lovat hose, ordinary shoes
evening dress = the traditional 'doublet' or one of the several new evening jacket styles, small pocketlike sporran of sealskin, tartan or diced hose, buckled shoes
military full dress = military doublet, long hair sporran, diced hose, buckled shoes or spats

and so on.

However the older ways prevailed! And it's very common to see long hair sporrans worn with civilian dress up to today. At one of our local games there was a guy wearing a Lovat tweed jacket and long hair 'piper' sporran and guess what? He was a Scot here visiting. A week later I was piping at a Burns Supper and this same gent showed up, this time in a Prince Charlie but with the same horsehair sporran.

And here is a group of young men at the Oban Ball a couple years back, showing the persistence of long hair sporrans with civilian evening dress

[TheOfficialBren]

I have never understood the fuss over long haired sporrans used for daywear. Sure, they're fancy, but for SMART darwear they look very sharp (and classic). I think that these trends cycle around like everything else.

"There is nothing new under the sun," saith the old adage.

[ASinclair]

I have never understood the fuss over long haired sporrans used for daywear. Sure, they're fancy, but for SMART darwear they look very sharp (and classic). I think that these trends cycle around like everything else.

"There is nothing new under the sun," saith the old adage.

It may not be the log hair so much as the silver cantle. If it is not a formal daytime event (like a noon wedding), then going along with the 'hunting attire' theme for daywear, the silver could sparkle in the sunlight and scare the stag you are stalking (see Thompson So You're Going To Wear The Kilt). Maybe Jock or some of the other Scots will weigh-in on this.

[Nathan]

Y
However the older ways prevailed! And it's very common to see long hair sporrans worn with civilian dress up to today. At one of our local games there was a guy wearing a Lovat tweed jacket and long hair 'piper' sporran and guess what? He was a Scot here visiting. A week later I was piping at a Burns Supper and this same gent showed up, this time in a Prince Charlie but with the same horsehair sporran.

And here is a group of young men at the Oban Ball a couple years back, showing the persistence of long hair sporrans with civilian evening dress

I think sometimes, the exception proves the rule. With respect, Richard, what was popular in the 19th Century is not really an indication of what is correct today. Full plaids and dirks were also de rigeur back then and have fallen out of fashion. Similarly, showing up in 18th Century attire, perhaps a fileadh mor and tartan doublet with all it's accoutrements would place you in historic costume as would showing up in a powdered wig like Bonnie Prince Charlie wore. The fact that some people, be they from Scotland or not, show up at functions dressed in an outmoded fashion from time to time, does not disprove the fact that the traditional view has shifted.

I have a military background and so I'm naturally drawn to long haired sporrans. I think many of them look amazing although I also perceive them as the fanciest level of dress. You often point to military conventions to support a particular look in traditional attire. In my regiment, we wore a plain brown sporran with our badge affixed to the front with green hose in our dress number 1 uniform.

For very important parades and inspections, that would be swapped for hair sporrans, diced hose tops and spats. Given the higher maintenance nature of the hair sporran and the far less generous storage capacity, I'm glad it was a showing garment rather than a working garment like the brown leather sporran.

But there have always been pipers and soldiers and people with gorgeous heirlooms who have chosen to wear a sporran molach with their evening attire in place of the furry pouch. Why go buy a new sporran when you have such a nice one from grandpa or from the regiment or band? Besides, if one has a good reason, it's an excuse to turn heads.

Conversely, if I was going to wear a hair sporran with day wear, and I'm not sure that I would, it would have to be a subdued one like Tobus has - without all the bling. I know people wore bling with tweed in the late 19th and early 20th Century, but that was a hundred years ago and therefore not relevant to a discussion of what's traditional today.

To my eye, your goat hair sporran is amazing and looks the business with evening attire. I'm not a fan of it for the Rugby match look at all, but they're your clothes and you have the right to wear them as you see fit.

After all, this is coming from a guy who wore out a sealskin evening sporran while playing in a Celtic rock band in a t-shirt and army boots. I'm not under any illusions, however, that this particular choice was traditional.

Slainte!

[Orionson]

With apologies to those who may have seen these pics on another thread. These pics were taken in Glasgow on Hogmanay. I've already posted this sporran here with White Tie Attire. I actually use it more for day wear with my tweeds here in Skye, and out and about in the cities when I find myself in the Central Belt for family/business events. Yes, it is silver on bronze, but the colours are "subdued" and straight from the Autumn Bracken, Silver Birch and auld Caledonian Pine covered Hills and, in my view, work as well with Tweed as with White Tie.
jcduffstairwell1.jpg
IMG_7707.jpg
The sporran is admired wherever I go and folks from all walks of life are forever stopping me to ask about it and offer their compliments.