Brown or Black for a Day Sporran

[OC Richard]

borrowing an idea or two from the military is fair game

So true, but with Highland military costume the borrowing has mostly gone the other way civilian Highland Dress > military uniform.

Black shoes and brown sporrans can be seen in 18th century civilian portraits, including ones pre-dating the raising of The Black Watch; this indicates to me that it's yet another Highland military borrowing from civilian dress.

Brown sporran (probably buckskin) and black shoes in 1700.



Ditto 1714 (though his shoes might be very dark brown)

[Couper]

I would like to thank you all so very much for the opinions and the education.

I decided to pony up the cash and get BOTH the brown and the black. My wife liked the style - a Buzz Kidder pouch-style-with-drawstring-and-flap - so that helped me decide which style to choose. Heh - when she says, "Buy this kind." - who am I to argue, eh?

So I stopped in Annapolis this afternoon and, alas, the brown sporrans were sold out. So I could only buy the black one today. There was a brown in a similar style that might have served but there was only provision for fastening the (supplied) chain. The one I purchased today has a chain (smooth, good quality) and also has provision for a strap (which I prefer). I did fulfill half of my intended purchase today and they are expecting to have more in stock within a week. I shall return.

As a BONUS...she also liked a charcoal wool argyle jacket w/vest...that she saw there a week ago...very expensive but exquisite. She wasn't with me today but had me try it on and send her a phone picture. Mentioned something about "Christmas is coming." Again, who am I to argue?

I am very fortunate in the fact that she not only approves of, but actually likes, me wearing a kilt. She is also interested in seeing me improving my kilt wardrobe.

[OC Richard]

I decided to pony up the cash and get BOTH the brown and the black.

Well that's the way to go for sure! Congrats!

I will say that because I've played in the Pipe Band scene for so long, and the standard Pipe Band sporran is black leather with a chrome top, so you'll see 20 bands in a row wearing them, or see a hundred solo pipers in a row all wearing them, that it makes me somewhat averse to seeing them in ordinary traditional civilian Highland Dress.

When you go to the World Pipe Band Championships and see 200 bands wearing the same black leather sporrans part of me wants to scream "couldn't somebody please wear brown ones?"

Like this



This band was spotted at The Worlds wearing brown sporrans... but yikes! Red jackets?