More Wedding Advice

[Geoff Withnell]

For formal wear I wear something like this:

http://www.usakilts.com/pipers-dress...g-sporran.html

It may not be traditional, but to my eye, a nice hunting sporran looks more "formal" than regular sporrans, even with a leather cantle.

[S Mitchell]

For formal wear I wear something like this:

http://www.usakilts.com/pipers-dress...g-sporran.html

It may not be traditional, but to my eye, a nice hunting sporran looks more "formal" than regular sporrans, even with a leather cantle.

I've also worn a hunting sporran for formal wear (mine is all leather.) It's on my list to get a more traditional, formal, dress sporran someday, but I don't honestly have many occasions to wear one.

Here I am wearing my hunting sporran with an Air Force mess jacket instead of a Prince Charlie. The sporran is a little cattywampus in this photo, but, alas, that's how life goes.

[TheOfficialBren]

I agree about semi-formal sporrans. They're neither fish nor fowl. I don't care for them but each to their own.

I'm going keep looking.

Btw, S Mitchell, that whole getup looks really nice.

[OC Richard]

All I can add would be to bring awareness to "the tradition".

The "traditional Highland Dress" as it's come down to us, in an unbroken chain of evolution, assumed its current form at the beginning of the 20th century.

It's well summed up here, in 1936. Evening Dress and Day Dress were strictly separated and each had its own range of sporran types. There's wedding dress advice, too

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...talogue-74888/

From around the 1950s sporran designs were usually along the lines of what I've called "the canon" and were still strictly divided between Evening Dress and Day Dress. Here they are

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...xamples-88489/

So if one were to follow "the tradition" they would wear, with any sort of Evening jacket, a fur sporran with silver cantle.

Animal mask sporrans were generally worn with Day Dress in the post-1900 period.

Different styles were in vogue in the 19th century, with a less-strict demarcation between Day and Evening Dress, with long hair sporrans (and less often, animal mask sporrans) worn with both.

About "semi formal" sporrans, that concept didn't seem to exist in the post-1900 tradition. Day sporrans were brown leather (usually pigskin) and might or might not have fur fronts. The addition of fur didn't change their Daywear status. Also popular for Day Dress were reproduction 18th century sporrans, brown deerskin with brass cantles.

Let me emphasize, in case anyone mis-reads my post, that I am not advocating any sort of dress whatsoever. I'm just making people aware of the norms which have existed for, now, over 100 years. People are, of course, free to follow, or ignore, the tradition.

Time for pictures!

First two pages from the standard catalogue of sporran styles used by a number of traditional makers in the 2nd half of the 20th century; all are Evening Dress except for the Hunting Sporran.

Were you to purchase Evening Dress at any point during the 20th century, from any Scottish supplier, such sporrans would be recommended, in all probability.





Here's a few of one leading maker's offerings in 1938



Here, in my early 20s, I'm following the standard traditional forms



Nowadays I'm a bit "retro" going with a late 19th century style sporran

[CMcG]

...

What sort of sporran would The Rabble recommend for a gentleman who rarely wears tuxedo equivalent but wants to up his game with a nice sporran that will suit the occasion but fit in with less formal wear?
Any photo examples would be greatly appreciated, as well.

...

I appreciate the idea of a sporran that can be worn at different levels of dress—particularly if it will rarely be called on to do black tie formal. Unfortunately, the options are slim, and they often devolve into "neither fish nor fowl" territory.

The most traditional option would a full mask, but that has already been ruled out, and I'm not a big fan anyway. Perhaps you need to look at a black leather sporran with a white metal cantle. Below are a few options.

Hunting sporran with metal cantle (courtesy of L&M). A top choice for flexibility, but has become a little too popular with pipe bands, if that matters to you.


Leather sporran with metal plate flap (courtesy of L&M). These are less common than the previous one, but also quite flexible.


A more contemporary take on the leather hunting sporran with metal cantle (courtesy of Lothian Kilt Rentals)

[S Mitchell]

...Btw, S Mitchell, that whole getup looks really nice.

Thanks, Bren.

A more contemporary take on the leather hunting sporran with metal cantle (courtesy of Lothian Kilt Rentals)

I'm intrigued by that one.

[Alan H]

Well, if it were me, and my bride demanded that I spend thousands of dollars on kit that I was never in my lifetime going to wear again for that one day, I would put up a fuss. However, this is really not the case, here. You can get a very nice Prince Charlie for a couple of hundred dollars, and then you have it.

I'm assuming that you already have a nice, wool kilt. If not, then that's where the $$$ goes, first, IMHO.

I also happen to wear a hunting sporran for my more dressy occasions. I'm not keen on the thwapp-thwapp of tassels bumping around when walking, so most of my sporrans don't have tassels. Even if you go to the upper end of stocked hunting sporrans with metal cantles, you're still only spending perhaps $250. It will last a lifetime. So all things considered, a Prince Charlie and a nice hunting sporran are a perfectly reasonable way to dress nicely for your wedding, IMHO.

BTW, there will be people who will pitch a fit over wearing a Prince Charlie in the daytime. They're EVENING wear, they will scream, whilst making comments about the collapse of all decency and morality, and referring to the good old days when people knew better. All this while, they will give you some sort of "internet sideways look", noses in the air. I would suggest that you pay no mind to these people. If your lass wants you to wear a Prince Charlie, then wear a Prince Charlie, and enjoy your day.

[Liam]

My thoughts are that you will get more future use out of a black barathea argyle jacket and vest with silver buttons than you will with a PC, and unless you are a member of this forum, you likely won't know the difference.

[Jock Scot]

As an observation, there was a time when the bride to be and her mother sat down together and discussed what type of wedding there was to be, The Bride's father lurked, with a large whisky in hand in the next room wondering what the event was going to cost and waiting to hear what kind of wedding there was going to be-------church, cathedral, registry office and if the attire was formal or smart. The Groom to be waited for this information and then acted accordingly-----he knew what he was going to wear depending on the decisions made by the brides family. There was none of this must do , must wear this or that because the bride's aunt does not like the kilt, or formal weddings or some such nonsense. The Groom wears HIS tartan come what may, it is HIS choice IF the kilt is appropriate and with appropriate attire to fit the event. Otherwise, if there is not to be the kilt-------and there are considerations to be made about that----, he conforms with the general formal, smart,or even casual dress attire requirements.

There is still much merit in this system and if anyone, including the Bride's mother, objects----------TOUGH LUCK! I commend these thoughts to all, even in this modern day and age.

[Liam]

As an observation, there was a time when the bride to be and her mother sat down together and discussed what type of wedding there was to be, The Bride's father lurked, with a large whisky in hand in the next room wondering what the event was going to cost and waiting to hear what kind of wedding there was going to be-------church, cathedral, registry office and if the attire was formal or smart. The Groom to be waited for this information and then acted accordingly-----he knew what he was going to wear depending on the decisions made by the brides family. There was none of this must do , must wear this or that because the bride's aunt does not like the kilt, or formal weddings or some such nonsense. The Groom wears HIS tartan come what may, it is HIS choice IF the kilt is appropriate and with appropriate attire to fit the event. Otherwise, if there is not to be the kilt-------and there are considerations to be made about that----, he conforms with the general formal, smart,or even casual dress attire requirements.

There is still much merit in this system and if anyone, including the Bride's mother, objects----------TOUGH LUCK! I commend these thoughts to all, even in this modern day and age.

Jock.... This still may be the case, but I hope the Bridezilla and her Mother days are less common than they used to be. My view is that marriage is an equal partnership and the ceremony to establish it should be as well. Now I am also a believer of the golden rule, ie. he who has the gold rules, or on the case of a wedding, whomever is paying for it has a considerable say in what goes on. In today's modern world, the historic tradition of the father of the bride picking up the tab is not always the norm, so the bride and/or her mother dictating the wedding shouldn't be either.
OP... Sorry for this diversion from your post.