Who Was Prince Charlie Anyway?

[Monkey@Arms]

I notice that John Brown is wearing what we would today call a horsehair sporran, something considered inappropriate for non-military/pipe band use.

When did this change? Anyone?

Not a complete answer, but two references to changing sporran fashions taken from the Scottish Tartans Authority website.

Basically the costume for civilian wear may also be said not to have altered since the 18th century. Yet, in matters of detail, each generation has introduced modifications, and even modern fashions have appropriately exerted their influences, though curiously enough, they have in matters of Highland dress in many ways lead to rediscovery of both the practical and artistic advantages of the older Scottish styles which, during the 19 century, had tended to become more oppressive in cut and decoration. As an example of minor changes in taste, the sporran of an all-white goat hair, almost universally the fashion during the Victorian age, has to a great extent given place to a smaller sporran of sealskin, often elaborately decorated with pierced and engraved silver mountings.

http://www.tartansauthority.com/Web/...eartheKilt.asp

The Sporran
Since Highlanders didn't have any pockets in their kilt they needed something to carry their bits and pieces in - including the lead shot for their muskets - and the earliest sporran was a plain draw-string bag of cloth or thin leather that was hung around the waist. More affluent Highlanders decorated their sporrans with a silver top and tassels.

As time went on the sporrans became even fancier and by the late 1800s the sporan molach or hair sporran appeared — made of animal skins such as otter, badger, goat and seal. In Victorian times the sporrans got so huge and fancy that they almost covered the front of the kilt.

http://www.tartansauthority.com/Web/...land_Dress.asp

Best regards,

Jake