Quote Originally Posted by Tobus View Post
From your brief synopsis, it sounds like the true origin of long tassels wasn't the military. If they first appeared in 1835 in the civilian world, but weren't adopted into any of the military regiments until 1855, then it obviously came from civilians... right?
That's probably how it happened. It happened time and again, for example doublets with "Inverness tashes" and Glengarry bonnets were being worn by civilians for a while before the Cameron Highlanders introduced them into the Army as part of a special piper's costume.

Sporrans with two long tassels first appeared in the Army as part of the Undress uniform for officers of the 79th Foot in the 1840's, as far as I can tell. It took a few years for that regiment to extend that style to the entire regiment.

Interestingly, the 79th and 92nd never changed their officers' Levee Dress sporrans over to two long tassels, and they continued to have five short tassles to modern times. You'll sometimes see photos of the Drum Major of the Gordon Highlanders wearing a sporran with five short gold bullion tassels: that's like the officers' Levee Dress sporran.

(If you haven't seen Levee Dress, here are two officers of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, one in Review Order, one in Levee Dress, c1890: