Sporrans and 'real' sporrans.

[azwildcat96]

I only own one sporran. It is black leather with off-white bovine fur, black leather tassels, and a black leather belt/pewter chain and matching hardware. It is made in Scotland!

I don't consider it a dress sporran, and I do not use it as such. I have no need for a formal dress sporran (at least right now I don't).

I do wear this sporran for casual events with kilt, T-shirt, boots and scrunched-down hose, and it looks fine (not out of place).

I also wear it for semi dress events, with a button-down or polo style shirt, black cap-toe shoes, hose and flashes. For this style dress, the lack of a formal dress sporran works too.

It is not something that I would wear with a prince charlie outfit. It is certainly not something that I want a pint spilled on at the local pub. But then again, neither is my kilt.

I guess what I'm saying is that there is certainly a place for the semi-dress sporrans in todays kilt attire.

[Gryphon noir]

It's important to recognize that living cultures do not stay static. Culture tends to change in response to current sensibilities. The question has been asked many times on this forum and others: "What exactly is traditional?"
--and of course the answer is as varied as those who respond.

For instance, I don't feel comfortable with the idea of fur sporrans or animal masks as both tend to create a demand for the exotic. If it's a matter of putting roadkill to good use, I'm with you on that--you would have a unique and useful item that has a story.

Leather is easier to justify in that it is most often a biproduct of the food industry: I don't eat the stuff, but plenty of people do, and given that there isn't a viable alternative to leather [or at least not one that doesn't involve an enormous environmental footprint], it seems to me to be the obvious choice.

We have seen the emergence of different styles and materials being used in kilts, and as a result kilting subcultures where ankle socks or sandals are accepted [in many cases a matter of climate], and these are all part of dynamic culture that has its reference points in whatever we view as "traditional."

It's good that there are those amongst us who actively try to maintain tradition, and those who try to research the historical, but ultimately there are no regulations, only conventions.

Who knows? Maybe some one will start making embroidered canvas sporrans. Not wrong, just different.

Ironically, most people I have contact with tend to see me as a traditionalist: though all of my kilts look traditional, only two are 8 yd. knife-pleated.