Accessories: same color?

[Jock Scot]

Well here I am, late again. Actually I have been keeping an eye on this thread, but thought you chaps were doing pretty well without me.

This matching thing that many seem to agonise so much about is, I am sure, just a fact that most of the "New World" are having to start with new kit. Whilst in the "Old World" we make do with Dad's kilt, great grandfather's brown sporran and silver kilt pin, uncle Jim's black kilt belt, cousin Jack's gold watch and chain and so on. So inevitably when we turn out we are never likely to have anything that matches. A good dollop of necessity, practicality, common sense and experience sees to that human frailty of vanity and thus we Scots don't fuss about matching things and somehow it works and works well.

Most of you chaps in the "New World" don't have that ancestral backup, so you have the mindset of NEW, so when you go out and buy things it is obvious that you want things to match. Just like, I suspect, my ancestors did when they started out on the kilt trail umpteen decades ago. This is where the "Old and New Worlds" struggle to understand where each other are coming from and I don't just mean on kilt matters either. Does it matter really? Well on matters of the kilt. Not one jot.

For the record, some of you might have noticed that I wear black(polished) brogues, black leather sporran and on occasion a black leather kilt belt with gold watch and chain, silver kilt pin and clan badge. That is not a conscious thing on my part, apart from I like black brogues, the rest is just what I happen to have.

[Gryphon noir]

I like your approach, Jock. I don't think we need worry that we in the New World are going to "redefine" the wearing of traditional highland garb. Most of us are part of a renaissance of kilt wearing, so we shouldn't be too surprised to discover that we are creating a living tradition, rather than a static set of rules.

That doesn't mean we should dismiss anyone's interpretation of a particular style. Micric has a good point in that there are certain social expectations associated with formal wear. I don't reject that, you just wouldn't find me wearing a tuxedo, so the formal bit simply doesn't apply in my case.

By the same token, while I might wince at the guy in the Utilikilt worn low on the hips with work boots and rolled down socks, I still accept that this is part of a cultural dynamic.

[Sir William]

I'm reminded of my last trip to Scotland. I was sitting in the airport and some kilted lads came in heading for Ireland. Most were wearing t-shirts and boots with their hose scrunched down. Nice casual look.

However, almost all were wearing dress sporrans (mostly of rabbit fur with brilliant colours, such as bright blue, green, red, purple or yellow).

To my eyes the sporrans clashed, but after some reflection, I looked on it favourably as it was a group of young men wearing kilts. The mix of very casual with dress sporrans served as an expression of individuality (except that it almost served as a uniform for the group) - and showed they were not bound by convention or tradition.

I personally don't care for a full dress sporran worn with daywear or casual wear, anymore than I like a daywear sporran worn with a PC. But on the other hand, as Jock points out, this may be the only sporran the individual has, or perhaps is some special significance, so that is what he wears. I may not like it, but I try not to be a snob about it. At least the individual is wearing a kilt so thats progress in itself.

[Jock Scot]

I'm reminded of my last trip to Scotland. I was sitting in the airport and some kilted lads came in heading for Ireland. Most were wearing t-shirts and boots with their hose scrunched down. Nice casual look.

However, almost all were wearing dress sporrans (mostly of rabbit fur with brilliant colours, such as bright blue, green, red, purple or yellow).

To my eyes the sporrans clashed, but after some reflection, I looked on it favourably as it was a group of young men wearing kilts. The mix of very casual with dress sporrans served as an expression of individuality (except that it almost served as a uniform for the group) - and showed they were not bound by convention or tradition.

I personally don't care for a full dress sporran worn with daywear or casual wear, anymore than I like a daywear sporran worn with a PC. But on the other hand, as Jock points out, this may be the only sporran the individual has, or perhaps is some special significance, so that is what he wears. I may not like it, but I try not to be a snob about it. At least the individual is wearing a kilt so thats progress in itself.

I don't think that the more traditional of us would ever mix day wear with dress wear, I am talking sporrans mainly, but not exclusively here. I think that would be one step too far across the line for me certainly, although the fur sporran is the Jack of all trades and is considerably better than those awful semi dress things that are so common in the shops these days. Mind you, as any soldier will tell you, "there are times when you have to fight with what you have and not what you ought to have" and the same applies with kilt attire.

The Tartan Army have no inhibitions about mixing their kilt attire and really should not be regarded as any guide as to how to wear the kilt ,or its attire, other than "Tartan Army style".

For some reason I have gone off fur sporrans, getting old I suppose, and I am delighted that my sons are now using mine. For me, I have become very uneasy even when I see one.Why? I know not.

[Sir William]

The Tartan Army have no inhibitions about mixing their kilt attire and really should not be regarded as any guide as to how to wear the kilt ,or its attire, other than "Tartan Army style".

Jock,

May I assume then that the lads I saw were probably from the Tartan Army? I don't know that I had encountered them before this. Given that they were probably about a dozen milling about, more or less attired the same way, I could only assume they were part of a group of some sort.

I'm with you as well about mixing daywear and evening wear items - be they sporrans, jackets or whatever - but I also realize that the young will experiment. However, I have hopes that eventually they will return to the "classic" look as they get older, though they may never have "good taste" with regards to their attire.

My point though was that I try not to judge someone who mixes daywear and evening wear such as I see at the occasional games or clan function. I realize that not everyone can afford to get everything they may need all at once and must make do with what they have.

[Micric]

Jock,

Can you describe the sporran you wear for formal occasions?.......seeing as you have gone off fur?
Thank you!

R.

[OC Richard]

I just looked through my various old Highland Dress catalogues, and here's what they show:

Highland House of R G Lawrie, Glasgow c 1926:

Illustrated is a man in "Outdoor Dress" wearing a plain brown leather sporran and black "brogues" (ordinary shoes, what I would call Oxfords). On the sporran page only two leather sporrans are shown, one a brown "day" sporran, the other white "buckskin" with a sterling silver cantle.

Wm Anderson & Sons, Edinburgh & Glasgow c 1937:

"Highland Dress In Day Time" is illustrated by a man wearing a brown leather "hunting" sporran and black shoes. On the sporran page seven leather sporrans are illustrated but the photo is in black & white.

Highland Dress by Paisleys c 1957:

On page twenty: "this is the Tweed Argyll for men, designed for everyday wear." Illustrated is a man wearing a brown leather "day" sporran and black shoes. On the sporran page two leather sporrans are shown, both mid-brown.

Wm Anderson & Sons, Edinburgh c 1957:

The illustrations of "Day Wear" are in black & white. So are the sporran photos. Three day sporrans for men are shown, all appear to be brown, two are listed as pigskin, the third listed as "grained hide" is the same colour as the pigskin ones. The leather boys' sporrans are all described as "brown leather".

So it's quite apparent that the usual thing from the 1920's through the 1950's was to wear a pigskin or brown hide "day" or "outdoor" sporran and black "brogues" (ordinary shoes) with "Day Wear/Outdoor Dress".

As I have said, when I started playing pipes and wearing kilts in the mid-1970's this was still the usual thing and it was a number of years before I saw a guy wearing all matching leather, exactly matching brown ghillies and sporran and belt, and it looked odd to me. Highland Dress and sporranmaker's catalogues at that time did offer black Day Dress sporrans but they weren't as widely seen as the brown ones (tradition holding on, I suppose).

[Jock Scot]

Jock,

Can you describe the sporran you wear for formal occasions?.......seeing as you have gone off fur?
Thank you!

R.

Interesting question, that I have no answer to,yet! In truth, since my accident, we don't go to formal dinners and dances anymore,we did not go to many anyway, but you never know ------. I suppose I could borrow one from one of my sons if needs be, but I am not happy with fur sporrans these days.

Perhaps I should start a thread asking for ideas?