Why?

[Martin S]

No, not yet another: why do you wear a kilt?

(I haver not yet seen any threads about : why do you wear trousers? but that is beside the point)

What I'd like to ask is: why do you wear a sporran?

Not that I really want to know your answers (i can guess most of them in advance); it's just that apart from simple, plain day sporrans, I find anything bigger, shinier, or hairier offensively ostentatious -- if not downright ugly. And pipers' horse-hair appendages dangling below their knees are quite ridiculous -- how can they marhc comfortably with such an object?

I used to wear a day sporran, because everyone else did (and because I imagined people might notice a bulge under my kilt if I did not -- back in the days before skin-tight jeans appeared!), but I am happier without, and only use one when I need a safe place for my wallet.

Martin,
in Grenoble, France.

[JayFilomena]

I used to wear a day sporran, because everyone else did but I am happier without, and only use one when I need a safe place for my wallet.
Martin,
in Grenoble, France.

Honestly, I dont own a sporran, YET. I have three modern kilts, or sport kilts, and they all have pockets for my keys and wallet. When Barb finishes my Iraqi Freedom kilt, I plan on buying the biggest, uggliest, harriest, most expensive sporran I can find. Why? Because I'm wearing a kilt. For me, the sporran says to those around you, "I am wearing a kilt". Where is to not wear a sporran may give the impression to the ignorant that you are wearing a skirt. There are many, many items of military nature that are not comfortable and today even unpractical, but there is a proud history behind them and so to honor the past we still wear them. I have an air force pilot friend that wears a white scarf, or did while he was active. He used to get laughed at by other aviators until he explained the signifigance and meaning. Any Pipers want to share with us the history behind the long horse hair sporran?

[Pour1Malt]

ai wear a sporran sae nay yin will say;

"is thot a haggis in yur kilt arr are ya jus happy tae see ma!"

[Master Boid]

As far as I know, and for me personally, a sporran is not only a handy place to keep keys and to keep you're kilts down (depending on sporran weight) but its usually the thing that makes people stop before they say 'nice skirt' and say 'nice kilt' because they recognise the sporran as part of traditional dress.

If they still say its a skirt then there's not really much matter with that, though if you have a sporran it rarely happens. Please, don't tell me about how no-one has called it a skirt whilst you've worn it without a sporran, people are probably not as certain to say that where you come from as here (though I don't know, I'm just giving my opinion).

James

[Ugly Bear]

... it's just that apart from simple, plain day sporrans, I find anything bigger, shinier, or hairier offensively ostentatious...

The bigger, shinier, harrier sporrans seem to be restricted to full dress/ceremonial/traditional costumes. I've never seen anyone wear a mega-sporran casually, only in a pipe band, wedding or state function (but never a funeral; yes, they are ostentatious).

Why would someone wear a mega-sporran? Because tradition demands, in some cases. That's all. It's not a matter of taste. Left as a matter of taste, most have the sense and practicality to keep it simple.

[cessna152towser]

I always wear a sporran in public to hide the bulge.

[mbhandy]

I always wear a sporran in public to hide the bulge.

Oh, Stop bragging.

MrBill

[smaughazard]

Well, my kilts have no pockets, and like most of us today I carry too much stuff: keys, credit cards, drivers license, money, etc. I think it's also a good way to individualize the look. But I do favor the less ornate utilitarian styles.

[An t-Ileach]

I wear a "sporran" of various descriptions (quite often a Loewe Alpine bum-bag) because I find them convenient places to put keys, money, pens, thimbles, bluetooth earplug for the mobile phone, and so on: which, I suppose, is what they were originally.

[Archangel]

I'd go with the no pockets and separate from skirt answers. I carry a lot of stuff with me and it took a while to find the right sporran. There are many flashy, expensive, ugly (morbid) and impractical styles out there. R-Kilts was the best for my purposes.