Quote Originally Posted by Caradoc View Post
Don't even get me started on the "formal" sporrans with their cantles and barely enough room to get the car keys in, let alone a wallet or a cell phone.
Formal sporrans are in the Victorian tradition about pomp and not function. They are jewelry. They, however, were not always small. The once popular-- but now nearly relegated to pipers-- hair and mask sporrans could be quite large. With the shift to less hairy beasts in the last century the sporran got smaller and more wieldy. Most piper sporrans that even maintain the hair tradition don't even have a pocket. Ceremonial or dress sporrans are about looking nice. They are very much like the tiny evening purses of women's formal wear. Many day sporrans are modeled after the semi-formal models. They too not intended to hold much. Military day in contrast to civilian sporrans as used by most of the regiments are larger and quite roomy. They are, however, not soft faced but use stiff fronts. Even day outfits must look orderly and exude a level of formality and authority.