Who Was Prince Charlie Anyway?

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Will there be a renaissance in highland dress? Hopefully yes, as more true gentlemen eschew the cheap and tawdry in favour of the more expensive quality craftsmen who still ply their trade. In this overly material society, where people subscribe to the theology of "more is better" as a way of compensating for their own moral or social short comings, or to try to fill up the sense of void created by their own low level of self-esteem, I am certain that there are those who will say "I would rather have one nice thing, than a trunk full of tat."

And that "one nice thing" might just be an Edwardian styled sporran.

I sympathize with this post greatly. Different people will have different perspectives, of course, based not only on economics, but also on your attidude regarding highland dress. If you view the kilt as simply a fun thing to wear to go pub crawling on, or support your local football club, your perspective will differ from those who view the kilt as a heritage garment first and foremost. I know many people on this forum fall into both categories, and that's ok, too.

As for me, I wear kilts all the time as part of my professional attire. Since I work with Highland dress for a living, I always try to put forth a good impression, which is not to say I always dress in jacket and tie, but even when I dress very casually I like to look nice. For that reason, and simply for the fact that I wear kilts on a very frequent basis, I have over the past several years developed a deep appreciation for fine quality Highland dress items (and consequently other types of items, as well), specifically hand crafted items.

This is why I love my Ferguson Britt sporrans. Anyone who holds one in their hands can tell you that they exude hand crafted quality. This is why my favorite hose are the ones my wife hand knits for me. This is why I love Harris tweed. And so on....

My point in posting this, however, is not to tout my own personal preferences, but to suggest that investing in such quality items can actually be a form of frugality. While buying a quality hand crafted item like those mentioned will undoubtedly cost more up front, in the long run it may actually be less expensive. Items such as these will last many years -- often a lifetime. Less expensive items will often wear out and need frequent replacement. In this age of consumerism where everything we buy is seen as disposable, how refreshing is it to wear a sporran and think, one day my grandson will wear this and think of his grandfather...

Yes, quality costs money, but the funny thing about quality -- it's always a sound investment!

Aye,
Matt