Hair Sporrans

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I wonder if that is really valid. As I look back on photos from that era, families tended to dress up to sit for their portraits. It was a formal occasion, and they wore their best, whether day or night (and I suspect for light reasons it was nearly always day). I think the photos of Victoria's ghillies lying around with kilts and hair sporrans are probably misleading. My own family dressed in tails and top hats for their photos, but I sincerely doubt that was their daily habit.

All the same, I realy loved the photos. Thank you!

Remember, "day dress" does not mean the same thing as "everyday attire" nor does it mean "casual."

For a modern day equivalent, a "casual" look with a kilt might be a polo-shirt, hiking boots and scrunched down socks. While "day dress" would mean something more along the lines of a tattersal shirt, tweed jacket and tie, perhaps a waistcoat, and nice brown leather sporran. The hiking boots would be replace with maybe a pair of brown leather brogues. That might not be how you dress every day, but it is "day dress."

[OC Richard]

Now this has to be one of the nicest and most interesting of hair sporrans.

It's worn to this day by the pipers of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.



Both the body and tassels are mingled horse hair.

The regiment says:

"The late King Geroge VI too a great interest in the Pipes and Drums, granted them the privilege of wearing the Royal Stuart tartan, and personally designed much of the uniform.
The sporran is of grey horse hair reminiscent of the grey horses, with tassles of black and red hair similar to the jowl plumes which hung from the officers' bridles. The feather bonnets have a yellow Van Dyke band..."

Here you can see that, the yellow zigzag band, unique in the world of feather bonnets:



Note that the front pipe ribbon is tartan while the rear is plain blue. Likewise, the rear ribbon of the old Cameron Highlanders was plain green.