Mixing a Military horse hair sporran with a Utiliklt

**Alan H** · 10th April 12, 10:07 AM

In the end, though, it's about what YOU want to wear. If you want to wear your horsehair sporran with your lime green mocker, then dude.... wear it, and if you get funny looks, well that's THEIR problem, not yours.

It seems to me like you're having fun with this, and 'tain't nothing wrong with that!

**tundramanq** · 10th April 12, 10:23 AM

I am having fun with this, even if I never get out of the house with it, this experiment has been worth the cost in entertainment value for me and, I hope, all watching this potential trainwreck.

**Tobus** · 10th April 12, 10:35 AM

You'll eventually get out of the house with it. You'll find the look that's "just right" in your eye, and you'll do it. Then wonder why it took you so long.

I did the same thing with my horse hair sporran. It was almost a year before I left the house with it on. That whole time I kept saying to myself, "why did I buy this thing!?" Then, one day, the perfect occasion arose, I put it on, and everything was groovy after that. Granted, it was with a more traditional outfit, but still. Panache is right. With a horse hair sporran, you have to go big or go home. Not only in what you wear with it, but mentally too.

**tundramanq** · 10th April 12, 12:21 PM

Since I have one of Rocky's X Marks on - I think the bright white stripes may be a bit confusing, at least to my eye.

LOL - I fixed the sock and kilt pin after I saw this. LOL
Maybe snapping a picture and looking at it will help before going out.

**CMcG** · 10th April 12, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by tundramanq

I am having fun with this, even if I never get out of the house with it, this experiment has been worth the cost in entertainment value for me and, I hope, all watching this potential trainwreck.

I think there is some real value in trying new things out at home, and looking at the pictures, before venturing forth into public. Averting sartorial train wrecks is a worthy pursuit

Originally Posted by Tobus

You'll eventually get out of the house with it. You'll find the look that's "just right" in your eye, and you'll do it. Then wonder why it took you so long.

I did the same thing with my horse hair sporran. It was almost a year before I left the house with it on. That whole time I kept saying to myself, "why did I buy this thing!?" Then, one day, the perfect occasion arose, I put it on, and everything was groovy after that. Granted, it was with a more traditional outfit, but still. Panache is right. With a horse hair sporran, you have to go big or go home. Not only in what you wear with it, but mentally too.

My dad played the pipes as a boy and so, growing up, I can always remember his horsehair sporran hanging around. The kilt was long gone, but I always played dress-up with his sporran and wanted to someday have a chance to wear it. The first few times I wore the kilt, I wore that sporran but they were formal occasions: junior high grad, high school grad, and many years later to a buddy's wedding (at his request for me to kilt up).

I had no hesitation to wear my horsehair sporran because it was my dad's and because it was my only sporran. Now that I have more options, I would reserve it for the most formal, traditional, and fancy occasions. Not that I was ever thinking about wearing it with a modern kilt, but now I know I wouldn't! Thanks tundramanq

Compare the following outfits:

Going big for black tie

Regular, plain black tie

**Muddy** · 10th April 12, 06:54 PM

CMcG.........that first pic is MAGIC man! LOVE it.
The second is fantastic as well but I love the first look particularly.

**Muddy** · 10th April 12, 06:56 PM

Tundra.......cool pic man. Again, to me it just needs the appropriate leather jacket and maybe some big, black boots.
I've had excellent luck scouting out cool leather jackets at the local thrift shops such as Goodwill.

Oh.......a "glengarry" hat would be a nice touch too..... with red and white and black dicing of course.

**flyrod6057** · 11th April 12, 05:05 AM

Originally Posted by Panache

I think this is a really good modern kilted look, with the exception of the horsehair sporran that looks completely out of place with the rest of the outfit. Fashion is like cooking in a way. You have all these different elements/ingredients that you put together towards a satisfying end result. A horsehair sporran isn't a bit of lemon zest, it is a scotch bonnet chilli pepper! It is a big bold element that has to either be balanced out with some equally bold elements or it needs to be framed as the highlight of an ensemble. The wonderful rustic earthy tones you have going in this outfit work so well together, yet the very traditional, formal, and unsubtle horsehair sporran just stands out as incongrous.

I think this sums up what I'm thinking... The horsehair sporran's a dramatic accessory; it requires a certain context, IMHO. The UK look is great, but the horsehair sporran steals the attention, causing the focus to go from "cool kilt" to "what's that hairy thing?"

**tundramanq** · 11th April 12, 05:36 AM

CMcG I like both looks, The second better. I am still warming up to the tartan thing - give me a year. Maybe it's my astigmatism, but I have always prefered solid colors.
I have only been to a black tie once ( friend's, to the nines, wedding - evaded the noose here -

) and that was a rented tux.
Too much Scots Irish here to invest in something I may never use.