Opinions pse: Besides the metal cantle, what else defines a "Dress" vs "Day" Sporran?

[Father Bill]

I frankly have enough sporrans, but as you all know, it's an addiction. I've got some really nice day sporrans, so I suppose I should concentrate on dress sporrans since so often I wear my kilt on dressy occasions. I do not have a hunting sporran, and they have come to appeal to me as being a little laid back vs. sealskin (got one) or horse-hair sporrans (got one of those too).

One problem I face is that with my body shape, I often need to wear my sporran a bit higher than the recommended traditional norm to give me greater leg comfort, and then when I raise it up, the cantle digs into my belly above. (Sometimes you just can't win for losing!)

The sporran I most covet right now (I know covetousness is a sin! ) is the brown "Duncan" hunting sporran from L & M Highland which has darker brown accents.



I know - no metal cantle, therefore by the definitions I've read so far, it's "daywear" so it probably doesn't meet my greater need for a dress sporran. It's simply the one I just happen to like so much and would love to own. I'm also not sure that the brown will look as good on the red of my Sinclair Modern



as black, and all of my dress jackets, shoes, etc. are black, as are my clerical shirts. I know again, that neither the colour nor matching colours traditionally matters much, but there's a niggling voice in the back of my mind that says brown would go better with my Sinclair Hunting tartan, which I wear less often, since both have earth tones. .



I care a lot less about matching my shoes

So: second choice: L & M's "Bandsman" which happens to be pebbled black. I like pebbled vs. smooth because I think it's a bit more laid back again, somewhat like brogued shoes shined within an inch of their life vs. Oxfords with even the same shine on them



or possibly, their "Bryson" with a pebbled targe and petals over a smooth body.



So what would be ideal for me? In a perfect world, it would be a fictional dress hunting sporran that has a soft body and soft metal cantle (Ha!) or a flap-over (more comfortable on by old bod) dress sporran in brown that looks good on the red.

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So now, I open the floodgates. I'm looking for advice. I'm looking for opinions... but please note that I'm posting this in the "Putting it on Properly" subforum because I'm looking for traditionally-minded points of view, not the avante-garde.

I've tried to give you all the conflicting thoughts that are swirling about my addled brain on this topic so that you know why I'm stalled and so that you, the Great Rabble, can help me to form perspective in my choices.

Help?

Bill+