What's the story on the huge hairy sporrans

[OC Richard]

Perhaps I could find the answer (or multiple opinions) regarding this if I searched long enough but I'm curious about the reasoning and tradition of those really huge and hairy sporrans (horse hair).

When and why did some sporrans get so enormous?

Well the when is well known; as for the why, who can say? It's like any other fashion trend... it happens, but there's usually no reason for it other than fashion itself.

The earliest sporrans we have clear images of appear to be made of plain deerskin, and are simple leather bags. Here is Lord Duffus in 1700:



Later in the 18th century sporrans were become more elaborate, often of sealskin, with a purselike top and decorative tassels. Here is one in the 1780s. In this portrait can also be seen the origin of the Feather Bonnet.



Here is another late 18th century sporran, here worn with trews by Sir John Sinclair. One can also see the feathers overtaking the bonnet.



Also popular were badger head sporrans, here in the early 19th century:



Here is a Highland Costume in 1835 showing the sporran of the period. Military sporrans looked identical. As you can see, sporrans were getting longer and more hairy at that time.



In the 1840s the military went to rather longer sporrans. These were probably goathair, not horsehair, at that time. Here they are in 1852:



So, this was a steady fashion evolution, taking place simultaneously in military and civilian Highland Dress.

By the mid 19th century long hair sporrans (probably goathair, though sometimes horsehair) were the standard sporran for all modes of Highland Dress, worn with the simplest possible Day Dress, with elaborate Evening Dress, and in the military.

Here is typical Day Dress in the 1860s:



Which continued throughout the 19th century:



But early in the 20th century new sporran styles emerged, shaped like simple pockets. These gained in popularity with civilian dress, but the Army continued to use the long hair sporrans. The Army did adopt simple leather pocket-shaped sporrans for some orders of dress and wears both long hair sporrans and small leather sporrans to this day.

Here the new styles can be seen, in a catalogue from 1930: