Proper highland games sporran?

[EagleJCS]

I might have this all wrong and I am fully open to correction, but it is my belief that many piping competitions stipulate a dress code. I thought that there was an overriding/master/senior (however it's called) piping organisation which governed and set the standard throughout the world.

If that is so, then consulting the organisers would be the best course. If I am wrong then I will go back to sitting and playing quietly in the corner.

Good luck with the competition.

Regards

Chas

You are correct that most competitions have a dress code - usually it just stipulates 'Highland attire'. (I help organize the Glasgow KY Pipe & Drum competition and that's all our entry form states). Some get more specific than others, you'd have to check with the organizers of that particular competition.

There is not a global piping organization, just regional/national (EUSPBA - Eastern United States Pipe Band Association, RSPBA - Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, MWPBA - Mid-West PBA, etc.). The RSPBA is considered one of the leading authorities on piping, music settings, etc. A lot of piping groups look at what they're doing, then follow along within a couple of years, but they don't have charge over competitions around the world. Not every competition is sanctioned by an organizing body, nor has every organizing body agreed on the requirements for assigning levels of proficiency (grade levels), so crossing from one organization to another can be tricky. Most neighboring associations will honor each other's grade levels.

No one's even sure how many pipe bands (or even individual pipers) there are because not every band competes, not everyone publicizes that they play, etc., etc.

In answer to the OP, as a soloist, I would suggest a day sporran (plain leather, black or brown) or one of the leather-with-cantle semi-formal sporrans would probably look less out of place than fur. I haven't seen soloists wearing a formal or semi-formal fur sporran in the daytime. If you're a bandsman, then I'd just wear the band uniform, since you're likely going to need to change into it later anyway.