Kilt without sporran...yes or no

[Riverkilt]

Gravity works the same on wool underaprons as leather sporrans. Wasn't that colonel in the notorious underkilt shot with the Queen Mother wearing a sporran? Seems the sporran can lay on the wool and prevent its natural collapse between the legs.

Vests and jackets have pockets.

Would like to see a leather sporran rig designed to be worn like a shoulder holster - up out of the way.

When you're walking a lot,or hiking, why would you want your sporran beating up your boy parts? Sure, you can move it to one side...but that sorta makes a loud statement.

Better to leave it home and wear a jacket or vest instead.

Ron

[DWFII]

Gravity works the same on wool underaprons as leather sporrans. Wasn't that colonel in the notorious underkilt shot with the Queen Mother wearing a sporran? Seems the sporran can lay on the wool and prevent its natural collapse between the legs.

Actually, that photo was photoshopped. There are a number of them on the Internet. One clue is that most of them look like a spotlight is being directed up under the kilt--there's too much light under there, in other words for it to be real.

I have son-in-law who used to wear a kilt without a sporran (money was the problem) and it was good wool kilt. But without the sporran he was always "flashing." I honestly don't think you can sit with your legs spread--which spreads the apron--and not flash the whole world if you are not wearing a sporran. Maybe some body types would defy that notion, but the easiest way to know is to sit in front of a full length mirror.

[kiltimabar]

The cut of the apron has a lot to do with whether or not it will fall between the legs to prevent flashing--a wide apron on a wool kilt won't slip down, but the narrow apron on the Utilikilt is designed to do just that.

I would have to spread my legs pretty wide to be able to jam my sporran down between them, especially since I wear it rather high for two reasons: most sporran straps are too short to have any slack by the time it gets around me, and I don't want it bouncing around down there anyway. Simply put, I wear a sporran with a traditional kilt that doesn't have pockets, but not with a contemporary kilt that does.

[The Barry]

I always wear a sporran with my kilt..

But Ron makes some great points.

However, my deep "inner" need to shop for and wear kilt accessories far overpowers any sensible notion of wearing a vest to carry everything. So sporran it is for me! Tassels and all!

Plus, I love the way a certain gender kind of, ahem, directs their gaze downward. The sporran gives them a perfect opportunity to avoid the "question" that's really on their mind, as they can ask, "hey, what's that?", and we can have a chat about sporrans.

Of course, they're blushing by then, so it's just a hurdle on the way to the verbal or physical kilt check.

God I love the kilt!

[TheBlueCow]

Okay, time for a semi-newb's say

When I got into kilts, I had NO IDEA about the sporran. Like Ron said, a kilt is a kilt even without a sporran, and the non-kilt-educated public has no problem identifying a kilt without the sporran. Heck, when I was wearing my UK out for the first time some chick did a double take on me, and we got into a short conversation and she clearly understood it to be a kilt. I've also had plenty of other people understand my UK's to be kilts pretty easily. Although I don't think everyone would recognize a UK as a kilt right off the bat, I do think that the general public can pick out a kilt just from seeing the tartan (or as an uneducated American would call it, "plaid"), and maybe even the pleats. I don't think they really understand the sporran either, as they're used to pants having pockets and would possibly assume that kilts did too.

Personally I don't like the look of a sporran itself. Just doesn't fit my style. I only have UK's so far, and one SWK standard, but as I just started getting into tartan kilts I haven't figured out what I would use to carry my stuff in, besides adding pockets to the kilt. I thought about something that would sling over my shoulder, as Ron suggested, and that would lead into messenger bags, which I've worn before but tend to come too big for the small amount I need to carry. Also small belt pouches would work too. I haven't looked too hard yet though.

It all comes down to how it looks on you. If you can wear your get-up and get away with not wearing a sporran, and it looks good on you overall, then that's all you need.

[Cavebear58]

Sorry... are you saying that these guys all left their's at home, even though several of them were posing for photographs - hardly a daily occurence?



Of course, we can wear our kilts without a sporran - it does not make it a skirt!

Cheers, Graham.

[Riverkilt]

LOVE IT!!! Thanks Graham.

The top left pic is sorta what I was thinking of for an above the waist sporran look.

And, you reminded me that backpacks/daypacks work well in lieu of a sporran when hiking.

Ron

[shawhighlander]

Is it wrong to wear a kilt without a sporran?

My Bud Howie, from 21st Century Kilts, says that he prefers it when wearing the kilt a bit lower and with different styles of jackets, perhaps with more pockets, which makes the sporran unnecessary. Here is a pic of me in my leather RKilt with built-in side pockets. Rock&Roll!

[Cavebear58]

Here is a pic of me in my leather RKilt with built-in side pockets. Rock&Roll!

Oh my! Oh my! I take it that you are not the gorgeous young lady on the left! Shame! Ah well, back to my zimmer frame...

[xena]

Okay! The request was for opinions, and I stated mine above. I'm not always right, and what makes sense as far as fashion or praticality may differ between us.

There are no rules! That is, unless you're wearing it as part of a uniform. In civilian clothing, wear what you like, or don't wear what you like (well, you may have to retain SOME clothes so that you don't get arrested and all that!).

But, to all and sundry, if my opinions above seemed inflammatory or ill-advised, I apologise and re-iterate that it was merely my personal opinion.

You're right, sporrans are not always required, and there is a lot of historical evidence for this. But, I still get a kick out of wearing a sporran with my UK's - it may be superfluous, but superfluous can sometimes work in an odd way. I use the nylon cargo sporran and sporran hangers from SWK, and the chain bits lend an "edgy" look, and the nylon doesn't look out of place like a dressier one might... IMHO, of course.

... once I figure out how to post pics...

... then everyone is going to tell me how silly I look!... lol!