Brown sporran with eveningwear?

[David Dubh]

I recently unearthed my sporran from when I was a boy of 11 or 12, it is brown leather with a light coloured fur on the front with leather tassels. I would have acquired this in 1977 and I certainly wore that with black shoes

[Rhaco]

Highland attire conventions are not necessarily the same as Saxon attire conventions and mixing brown and black leathers are perfectly acceptable in traditional Highland kilt attire and therefore saxon “ rules of fashion “ do not apply.

Welcome to kilt wearing!

Worn them plenty, though the condescension about my opinion was fun for me hope it was good times for you too. Saxon, Highland, Mayan, Mongolian, or Tongan, mixing a bunch of rando leathers isn't a good look. This is more of a "pleasing to the eye," thing than a "tradition," thing. Besides there are TONS of things that we do or don't do that don't line up identically with tradition, if that were the only deciding factor, it'd be a heck of a set of waters to navigate. You'd have to state your attempted era before asking any question. But fortunately all of this is guidelines and opinion.

I realize I'm in the minority here, but yeah it's just not a look that holds up even if "tradition allows," for it. As soon as it was reasonable for people to afford multiple versions of various leather items, that look became sort of sloppy.

[Father Bill]

Let's be clear here - it may not be a look that holds up for you but that doesn't mean that it's a look that doesn't hold up. In saying that you sound as if you're accusing the majority of Scots of not knowing how to present themselves in their national dress.

[Jock Scot]

Worn them plenty, though the condescension about my opinion was fun for me hope it was good times for you too. Saxon, Highland, Mayan, Mongolian, or Tongan, mixing a bunch of rando leathers isn't a good look. This is more of a "pleasing to the eye," thing than a "tradition," thing. Besides there are TONS of things that we do or don't do that don't line up identically with tradition, if that were the only deciding factor, it'd be a heck of a set of waters to navigate. You'd have to state your attempted era before asking any question. But fortunately all of this is guidelines and opinion.

I realize I'm in the minority here, but yeah it's just not a look that holds up even if "tradition allows," for it. As soon as it was reasonable for people to afford multiple versions of various leather items, that look became sort of sloppy.

Well alright, carry on the way you wish. All I and others have tried to do is point you in the right direction that is all. If you would care to listen you will find that the kilt attire advice that you have been given on this thread is good and the end result is surprisingly effective. The Highland Scots have been doing it for rather a long time as many on this very website have found out to their advantage.

Try mixing the leathers for a while and see how it goes? There will be no bolt of lightning to strike you down if you do.

[Dr Bee]

you sound as if you're accusing the majority of Scots of not knowing how to present themselves in their national dress.

Having grown up in a time when all day sporrans were brown-ish I wouldn't bat an eye-lid on seeing a brown day sporran with black shoes as it's a combination I still often wear. But I remember in about 2002 visiting Houstons store in Paisley and seeing a black McRostie day sporran - I'd never seen anything like it up till then, it was very impressive, and I knew I'd have to have it. It still looks great today. However, I feel its imposing blackness does not go with every kilt which I like to wear. I like to wear it with both ancient and modern Lamont kilts - it just seems to match them nicely. On the other hand I never wear it with my Ancient MacDougall kilt - it just doesn't go with it and I wear a brown day-sporran with that kilt even though I'm usually wearing black shoes - but note that I do not rule out brown shoes with that combo.

I think the point is that we're probably all aware of traditions that have grown out of historical necessity, we all in addition know that tastes can vary and we all have a sense of things that seem right and things that don't seem right - sometimes it's hard to quantify these feelings and senses in a way that makes perfect sense to others.

[Rhaco]

Well alright, carry on the way you wish. All I and others have tried to do is point you in the right direction that is all. If you would care to listen you will find that the kilt attire advice that you have been given on this thread is good and the end result is surprisingly effective. The Highland Scots have been doing it for rather a long time as many on this very website have found out to their advantage.

Try mixing the leathers for a while and see how it goes? There will be no bolt of lightning to strike you down if you do.

I was mostly just disappointed to find the snarky bit of gatekeeping on my second day using these forums. I guess those kinds of guys are everywhere just surprised I found one so fast. I'm sure you felt it was cute or clever, it was just rude and unwelcoming. It's a good thing I'm not new to the hobby, or it sure would have opened my experience with a nasty taste in my mouth.

I do plan on continuing as I wish, at least now that I have your permission do deviate from your "right," way of doing things. All anyone here was doing was sharing an opinion, yourself included. You think it looks fine, I don't, and I like hearing what other people think of these sorts of things. Of course lightening isn't going to strike anyone, for anything discussed on any of these pages. It's the same consequences for everything here, it just wouldn't look very good. And I'm really happy to have a light spirited version of that conversation with anyone but you.

[Rhaco]

Let's be clear here - it may not be a look that holds up for you but that doesn't mean that it's a look that doesn't hold up. In saying that you sound as if you're accusing the majority of Scots of not knowing how to present themselves in their national dress.

I think there is a context to be considered here. If I remember right, the original poster was talking about black tie evening wear, where I think that is the sort of thing one might notice moreso than at a nice lunch for instance. I certainly didn't intend to imply that anyone who ever mixes leather colors has no idea how do dress themselves, just that it has become something that is default to nice dress in the modern world (regardless of it's origins), and that people will notice it at a glance. Without walking around giving every person in the room a lecture on why that convention doesn't apply to highland dress, it's going to seem to many people that you have missed the mark on "formal." I doubt most people will care, or even remember, but if you are headed to something where the other attendees are anything less than scholars on formal highland attire, you'd give the best at a glance impression by matching leathers.

Also, a lot of people are responding with what works in daily wear. There are an awful lot of people everywhere who aren't going to worry about matching belts, shoes, jackets, etc until they are going to something formal, so daily wear is really sort of a separate thing.

[Rhaco]

Mixing leathers was something that took me a while to get used to but I don't even worry about it anymore, thanks to what I've learned here.

If you're interested, there's lots of great information in this thread:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...xamples-85511/

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Shane

You look great there, and I totally get it during the day, or even at a nice restaurant for dinner. I think the original post mentioned black tie, so I'm picturing at first glance, what is the best impression I can make at a formal function. Unless everyone there is a highland dress scholar, people are going to look with the knowledge they have. It's clothing, so there's no laws, I'm just trying to figure out what is the impact my dress is making, and I think it's going to look much tighter to the average non kilt wearer if matched.

[Dr Bee]

I think there is a context to be considered here. If I remember right, the original poster was talking about black tie evening wear, where I think that is the sort of thing one might notice moreso than at a nice lunch for instance. I certainly didn't intend to imply that anyone who ever mixes leather colors has no idea how do dress themselves, just that it has become something that is default to nice dress in the modern world (regardless of it's origins), and that people will notice it at a glance. Without walking around giving every person in the room a lecture on why that convention doesn't apply to highland dress, it's going to seem to many people that you have missed the mark on "formal." I doubt most people will care, or even remember, but if you are headed to something where the other attendees are anything less than scholars on formal highland attire, you'd give the best at a glance impression by matching leathers.

Also, a lot of people are responding with what works in daily wear. There are an awful lot of people everywhere who aren't going to worry about matching belts, shoes, jackets, etc until they are going to something formal, so daily wear is really sort of a separate thing.

I for one welcome and value your input and I hope it will continue. At the same time I reserve the right to disagree with anyone on here and I shall work on the basis it would be unreasonable to expect anyone to agree with everything I say. And I would say to everyone on here that I think last thing any of us should do is be too critical of another's stance. Putting a man off wearing his kilt is simply a crime - a crime we must all be wary of committing. Similarly nor would anyone want to put someone off using XMTS - so please feel free to chip in.

AS for the way the thread started and has developed - well yes, it started about brown sporrans for evening wear (unpopular), moved on to brown jackets for evening wear (eccentric) and ended up, as I was reading things, on mixing brown and black leathers in day-wear (on which I commented earlier). Threads tend to do that on here after a few pages - they have a life of there own which leaves the original post behind. I guess most users like that.

So please, Rhaco, don't let them get to you or put you off. I hope you continue to enjoy using XMTS and that you continue to enjoy wearing the kilt.

[Rhaco]

I for one welcome and value your input and I hope it will continue. At the same time I reserve the right to disagree with anyone on here and I shall work on the basis it would be unreasonable to expect anyone to agree with everything I say. And I would say to everyone on here that I think last thing any of us should do is be too critical of another's stance. Putting a man off wearing his kilt is simply a crime - a crime we must all be wary of committing. Similarly nor would anyone want to put someone off using XMTS - so please feel free to chip in.

AS for the way the thread started and has developed - well yes, it started about brown sporrans for evening wear (unpopular), moved on to brown jackets for evening wear (eccentric) and ended up, as I was reading things, on mixing brown and black leathers in day-wear (on which I commented earlier). Threads tend to do that on here after a few pages - they have a life of there own which leaves the original post behind. I guess most users like that.

So please, Rhaco, don't let them get to you or put you off. I hope you continue to enjoy using XTMS and that you continue to enjoy wearing the kilt.

Much appreciated. I was just clarifying the context in which I meant my thoughts on black and brown. During the day I regularly wear my running shoes, so I couldn't exactly get persnickety about clean lines and matching leathers haha. Disagreement is awesome. I'd never learn anything if everyone thought like I did, I just wasn't enjoying being talked down to. Don't worry, if I let one un-fun interaction put me off of sites, I'd have to abandon the net all together. I appreciate the welcome.