Kilt & Clan

The sporran a traditional part of male Scottish Highland dress, is a pouch that performs the same function as pockets on the pocketless kilt. Made of leather or fur, the ornamentation of the sporran is chosen to complement the formality of dress worn with it. The sporran is worn on a leather strap or chain, conventionally positioned in front of the groin of the wearer. Since the traditional kilt does not have pockets, the sporran serves as a wallet and container for any other necessary personal items. It is essentially a survival of the common European medieval belt-pouch, superseded elsewhere as clothing came to have pockets, but continuing in the Scottish Highlands because of the lack of these accessories in traditional dress. The sporran hangs below the belt buckle; and much effort is made to match their style and design. Semi-dress sporrans. Semi-dress sporrans combine the same shape and design as the day-wear sporran and a less formal version of the full dress sporran. They are often worn for semi-formal occasions with Argyll outfits. Designs may decorate the leather flap of this style, or a silver clan symbol or other insignia may adorn on the flap. The body fur of this style is normally a hair hide rather than a loftier material reserved for full dress sporrans. The basic figure is commonly included with a fur front, leather gusset, three decorated fur tassels with regular or cross-chains, and a leather flap at the top. Celtic or Scottish designs often are featured on the flap, and may have pewter badges decoration to raise the design. Half- dress sporran featuring thistle in a celtic circle embossed with black rabbit fur and three tassels on the front.