How to Wear: A Sporran

Sporran How to Wear

What is a Scotsman without his sporran?

Functional and decorative - the sporran is an essential part of any kilt outfit. As a kilt provides no pockets, the need for a sporran was born. The first of their kind were made from deerskin or calfskin and were more of a simple drawstring bag compared to the decorative pouch we are more familiar with these days. What once held ammunition and daily rations, now holds credit cards, mobile phones, and the odd hip flask filled with whiskey.

There are a few different styles of sporrans with varying degrees of formality: 
 

Day Sporrans: A more casual sporran, these are made entirely from black or brown leather and are used for less formal events. These sporrans may be worn with tweed day jackets, perhaps while supporting the rugby, or attending a Highland Games.

Semi-dress Sporrans: Less formal than Dress Sporrans, these sporrans are usually worn with Argyll outfits for, as the name suggests, semi-formal occasions. The semi-dress sporran is also made with fur but has a leather lid folding over the front.

Dress Sporrans: These sporrans are worn at formal events such as weddings and would typically be worn with your Prince Charlie outfit. They are traditionally made with animal fur such as sealskin and decorated with tassels made in the same fur. A key feature of the Dress Sporran is the metal cantle fastening made from silver or pewter.

Alternative Sporrans: If you want to give your kilt outfit a really personal touch then you might want to opt for a slightly wilder sporran, our tartan sporran can be made in a range of over 500 different tartans and looks great when paired with our insert pleat kilt! The Highland Cow Sporran is quickly becoming one of our all time favourites and it's guaranteed to make you stand out from the crowd.


Sporrans are worn on the front of the kilt, hanging by light chains or leather belts. It should hang approximately 4 or 5 inches, no lower than a hands width, from the top of the kilt. Your waistcoat buttons, tie, belt buckle, and sporran should all be centred and create a straight line running down the middle of your outfit.

Dress Sporran

Day, Semi Dress or Formal

Sporran FAQ

Find the answers to all your frequently asked questions on the Scottish Sporran:

Why do you need a sporran?

    Your kilt has no pockets so the sporran is a very useful replacement. Used in years gone by for food and small weapons during hunting expeditions, now you pop a hip flask and your money in there for safe keeping.

How many tassels should my sporran have?

    When the sporran was a simple leather pouch with a drawstring fastening the 2 tassels were the ends of the drawstring. In keeping with this sporrans today normally have 2 or more commonly 3 tassels, however some formal sporrans can have as many as 6 tassels. The very traditional Horse hair sporrans which you don't see so often today and generally worn as part of regimental attire have only 2 very long tassels.

How does my sporran fasten?

    On day and semi-dress sporrans with a leather lid a metal stud will keep your sporran safely closed until you need in for a nip of whisky from your flask. Dress sporrans have a little piece of leather internally to link the stud to rear of the sporran to hold it closed. The sporran has a leather gusset so it opens out and can hold a surprisingly large amount of essential items.

What do the designs mean on the Sporran?

    Day sporrans can have many different Celtic designs etched into the leather, and Dress Sporrans will have a metal cantle set with a stone, jewel, clan crest or other Scottish symbol. These are all very much down to personal preference and you can simply choose the one you like best. Clan Crests will carry the motto and motif to represent membership or a link to a particular Scottish clan.

Can women wear a sporran?

    Yes of course. Ladies can wear a traditional sporran just like a man if they wish and we also have a Sporran Bag/Purse which has 2 straps - one short to wear around the waist like a traditional sporran and a longer extension so it can be worn as a shoulder or across the body bag.

Do you have a leather free or vegan sporran?

    While sporrans are traditionally made of leather or fur, we have recently developed a leather free option to cater to recent requests.

Are seals harmed during the making of sporrans?

    In 2009 the sale of seal products was banned by European politicians which ended the use of sealskin in the making of sporrans. We now use a faux seal skin on our semi dress sporrans.