hybrid garments

[Grok]

This thread is somewhat speculative. Several different companies have been marketing skirt like garments that try to combine the advantages of skirts and trousers:

Just Change by J'DEZ. Check out "cargo mock kilt/short."

http://www.jdez.com/men/


Macabi Skirt. Check out the variant for men.

http://www.macabiskirt.com/


Utilikilts. Check out "Survival" under Kilts, with its "modesty closure system".

http://www.utilikilts.com/

My question is...is there a future for such garments? Or are they just oddities that will soon disappear?

[Pythos]

Jdez: Kinda cool designs, definitely not the usualy "male" skirt idea.

Macabi: Blea.

Utilikilts: A stepping stone for those too shy to wear an honest to god skirt.

[Milfmog]

I don't own (or want) a Macabi but I do have both a survivor Utilikilt (bought in their recent sale and while the £ to $ rate was very much in my favour) and a Jdez cargo mock kilt/short.

The Utilikilt is worn regularly when hiking and needing to carry some stuff but not wanting to use a back pack. For that it is pretty near unbeatable and it's also great for travelling by air. Restrictions generally limit the amount of hand carried baggage these days so the huge pocket capacity is a great benefit. The modesty closure system works but I've only needed it when cycling, which is not something I generally do in a kilt because of the volume of fabric to catch in the rear wheel and the amount of cleaning required.

The Jdez skirt is nothing like a pair of shorts and I suspect the name is simply a sop to men who don't want to think they are wearing a skirt. It is too light weight to wear out and about much in the UK climate but I often wear it for kicking around at home.

In my opinion both these garments bring something of their own to the market and I see no reason to consider them as short lived oddities.

Have fun,


Ian.

[Sasquatch]

I have a Macabi and like it, and do occasionally use the center fastener but never use the side gathering snaps. Men's and womens are pretty much the same but with differing sizes and lengths to accomodate the different fits. I like the lightness of the fabric. Still saving up for a UK but concerned about the weight of the garment.

sasq

[Grok]

Men are almost entirely confined to trousers, and most women wear trousers most of the time now.

However....

Could these hybrid garments lure people out of trousers? For times when they would otherwise-at this point-male or female-now wear trousers?

[Sylvain]

The modesty closure system works but I've only needed it when cycling, which is not something I generally do in a kilt because of the volume of fabric to catch in the rear wheel and the amount of cleaning required.

You need a kilt-guard.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skirt_guard

[Milfmog]

The modesty closure system works but I've only needed it when cycling, which is not something I generally do in a kilt because of the volume of fabric to catch in the rear wheel and the amount of cleaning required.

You need a kilt-guard.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skirt_guard

I have no choice but to agree with you at a logical level, however I can't help thinking that it might look a little strange on a full suspension mountain bike

Have fun,


Ian.

[Grok]

I have been pondering why only kilting seems to have been popularized. How to coax the average male away from "trousers tyranny"? Consider the MUG (Male Unbifurcated Garment) designs that have been promoted. These garments tend to resemble the skirts worn by women; some have been referred to as a "skirt" or "dress". The average male probably thinks that he is being asked to wear-in effect-womens' clothing.

A garment that can switch back and forth between bifurcated and unbifurcated modes, however, would be significantly different. I can imagine that the average male would experient first with skorts - this might be compared to a child starting to ride a tricycle. A man could become accustomed to wearing something that looks something like a skirt, while still being bifurcated. Something similar to, say, the Macabi, could be compared to a bicycle with training wheels.
This might sound timid to those of us who have appeared kilted in public, but keep in mind that the highest hurdle - getting a male into an unbifurcated garment - will (as with kilts) discredit "trousers tyranny."

I can imagine an expansion in business for a company that sells nontraditional kilts...by offering a variant that would be the functional equivalent of India's dhoti.

The experience with nontraditional kilts indicates that the garment should be rugged and have excellent pockets. I don't know what it might be called, so long as it isn't referred to as a "skirt". (I understand that the Macabi skirt was originally designed specifically for women, not with men in mind).

[Grok]

To market such a garment I would suggest linking it to outdoor sports (as with the Macabi), or perhaps work. To activities that are associated with masculinity.

[crfriend]

To market such a garment I would suggest linking it to outdoor sports (as with the Macabi), or perhaps work. To activities that are associated with masculinity.

Viz Utilikilt; they promote some of their garments as work-wear and more than rough-and-ready enough for the task.

The Macabi, by the way, unless you're making use of the assorted "modifiers" is very definitely a skirt -- there is no inseam at all and they're nice and roomy.

[Grok]

I refer to the Utilikilt link above.

Check out the "Utilitux" variant. It can hardly be described as a kilt. It has more resemblance to the Macabi than other variants because of the longer length. Being longer in the back suggests a variant in which the material in the rear would be pulled forward between the crotch, then up, and fastened.

[Grok]

To market such a garment I would suggest linking it to outdoor sports (as with the Macabi), or perhaps work. To activities that are associated with masculinity.

Viz Utilikilt; they promote some of their garments as work-wear and more than rough-and-ready enough for the task.

The Macabi, by the way, unless you're making use of the assorted "modifiers" is very definitely a skirt -- there is no inseam at all and they're nice and roomy.

Good points. Which indicate that there is a lot potential with these sorts of garments.

[ziggie]

To be blunt, I just don't like a lot of the styles.

[Grok]

Cameleon multi-mode garment.

[Grok]

The description of the Cameleon reminds me a bit of the sarong. But the Cameleon seems to have a draw string???? The skirt modes suggest unisex.