Sitting in short skirts

[AMM]

The weather here in the Northeast USA has prompted me to try above-the-knee skirts for the first time. But I'm running into one issue: sitting.

Even with my just-below-the-knee skirts, if I don't arrange the back of the skirt just so, I get a lot of direct skin-to-chair contact. "Sweeping the pleats" is not good enough. I've been running into that a lot lately because I've taken to bringing a pleated skirt (crfriend will remember the one) to work and changing into it on the train ride home. No matter what I do, at least part of my legs (and sometimes more) comes into direct contact with the vinyl seats, which is not comfortable, especially in the summer.

It looks like it will only be worse if I make a skirt that is 4-5 inches shorter.

So: what do people who wear above-the-knee skirts do?

[crfriend]

[...] Even with my just-below-the-knee skirts, if I don't arrange the back of the skirt just so, I get a lot of direct skin-to-chair contact. [...]

On the occasions I wear either of my minis out, mostly to my "local establishment", I tend to perch on the edge of the bar-stools because I get the same problem. This, obviously, will not work on a train. I do not know if there is a solution to this problem; I am inclined to think not, and that the gals just learn to put up with it.

[Uncle Al]

Maybe this is where the dreaded "Pantyhose" comes into play.
You won't 'stick' to the seat when wearing them. Plus 'they'
provide some extra coverage to the possibly exposed 'bits'

Uncle Al

[crfriend]

:idea: Maybe this is where the dreaded "Pantyhose" comes into play.

Recall that the Northeast USA is in a period of hot humid weather at the moment. I'll wear "pantyhose" if a look I'm trying to achieve absolutely requires it, but when it's this hot and muggy I don't like the notion much, and so alter the look so they're not "required". I've worn them when it's hot, and it's not much fun unless you're in air-conditioned environments most of the time.

You won't 'stick' to the seat when wearing them.

Ah, but they will stick to you!

Legwear is nice, but not when it's 90 degrees out with relative humidity of 90%. I'd pass on the option unless there's no other option.

[Since1982]

From experience, if it's shorter than knee length, pencil and straight styles have less problems than any kind of A-line or fuller skirt.

I was referring to the men who prefer no underwear, aka commando. Wearing underPANTS is wearing pants, which is what we are trying to get "out" of. Also, wearing tights or underwear in the summer in most areas gets very hot on the inside.

[RichardA]

Easy solution :-
underwear
watch how a woman does it

[floatingmetal]

How about something like http://www.tightsplease.co.uk/brands/jonathan-aston/lace-shorts/ or http://www.tightsplease.co.uk/brands/pamela-mann/slashed-footless-tights/ (not sure what they're like at the back)

[crfriend]

Based on observations of (mostly) college-aged women the other evening, it seems that they just "deal with" the notion of skin hitting surfaces. I saw a number of young women, some in almost impossibly short skirts, plopping down just fine on whatever seats were available on the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, nee Metropolitan Transit Authority/MTA (where Charlie still rides)).

I admit that this is a subset of the population in general, but the observing was mostly enjoyable. (It's a science experiment, dammit!)

[Kilted_John]

Since I prefer skirts that are about kilt-length (and kilts themselves), I know that I'm going to have to deal with it no matter what. It has become over the past eight years one of those "no big deal" kinds of things for me. I've yet to have some infection or disease get transmitted to my legs from sitting on something.

-J

[Charlie]

I wear an above the knee kilt which, when I sit down is easier to flick back rather than sweep under. Sitting on a sun-warmed stone or wooden bench is a delight - something most men (present company excepted) will never experience. Their loss

[JohnH]

Easy solution :-
underwear
watch how a woman does it

Here in the Dallas, TX area there are very slim pickings of being able to watch a woman sit down. When I go to Walmart wearing a denim skirt I am lucky to see another person (typically a woman) wear that same garment. And when I go for a walk in the morning I am the only person wearing a skirt, and frequently, the only man walking! Sometimes I wear a dress when I go walking at night. I have never seen anyone else go walking wearing a dress at night.

[JohnH]

From experience, if it's shorter than knee length, pencil and straight styles have less problems than any kind of A-line or fuller skirt.

I was referring to the men who prefer no underwear, aka commando. Wearing underPANTS is wearing pants, which is what we are trying to get "out" of. Also, wearing tights or underwear in the summer in most areas gets very hot on the inside.

When I want to not wear underwear, I like to wear the maxi-dress as modeled in the picture. The skirt in that dress is long enough so that there are no issues of sitting down on hard surfaces. Also the skirt is long enough so there is no risk of exposing ones privates. The skirt is quite full so it does not inhibit walking or running.

Ellos_Dress.jpg

[JRMILLER]

You know, I like items like this too, what I wish is that they would make them for men. The upper bodice and waist is clearly designed for female anatomy. I don't want to look like a babe (that would be a stretch), however, I like the overall idea of hanging a garment from my shoulders instead of trying to strap it onto my waist.

[crfriend]

You know, I like items like this too, what I wish is that they would make them for men. The upper bodice and waist is clearly designed for female anatomy.

I agree, that's a very nice dress. However, it's not styled so it'd be even remotely believeable on the male physique -- there's just too much that's tailored to the female one.

I suspect that dresses on guys could work, but it's not going to be as easy as "borrowing" skirted styles "from across the aisle": this is going to take work.

In any event, long flowy garments like that can work very well in hotter weather, but that doesn't answer the OP's question about managing short skirts.

[Charlie]

...I like the overall idea of hanging a garment from my shoulders instead of trying to strap it onto my waist.

Just before reading this post, I was looking out the window at next door's kids playing in the garden. The boy was wearing the usual - shorts and tee shirt, his sister was wearing a dress which hung from her shoulders. I though then how much more comfortable a garment like that would be. All my life I've dressed in two halves, top and bottom.
I have an Egyptian gallabayah which is shoulder to floor and very comfortable - and no underwear required (just don't stand in front of a bright light )
Charlie