Creative Writing - Help Please

[ethelthefrog]

Charlotte,

I have been watching this thread evolve with considerable interest, and I commend you for your courteous and respectful approach to the people you have found here.

My own first skirt-wearing experience was less than a year ago. One day, I was taking a walk during my lunch break and I noticed, suddenly, how many of the women walking were wearing skirts, how all the skirts were different, and how all the guys were dressed the same. I was hooked pretty much immediately on the idea that, in a free society, I should be able to choose whatever garment I wanted to. Ebay provides all, and I soon had a small collection of skirts to wear.

The thing I noticed first about wearing a skirt is the way the material moves and brushes against my legs in a way that trousers do not do. In fact, it is this brushing that is the most pleasurable thing about wearing a skirt. Whenever I move, the skirt moves a little differently, sending a swirl of material in unexpected directions, and it makes walking a most pleasing activity.

I'm also aware that there's nothing much between my bottom and the ground, and that it's only gravity and the will of God that is keeping my pants (underwear for the non-British) from becoming public.

Being the consummate bloke, I am unwilling to wear anything that restricts my stride, so I tend to favour wider skirts with plenty of girth so I can take my normal big steps without the cloth giving me the sensation that my knees are tied together.

Something to bear in mind, if your character isn't an experienced skirt-wearer is that his first skirt is likely to be one he can find quickly, and may well not suit him in the slightest. It is quite possible that he won't really care about this, being lost in the thrill of wearing a skirt for the first time, but people around him are likely to poke fun at the style at least as much as the fact that it's a skirt. Over time, he will have to explore what combination of shapes, materials and colours actually suit him and he can iterate towards what Carl (crfriend) calls 'a believable style', ie. decent-looking clothes, not just bits of fabric thrown together by a blind man in a tornado.

I wish you all the best with your writing. (Also, check out Ficly, while we're on the subject)

Paul.

[charlotte]

I wish you all the best with your writing. (Also, check out Ficly, while we're on the subject)

I have seen similar sites, but I had not seen Ficly before. I was intending to submit my stories to one or two sites like this. Ficly looks interesting. Thanks for the suggestion.

Charlotte

[charlotte]

Yes, our young writer likely would have gotten a different impression. Would the impression have been a "better" one or a "worse" one?

I don't know anything about the history, but I doubt I could have had a much warmer reception, nor more helpful suggestions.

Charlotte.

[charlotte]

My only reasons for this choice, for the benefit of our youngish enquirer of this thread's avenue of thought (if kilts are indeed part of the question - I don't think they are though)

Thank you for your thoughts. I had in mind a story about a boy trying a skirt. I am sure there is a great deal of similarity between the sensation of trying a kilt for the first time, and trying a skirt for the first time -- certainly as far as the physical sensation is concerned.

It sounds like you are having a lot of fun wearing your kilts and skirts!

Charlotte

[nicothoe]

Hi Charlotte.

For me, the big thing about wearing a skirt for the first time was knowing I was going to be noticed. I was never afraid of what people may say about me, just that they were saying it. Or at least you think they are. For most of my life, I have always preferred to blend into the background, to go unnoticed. But by wearing a skirt in public…well, let’s face it, I WAS going to draw people’s gaze. It took me a little time to become used to that, and eventually, I began to like it. Now I like being different.

Paul

[Ray]

Hi Charlotte. You're handling things well here! Don't mind Since1982 - he can be a little curmudgeonly at times (go on Skip, smile wryly and admit it!) but means well and contributes hugely.

I'm Scottish so for me the skirt wasn't that far a step from the kilt. I came to skirts in a sort of back to front way - having tried and liked tights (easiest way to get a sun tan!), skirts were I suppose a logical next step. My fashion adventuring pretty much stopped there as I was keen to preserve a masculine image.

Oh, I suggest you ignore A&J. He's a figment of his own imagination and not representative of those here.

I'll try and post more sensible thoughts later but have to call it a day as I've got hockey early tomorrow. In shorts, not skirt!!!

[crfriend]

Tis I, Mugman - no, I haven't died (yet) - just sleeping. I even had to click on the 'forgotten password' method to get back in, it's been that long. And I'm now 63 and three quarters.

At risk of taking the thread off-topic, it's nice to read you again Sir! I hope the intervening time has been kind to you, and based on this:

[...]I did get a couple of loud whistles from some women in one of my concert audiences last year when I scampered onto stage for the second half in a Royal Stewart kilt! For me, that's what it's all about. Being happy.

I suspect things have been good! Congratulations on both the concert appearances and the wolf-whistles -- although mostly the appearances.

[mugman]

The whistles are all part of the territory I guess - maybe one for each knee on that particular occasion. Life is being kind; I have no complaints. As I said in the last post, it's all about being happy with our lot. If wearing skirts or kilts improves that feel good feeling, then who needs any other reasons.
I shall briefly go off topic here as I'm off on my jaunts again after this.
Just quickly, Sportkilt did me a superb special 'Team Kilt' a year ago with red white and blue alternating panels worked into the pleats. It gets a showing occasionally when some kind of patriotic theme is on the bill. Great responses. Try and be that flamboyant with a penguin suit and tacky revolving bowtie...nahhhhhh, not for me.

[JohnH]

Mugman,

It's good that our national flags have red, white, and blue. Too bad Canada's flag is only red and white.

I agree about not caring for men being boxed into the penguin look (tuxedos) or the bird breast look (the standard coat and tie) for formal wear. I like to wear those garments but I also like to wear dresses with hose and heels as well.

John

[Since1982]

he can be a little curmudgeonly at times (go on Skip, smile wryly and admit it!) but means well and contributes hugely.

curwhatly? I'm just a somewhat befuddled old man that remembers a site for Manly men in Kilts and/or skirts. Where makeup, stilettos or dresses were never heard of. Things change, it's just harder for some of us to change along with "things"..

Oh Ray,

Oh, I suggest you ignore A&J. He's a figment of his own imagination and not representative of those here.

We figured that out a while ago..when folks started ignoring him, he started stopping coming here.

[JohnH]

My experience with clothing as I have written before is there are two types of people:
1. If a person will tolerate a skirt in an otherwise standard men's outfit on a man, (s)he will tolerate a full blown dress with hose, heels, and makeup. However, if I wear a dress, most of the time it is an informal house dress and I wear socks and boat shoes or sandals, and I don't wear makeup. The only time I add the hose, heels, and makeup is if I am wearing a formal dress, which is not very often. And when I put makeup on I do not attempt to disguise the fact that I'm a man.

2. On the other hand, there are people that will not tolerate a skirt at all and the only way to satisfy them is to wear a 100 percent standard men's outfit on a man with no skirts - pants or shorts only for the bottom.

Something to think about though - if men can wear a full blown dress with hose, heels, and makeup and society gets accustomed to that look then it will be no big deal for a man to simply wear a skirt with otherwise conventional men's clothing.

I was looking at a woman's clothing catalog and in there is a plaid shirt that has the buttons on the right side just like a man's shirt. That is crossdressing for a woman just as much as a man wearing a skirt, but it is acceptable in this double-standard society.

John

[crfriend]

I'm just a somewhat befuddled old man that remembers a site for Manly men in Kilts and/or skirts. Where makeup, stilettos or dresses were never heard of. Things change, it's just harder for some of us to change along with "things"..

The above poster recalls a time from the early 2000s and an event called the Million Skirted Man March where a couple dozen chaps took in the "Men in Skirts" exhibition in New York City. From the imagery I have seen, both still and cine, most were wearing kilts save for one chap in high heels and a leather miniskirt. Guess who was the darling of the media photographers -- and still would be today.

This is 2011 (I almost put 2010 there) and times, indeed, have changed. Guys in kilts are vastly more common than they were early on in the first decade of the 21st century, as are guys in other forms of "mono-tube" rigs. Let it not be said that we do not celebrate the kilt; to imply such would be erroneous at best and pernicious at worst, for we do. The Scots kilt is likely the only really "Western" garment that does not have "one tube per leg"; however, it is not the only such article on the world stage.

Change -- of any type -- has the potential to make those around it uncomfortable. Now, sometimes this sort of discomfort is a good thing as it causes us to contemplate what causes said discomfort, and through that contemplation grow somewhat; not all are capable of this, however. and that causes problems, and sometimes friction.

As the latest curator of this site, I do not particularly believe that focus on the "accessories" to the overall garment -- specifically "hose", "heels", and "makeup", in descending order of applicability, are particularly germane to the fundamental purpose of this site which remains "dedicated to exploring, promoting and advocating skirts and kilts as a fashion choice for men". Such items are ancillary and, due to assorted social "overloading", carry specific connotation and meaning with them.

[Mod hat on]

So, to those who would publically decry the "change" in the site, please contemplate the underlying cause of your discomfort. For those who decry the general direction, but never post anything of their own, please contribute, because without contributions from a broad swathe of participants the subject matter will, of practical necessity, shrivel up. Finally, without broad participation from everybody interested in the mission of this forum, and the community behind it, the forum and community will, like the subject matter, shrivel, wither, and die. I'd rather not be the final curator here, and really don't want it to happen on "my watch", but if it becomes time to "put it down" as the only viable option, then I, with sorrow, will.

[STEVIE]

Hi Charlotte
Apologies for taking so long to respond to your reply.
Curiousity and envy were my my main motivations to becoming skirted. Envy, being Scots the "rich" boys wore kilts and I couldn't, which anoyed me to a huge degree. Curiousity, I had 5 sisters, who were really untidy and left their clothes all over the house. When I was about 10 or 11, temptation took hold and I tried on a 1960s mini skirt. Basically, I have not looked back since then, just liked the look and feel.
Having said that, there have been "fashion" disasters I would not care to repeat here or any where else.
I found your comments about "look" very interesting.
I think, by now, you should have enough material for your assignment, if not a fairly good novel.
Steve.

[Stuart]

I recall the nothing-is-surrounding-my-legs feeling (others refer to this as "freedom"), and the occasional light brushing of the skirt hem.

Hi Stuart,

This is exactly the type of items I am after. Great. Thank you.

Hm. O.K., the next impression I recall was wearing a skirt outside on a hot day. Occasionally a breeze would arrive, and some parts of me that had never experienced a breeze before were now able to enjoy it. This was an unexpected benefit.

Alas, I'm a poor choice to answer your question, as engineers are rarely noted for their descriptive abilities, or their ability to compose English.

Not at all. I'm only trying to compile the types of reactions -- it's my assignment to write them up in a descriptive way.

I'll note that almost every man here was frightened to their core when they wore a skirt in public for the first time

What is that fear of? Being confronted? Laughed at? Discovered? All of them?

Mostly the fear of humiliation -- being laughed at. But, as everyone else here will attest, after you've been out a few times, and nothing bad happens, you get bolder.

Thanks

Charlotte.

You're very welcome.

Good Luck with your essay,

stuart

[Since1982]

If you would, for anyone that has not read my signature that has been at the bottom of all my posts since I was a member of this site in 2004, Please do. I will copy it here for those that don't wish to hunt for it.

John "Skip" Fraser in the Keys. This is my opinion, you can agree or not. Opinions are like noses. We all have one. I've been skirted part time since 1972 and full time since 2005.

This and anything else I say is my own OPINION. No one has to agree with it, No one has to share it, WE ALL HAVE OPINIONS. Getting upset with someone (me) because you don't particulary agree with my opinion is like believing in Communism, where the government tells everyone what to believe and say, and Heaven help those who don't agree with them. Thank the Omnipotent power in the sky, be it God or some other power, at least America is not that way so far.