Notes from the Field

General discussion of skirt and kilt-based fashion for men, and stuff that goes with skirts and kilts.
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crfriend
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Notes from the Field

Post by crfriend »

Is it possible to make decent speed in a lower-than-ankle-length skirt? Experimental evidence from this evening indicates that one can.

Tonight was slated to be cool and wet (and lived up to the National Weather Service's forecast), so I opted for my long "walking skirt" and petticoat combination for when Sapphire and I went out for dinner. She wore hers as well, and I have to say that she fills one out better than I can (I do so love this woman!), but that's not part of this missive.

By the time we were done with dinner, rain was coming down at a good clip and since neither of us are terribly confident yet in our very long rigs; I opted to go get the car and bring it 'round to the door so Sapphire needn't get too wet.

As I wandered out to get the vehicle, an experimental possibility presented itself: can one actually make speed over the ground in such a garment? I took it up a notch from a basic walk to a fast walk, then to a very fast walk; experiencing no overt problems, I transitioned into a trot -- and found it quite instinctive and comfortable. I didn't have the space or time to try an outright run, and I suspect that would have failled, but at a trot (slightly faster than a jog, with the balls of the feet hitting the ground before the heels) the rig was not a problem at all. The fore-part of the garment stayed out of the way, and the aft trailled behind gracefully enough that it wasn't even noticeable.

I'm coming to the conclusion that very long rigs can actually work quite well in the real world, so long as they're well designed.
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skirted_in_SF
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Re: Notes from the Field

Post by skirted_in_SF »

crfriend wrote: I'm coming to the conclusion that very long rigs can actually work quite well in the real world, so long as they're well designed.
And as long as you're not trying to climb stairs. :P I have to remember to pick up the front of my (about high ankle length) skirt when coming back from picking up the newspapers from the sidewalk in the morning.
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crfriend
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Re: Notes from the Field

Post by crfriend »

skirted_in_SF wrote:I have to remember to pick up the front of my (about high ankle length) skirt when coming back from picking up the newspapers from the sidewalk in the morning.
Eventually, this becomes instinctual. Interestingly, I sometimes find myself making the motions even if I'm wearing trousers -- that's how ingrained it gets. The same holds true for sweeping behind when descending stairs (it keeps the hem clean and out of the way).
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skirted_in_SF
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Re: Notes from the Field

Post by skirted_in_SF »

crfriend wrote: Eventually, this becomes instinctual. Interestingly, I sometimes find myself making the motions even if I'm wearing trousers -- that's how ingrained it gets. The same holds true for sweeping behind when descending stairs (it keeps the hem clean and out of the way).
:lol: I haven't caught myself trying to lift the front of my trousers, but I have caught myself more than one time sweeping the "skirt" from under my bottom when sitting even though I wasn't wearing one. You are right, it is beginning to become instinctual.
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Re: Notes from the Field

Post by crfriend »

I'm putting this post here because I cannot seem to find the "What did You wear Out and About" thread.

I took my new Macabi out for its first trial this evening to my local establishment, and for the most part it's a splendid garment. I made the error of wearing heavy tights beneath (it's still cold here) and quite clearly the garment was not designed with that in mind.

The momentary drag when the nylon of the skirt "picked" on the tights amounted to five or six pounds. That value didn't amount to much for a clutz of my calibre but might throw a more "finely attuned" (read, "graceful") person off. My belief at this time is that this was frictional rather than electrical; I observed no evidence if attraction between skirt and tights.

In any event, this will not likely ever impinge on the activities that the skirt was designed for -- those of "rough-and-ready" outdoors activity -- and may be regarded as being outside the design limits of the garment.

The deep pockets are wonderful, and the one with a zip on it is perfect for carrying a wallet. For the use I purchased the garment for, I anticipate that it will be an unvarnished "win".

I found the proper thread, It just wasn't where I remember parking it. Foo.
Last edited by crfriend on Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: "Senior moments"
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Re: Notes from the Field -- the Macabi goes sailing

Post by crfriend »

Whilst a couple of miscreants were busy vandalising the forum yesterday afternoon, and whilst Uncle Al was furiously trying to mop up the mess, I was out sailing on Boston Harbor (proper name, that, so I'll spell it the way the Yanks do with a paucity of vowels) in 15 knot winds with gusts to about 20 -- in my not-so-new-now "long" Macabi.

My Macabi is of Chinese construction, so I do not know how it compares to the domestically-produced ones of old, but it fared pretty well out on the briny. It does have a tendency to lift because of its lightweight construction and fullness -- something my other "sailing skirts" do not suffer from -- so I found myself more than a couple of times shoving it back down and tucking it under me or otherwise restraining it. The worst of this was when I was seated in the cockpit where I could be most embarrassed if I showed stuff off. Whilst on foot and actively moving about the boat it was well-behaved enough, and it stayed out of the way of the running rigging and various lines. Getting on and off the boat was easy, but the one we had sported a low stern so getting from boat to quay was a matter of a simple long step which the skirt afforded ample space to execute.

The fabric seems to hark back to the "bad old days" of the 1970s before we really mastered synthetic fabrics; it smelled rather funky after a day of exertion and exposure to the sun. I hope it washes out nicely. {The author wrinkles his nose at the memory.} I also found it rather on the warm side; water temperatures were in the lower 50s (F) with air temperatures of about 65 (also F) and I was hot for some of the time below the waist whilst simultaneously cool above; it is impervious to wind.

Once ashore, and on the walk to a old and familiar bar in Boston, I strode confidently over a subway emergency-exit/ventilation grate. Extreme control was required during that manoeuvre and elicited at least one snicker from my compadres which was put down with a cold stare.

Conclusion: This is a workable skirt to sail in, so long as one maintains composure and control over it. Sailing in very stiff breezes, especially if one has company, may not be advised. The fabric is smooth, so there is little friction if mild interference with lines or running rigging happens. Laundering the garment afterwards will likely be mandatory; I had to drive home with the windows open.
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Re: Notes from the Field

Post by Big and Bashful »

I found similar characteristics, the skirt is blown around a fair bit in the breeze. In company one would need to b e concious of this. However, in cold, wet Scot land, sweat and odour were not a problem. Sorry about the typing, a cat is helping me at the moment. I like the quick drying nature of the fabric, next time I look at them I will check out the country of manufacture, see if they are native or Chinese made.
So far I have not found much use for the clips etc, they work but thee normal skirt configuration catches less than the bags of cloth which form as you clip bits up.
I suspect that if you tried to swim in the skirt while it is clipped, you would end up trawling for fish!
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