Needing to vent my frustration

[SkirtRevolution]

Well, I just wanted to take a moment and share my frustrations. Today, on my way home from work I was thinking about places I can go for runs in my running skirt without drawing to much attention and where I could fly more under the radar. But the more I thought the more I compromised. Well, my anger was kindled when picking up a movie for tonight when, as I was looking for the movie I saw a girl who was wearing the same track pants as me (but in a different colour), then as I walked out of the store I saw two more girls in their sport school uniform wearing the same uniform that I wore when I was at school, shorts and top, absolutely no difference. Does this tick anyone else off? I hate how I am so restricted by what I can wear. After seeing this I though, who cares, I will run in my skirt and I don't care who sees!

[couyalair]

...After seeing this I though, who cares, I will run in my skirt and I don't care who sees!

When I look around at what other people wear, I think the same way.

Is wearing a skirt any less acceptable than showing your underpants above sagging trousers?
Is a man in a decent skirt any less acceptable than a woman with shorts so short her buttocks show?
Is a man, washed and groomed, in a skirt, any less acceptable than one in trousers who appears to have lost his comb, soap & toothbrush?
Is a man in a decent skirt any less acceptable than one wearing trousers/shorts so tight they leave nothing to the imagination?
Are a man's bare shoulders or bare knees any less acceptable than a woman's?
Is a man sweaty & uncomfortable any more acceptable than one that keeps cool in a skirt?

And, yes, it does irritate me that women can wear whatever item they fancy, whereas a man is not expected to step out of line. But, having stepped well out of line myself, I don't let other people's choices worry me too much. I don't always like what I see around me, but I live and let live (which does not mean you should not be sharing your frustrations here, Skirts4men.

Martin

[Since1982]

you said: I hate how I am so restricted by what I can wear.

But, you're NOT restricted in public. I went public in 2005 and just have wished ever since that I'd not worried so much about what other people thought and only cared how I felt and really wish I'd gone public in 1975 when I came back from 4 years of wearing Tupenu in Tonga (tupenu are similar to a sarong) after acting in a diving movie filmed in the South Pacific, instead of worrying and going back to trousers when I returned. Now, I just don't give a sheit what other folks think about what I do or don't wear. If they don't like what I wear, they are welcome to try and do something about it.

[MSpookshow]

Since1982 is correct. Just do it. The only way to alter perceived fashion restrictions is to break them. I think you'll find you'll not be chased by either fashion police or angry mobs while on your skirted run. In all seriousness though, take the opportunity to be yourself now. No regrets, man.

[skirted_in_SF]

...After seeing this I though, who cares, I will run in my skirt and I don't care who sees!

When I look around at what other people wear, I think the same way.

Is wearing a skirt any less acceptable than showing your underpants above sagging trousers?
Martin

I suspect I know the incident you are referring to. US Airways is taking a lot of heat in the SF area ofter word got out that they had no problem letting a man fly from Fort Lauderdale to Phoenix in a bra, panties and little else. This link is to an article with photo from my beloved SF Chronicle.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 1K0V8F.DTL

[Brandy]

skirts4men ... to quote Since1982 and Nike "Just do it".

For several years my attire for my local Golds Gym was t-shirt, tights (heavy panty hose) and RunningSkirt. On warm days I would drop the tights.

[SkirtRevolution]

Hey brandy, how was the response that u got? I figure that if i am confident and just act like its no big deal then people will respond in kind.

[RichardA]

any less acceptable than a woman with shorts so short her buttocks show

Ah but it looks nice

[couyalair]

any less acceptable than a woman with shorts so short her buttocks show

Ah but it looks nice

???
M

[Brandy]

Hey brandy, how was the response that u got? I figure that if i am confident and just act like its no big deal then people will respond in kind.

I got some stares after awhile people got use to it. Never a comment from the staff. Since I went there to use their machines and not as a meet-market I never go into any conversations.

There is a Togo's sandwich across the parking lot from the gym and I would stop in for a sandwich of the way home. I was more embarrassing leaving puddles od sweat behind as I always showered at home. I learned about cool down routines.

I believe you are in San Francisco. In San Francisco you can legally walk the streets naked any day od the week as long as there is no "lewd" activity involved. I found this out through nudist web site. The local District Attorney has told the police to stop bring in folks for nudity unless the is another charge to go with it, can not get a conviction.

http://www.clothesfreeforum.com/entry.p ... vic-Nudity

SO a running skirt is really a "so what".

=D~~ Brandy

[tiberius2209]

And, yes, it does irritate me that women can wear whatever item they fancy, whereas a man is not expected to step out of line. But, having stepped well out of line myself, I don't let other people's choices worry me too much. I don't always like what I see around me, but I live and let live (which does not mean you should not be sharing your frustrations here, Skirts4men.

Martin

It also irritates me and I have read similar posts around this site that say much the same; it appears to be a common 'frustration'. As I have mentioned before, I will wear a kilt (casually or formal) when it suits me or the occasion, but when it comes to work I have to consider several things. Yes, my colleagues would probably take the mickey, but that wouldn't bother me - I can give as good as I get (although it wouldn't actually bother most of them). What would become apparent, despite the fact that my employer supposedly complies with equality laws, is that a man who wears a skirt at work would be viewed as 'unethical' (by the management) - it would send the 'wrong' message to students and customers alike, which contradicts their stance on equality. It's a very difficult area for me to break, and I wouldn't wish to put my wife through any unnecessary 'embarrassment' from publicity that a skirt-wearing teacher would attract. I suppose if I changed jobs I could 'start as I mean to go on' and wear a kilt from the outset - that way it would be understood and accepted more readily than if I suddenly started to do it for no apparent reason, which I think is the crux of people's reactions.

When I'm indoors I'll wear whatever I like, which are some roman/greek/egyptian-styled outfits and my wife loves them, but she forbids me to wear them in public. What we need is some very high profile celebrities, politicians, businessmen and other public figures to start wearing skirts publicly and regularly, just to encourage the rest of us that it is ok. This is how many fashions and trends become accepted, so if any of our members are public figures it would really help for you to 'lead the way'.

Tiberius.

[crfriend]

[... I]t [...] irritate[s] me [that women can wear whatever item they fancy, whereas a man is not expected to step out of line].

Viewpoints such as the above tend to irritate this author because this is a very modern view of things and misses, by a very wide mark, what was until quite recently the case. If one "hits the rewind button" for, say 30 years or so, one would encounter a very different landscape where women were most assuredly not allowed full freedom in fashion; rather, one would find a landscape where a woman would be expected -- nay, demanded -- to sport a wardrobe costing several times that of the typical male whilst all the while making seventy cents on the dollar for the same work put in. Fortunately that has changed -- somewhat.

What I suspect we lot are bitching about now is that the paradigm has shifted altogether out of proportion where the gals can get away with wearing pyjamas to work and blokes may still be expected to wear shirts with collars or worse -- gasp! -- ties! A glance in the rear-view mirror is frequently instructive, and in this author's opinion well worth the time. This current situation is not "freedom"; it is not "equality": it is slovenliness.

From a very personal perspective, I wear skirts to work perhaps more often now than I wear trousers. It has not diminished my accumen one bit, it has not diminished the esteem which my fellow employees view my opinions, and it has not diminished what I am capable of. My employer understands this. I also occasionally wear neckties to presentations that I am giving -- whilst wearing a skirt -- just to play with their minds. And nobody cares. If the gals (and the guys) can wear flip-flops (libel on a useful logic element!) on their feet, I can wear a skirt and still command a room.

It's all about confidence, demeanour, and bearing. If you can command the room you are in then it really doesn't matter what you're wearing because they are listening to you not what you're wearing.

Yes, my colleagues would probably take the mickey, but that wouldn't bother me - I can give as good as I get (although it wouldn't actually bother most of them).

Of course they will, and that's to be expected, and "giving as good as one gets" is a very useful skill. Take the jokes and jabs in stride for they will diminish as your co-workers (cow-orkers?) learn that you are the same bloke in a skirt as you are in trousers. In short, ignore the ignorant and indulge the intelligent for it's the latter that will "get it".

What would become apparent, despite the fact that my employer supposedly complies with equality laws, is that a man who wears a skirt at work would be viewed as 'unethical' (by the management) - it would send the 'wrong' message to students and customers alike, which contradicts their stance on equality.

It's worth noting here that "equality" rules and statutes are totems at best, and feminist tripe at worst; they are one-sided. However, that need not affect how you project yourself. Showing up in a kilt is 100 percent safe; anybody who says otherwise is running scared. Outright skirts may be a bit more risky, but if one is confident in his stance this can be overcome. It's all in presentation, and it's all about confidence. Dogs can smell fear: managers are no different.

It's a very difficult area for me to break, and I wouldn't wish to put my wife through any unnecessary 'embarrassment' from publicity that a skirt-wearing teacher would attract.

I mean no disrespect in this observation, but is this her problem or yours? The difference in a tightly-knit relationship can be difficult to tease out, but doing so is an interesting thought experiment. If I'd had a teacher who had the stones to wear a kilt it might well have changed the path I took. One will never know now.

[SkirtRevolution]

What we need is some very high profile celebrities, politicians, businessmen and other public figures to start wearing skirts publicly and regularly, just to encourage the rest of us that it is ok. This is how many fashions and trends become accepted, so if any of our members are public figures it would really help for you to 'lead the way'.

Tiberius.

I have recently been thinking this as well. Everything today seems to be marketing driven for the general population of the sheepeople. Unfortunately, it is the mass that are easy influenced by the media and their peers, so when high profile celebs start to wear the skirt it will go a long way in breaking down stereotypes. One other thing I think is very important when gaining acceptance whether it be for yourself or on a mass cultural scale, is that when guys do wear the skirt they look GOOD! I have seen some shocking displays of skirted fashion that does nothing for promoting skirts for men (not referring to this site), rather making it look like we are just bad at cross-dressing. Granted, there is limited skirted apparel, but we should be mindful than when we are in a skirt, that we look good in it and the skirt compliments our figure. I have seen men in skirts and they look fantastic, to the point where they could pull it off in society today without any problems. We need the girls to be able to say, “hay, you look really good in that" without them feeling we have lost our masculinity. Moreover, as I have been recently talking about the running skirt that I have just purchased, I have also been doing a lot of reading in regards to the whole running skirt controversy, because of feminist not wanting to sexualise athletes. What is a good lesson to learn from is the way the twins from runningskirt.com have promoted the skirt among women runners. In the same way I think men need to promote a “new movement” that will increase public awareness. Here in Australia, we have seen “planking” become popular, now if this retarded act can build a following then so can skirts for guys. As it grows so will guys confidence, and thus many will start coming out about their long time hidden fashion desires.
I can just see it now, many women will raise their objections, but they will have no leg to stand on and their complaints would sound like nothing more than hypocrisy. We have history on our side that disarms any dispute against guys in skirts on so many levels. I get infuriated when some groups of women reject and complain about men in skirts but at the same time parading themselves about in their pants singing, we have a right to wear what we like. A simple history lesson will make that group shut up and behave. A well constructed argument, with a simple Philosophy that lays out our case tactfully, diplomatically and irrefutably with a boost of public awareness is all that it will take to start the fires of a new movement. A clear position that doesn’t confuse us with cross-dressing or with homosexuality (as they are other issues) rather simply bringing back skirted garments for men. Emphasis on Bringing them Back. ""....Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!..."

[sapphire]

The ladies will never get a chance to say "ha, you look really good in that" if you don't wear the skirt.

The ladies in this town see Carl in his skirts and say "ha, you look really good in that"

As for "celebrites", please don't forget that the Duke of Edinburgh, his sons and grandsons all wear kilts

As Capt'n Skip says just do it.

And as Carl points out, years ago women were very restricted in what they could wear. Somewhere I have a picture of my grandmother, circa 1917, in trousers. It was a joke photo taken by my gandfather and it was scandalous for the time.

Just do it. Wear your skirts and be proud. You look good and you know it.

[couyalair]

Although I did not write what skirts4men (or his computer) thought I wrote, I do agree that having high-profile popular figures appearing in skirts would do a lot for all those men that are longing to be liberated.
However ... I do remember the criticisms leveled by Scots at a Scottish minister who wore a pinstripe kilt suit at fashion show promoting kilts and Scottish exports !!!

If a well-known Scot gets himself in trouble, what hope is there for the rest of humanity? (;-)

There are undoubtedly many men that would like to get out of trousers but can't make the leap; but I think there are millions more that never even give it a thought and assume all males were born in bifurcated clothes. They would no more think about changing these than about changing their skin.

I don't know what planking is but it sounds painful, so I'll remain in ignorance.

"We have history on our side that disarms any dispute against guys in skirts "
Who is interested in history? especially history of so long ago that it has little bearing on the present or future (general public view, not mine).

"Fashion freedom" looks like an oxymoron; we must assume it means freedom from the dictates of fashion.
Women (of the wealthier classes) had little choice about what to wear; they had to follow the latest fashion. Now or then, men have been freer, simply by turning their backs on fashion (who cares a damn about what the models wear in masculine fashion shows?) and remaining in whatever clothes they grew up in.

Tiberius, I'd love to see pics of your roman/greek/egyptian-styled outfits.
They probably look good. After all they are costumes that have frequently been used in films, comic strip (bandes dessinées), so presumably they are looks that the general public finds attractive.

Sorry if this is a bit jumbled; my mind is reacting to several recent messages, but has not quite worked out what it really wants to say!

Martin