Skirts and the "Wizzard of Oz"...

[Don]

Greetings, ye skirted brethren...

I was cleaning out my computer and stumbled on this; Actually, it's something (I think) I posted a very long time ago. An awful lot of the "cast of characters" on this board has changed since then, so I thought it might be worth a rerun...

Enjoy, reflect, ponder...

Don

One of my favorite tales is “The Wizard of Oz”, largely because I find it rich with “Life’s Lessons”… For the benefit of those not familiar with the story, it’s about a collection of characters, each of which felt somehow incomplete. It’s about a scarecrow that didn’t have a brain, a Lion who felt himself a coward, an emotionless tin man, and Dorothy, a lost young girl. Together, they decide to ask the mighty and powerful Wizard of Oz to grant them what they are missing. Oz agrees, but only on the condition that they bring him the broomstick of a local Evil Witch! The brainless scarecrow lays out the strategy for the raid on the witches’ castle, the cowardly lion leads the charge, the heartless tin man reacts to the risks and casualties, and it turns out that Dorothy never left Kansas!

To me, though, the most fascinating character is the Wizard himself! The mighty and Powerful Oz turns out to be a funny little man with an echo chamber and a smoke machine, and surely that is one of life’s most relevant lessons! But if you dig a little deeper, Oz turns out to be an ordinary man, but one of great wisdom! He doesn’t exactly grant the wishes, but he DOES point out that each of the characters had what they sought all along! All they had to do was use them!

What, you say, does this have to do with men wearing skirts? Well, it’s not hard to imagine a fifth member of this little troupe, i.e. “skirtsman”, who would petition Oz for permission to wear a skirt!

We keep clamoring for “fashion freedom”, as if it were something that could be granted by an edict from some lord high grand exalted PooBah with the bang of his gavel. Its good-news-bad-news on this one, guys; the bad news is that the PooBah doesn’t exist! The GOOD news is that fashion freedom DOES exist! In fact, like the scarecrows’ brain and the tin mans’ heart, IT HAS BEEN THERE ALL ALONG! All we really need do is USE IT! If you want to wear a skirt, wear one! No one will arrest you, no one will attack you, no one will sue you, and almost NO ONE will react negatively!

Make no mistake, though, “skirtsmanship” is a very subtle craft! Practice it skillfully, and the positive response will be overwhelming; Practice it poorly, and you’ll look like a jerk! But which is which? What does “skillfully“ mean? We’ve been struggling with that for quite a while, have we not?

The most meaningful quote I’ve heard goes something like “The clothes don’t make the man, the man makes the clothes”!

[couyalair]

Good thinking!
Thanks for reposting -- I had not read this before.

Martin

[Sinned]

I heed the message and I am not the problem as I have said elsewhere. Maybe I could show it to MOH. I'll think about it but it's a good post.

[renesm1]

Great post! We just need to find the courage that is within all of us!!

[skirtingtheissue]

Very good post, Don. I hope it spurs someone reading this forum to find the Lion's courage and get out there in a skirt for the first time. Courage and positive belief in one's self will help tilt the scale toward the "positive reaction" side and away from the "jerk" or "weird" side. Be confident and believe. Or as some company has said, "just do it."

[Don]

I'm not sure if anyone else out there has experienced this, but once you've jumped into the pool and done some public skirting, the ease by which it's possible to actually FORGET you're wearing a skirt is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

Don

[Caultron]

I'm not sure if anyone else out there has experienced this, but once you've jumped into the pool and done some public skirting, the ease by which it's possible to actually FORGET you're wearing a skirt is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

So true, just remember to take care getting in and out of cars, sitting at high-top tables, reaching for the bottom shelf...

[skirtyscot]

I sure have, Don. As soon as my thoughts are on anything else. At first I was always keenly aware of my skirts but now they are commonplace items of clothing (for me), I only really notice my skirt when it draws a funny look from someone.

Just like anything other clothing really, you don't give it any thought most of the time.

[skirtingtheissue]

Just like anything other clothing really, you don't give it any thought most of the time.

THIS is the goal of the skirting movement... when a skirt on a man elicits no reaction just by being a skirt!

[Don]

THIS is the goal of the skirting movement... when a skirt on a man elicits no reaction just by being a skirt!

You know, this statement is accurate but I'm not sure I want to see it go that far!

I want to make a statement with my skirts! I want to tell the world that my sense of masculinity is so strong and my level of self-confidence so high that not only can I "pull this off", I can present a very positive and EMULATION-WORTHY image while doing it!

I have been a part of the skirting movement - off and on - for about 15 years now, and we have made a LOT of progress in that time! But if it ever comes to pass that a skirt on a man elicits no reaction, something will have been lost!

The old morale applies, gentlemen! Let us be careful what we wish for, as we might just GET IT!!!

[STEVIE]

The point is that the reaction will not be to the guy in the skirt.
It will be to the guy for himself and that alone, the skirt will become secondary.
Yeah, if the overall look is good, all to the better, one up for the guy in the skirt.
Steve.