Skirt Cafe is an on-line community dedicated to exploring, promoting and advocating skirts and kilts as a fashion choice for men, formerly known as men in skirts. We do this in the context of men's fashion freedom --- an expansion of choices beyond those commonly available for men to include kilts, skirts and other garments. We recognize a diversity of styles our members feel comfortable wearing, and do not exclude any potential choices. Continuing dialog on gender is encouraged in the context of fashion freedom for men. See here for more details.
"I have just noticed your April Fool joke of the Man-skirt. Now why is that such a foolish notion? I was quite disappointed in you that you do not wish to supply such articles. Many men have found that wearing skirts is very practical (myself included) and would actively seek outlets who wished to "push the boat out" and cater for this demand. Why not have a poll to determine interest and start a trend that is already in the fashion shows around the world? Ross "
"Dear Ross
Thank you for your email. Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.
I am very sorry for any disappointment caused by the Marylebone Man Skirt we have advertised recently. This email was sent around by our Marketing Department as an April Fools message, to coincide with a bit of tradition.
I am pleased to hear that you like the Man Skirt, and I will forward your feedback to the relevant department. You never know, we may at some point in the future introduce the skirt in to our range. Thank you for taking the time to write to us.
If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me. Your email reference number is 627196.
Another different reply to those posted previously, and from a different contact name! Good sign or not? We'll wait and see.
In the meantime, keep up the good work team!
"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on" - Winston Churchill.
"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it" - Joseph Goebbels
If you guys ever decide to rip the crotch out of your cargo shorts and get serious about it like 5.11 tactical did with their tacti-kilt joke last year, drop me an email. http://www.boden.co.uk/en-GB/blanktempl ... 7t4-_-main
And the reply from Boden USA:
Dear Kingfish
Thank you for your email. I apologize for the delay in replying.
I am happy to hear that you enjoyed our April Fools message! This email was sent around by our Marketing Department in jest, to coincide with a bit of Easter tradition. The Marylebone Man Skirt is not actually for sale at present. However, if we do decide to add one to our range we will let you know!
And I hate to say it, but after looking at their cargo shorts offering, I doubt the model ever wore the skirt, or that it existed outside the realm of Photoshop.
I loved your Marylebone Man-skirt April Fool. Are you seriously considering selling it? I think it may be an idea whose time has come. Rock stars and footballers can now be seen skirted; plenty of men are happy to wear a sarong on holiday; and non-tartan kilts are becoming more popular. If you were to sell a men's skirt - with pockets and enough of a flare or a pleat to cover the "essentials" when sitting down - I think you would find plenty of takers. Not sure that pink, as in your photo, would be the best selling colour though. Most men in skirts, just like most men in trousers, go for blander colours!"
"I am very sorry to tell you that our Marylebone Man-Skirt will not be available for sale in the near future. However, our designers are a suggestible lot and may be persuaded to lead the pack with this style if there is enough demand! I'll gladly add your name to the list of potential buyers, and advise them to steer clear of the pink. Perhaps a nice manly blue instead?"
Again not a boilerplate response, and a bit of a sense of humour.
Seems unlikely it will lead anywhere, but who knows? Are the British middle classes ready to rise up against trouser tyranny?
As for the comments about price, it is in line with what Boden charge for a woman's skirt, so not surprising.
I sent my little nudge to Boden yesterday afternoon...
Ian (aka Milfmog) wrote:As someone better known for a sense of humour than I am once said "I wish to register a complaint".
Why on earth did you think it is fair to have a skirt for a man on your website? I was just thinking "Wow! Boden has caught up with some of the designer trends and made a skirt I'd wear happily" when I got hit between the eyes with an "April fool" banner. And that six days after the event. That's just unkind . I was really hopeful that a respected mainstream company had finally decided to dip it's toes in the men's skirts market.
It's doubly unkind when you realise that the skirt has a sensible and useful pocket configuration. I can't see whether the mock up included belt loops and have to confess that the large picture would not be my first colour choice, but there looked to be a few good options in the thumbnails below the picture.
Oh well, maybe you'll try a skirt in mens sizes and cut one day; be sure to let me know if you do.
Have a great weekend.
Ian.
(A man who is happy and comfortable in a skirt).
(Full name and address removed from this post)
And Boden's reply (On a Sunday!)
Boden Customer Services wrote:Dear Ian
Thank you for your email. Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.
I am sorry for any disappointment caused by the Marylebone Skirt for men, not actually being for sale. I have forwarded your comments to our Design Team, to be taken into consideration when designing future lines. If we have enough interest, it may be something that you see in our catalogues in the future!
I apologise for any inconvenience caused. If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me. Your email reference number is 635349.
It can't do any harm to prod them towards the idea of a skirt for their male customers.
Have fun,
Ian.
Do not argue with idiots; they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
Cogito ergo sum - Descartes
Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum - Ambrose Bierce
I also emailed them and received a reply, but as part of my email I had asked what actual skirt they had used. Yhey told me that the skirt had been photoshopped onto the model, but didn't address what skirt was used for the other pics...
Yes I think we all knew it was an "airbrushed/photoshopped" image they had used for the April fool joke.
I take it they have (as expected) ignored the possibility of a skirt?
"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on" - Winston Churchill.
"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it" - Joseph Goebbels
skirtingtoday wrote:Yes I think we all knew it was an "airbrushed/photoshopped" image they had used for the April fool joke.
I take it they have (as expected) ignored the possibility of a skirt?
The current catalogue would almost certainly have been at the printers before the April 1 brouhaha so was never likely to contain a skirt for guys. Sadly, I suspect the next catalogue will not have any male cut skirts either
Have fun,
Ian.
Do not argue with idiots; they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
Cogito ergo sum - Descartes
Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum - Ambrose Bierce
It's far too early to come to any conclusions about what Boden are planning to do. My daughter-in-law is a designer for a major clothing retailer and, while her specialism is designing fancy dress costumes, she says that her colleagues in the clothing design field tend to work around a year ahead.
So, if Boden are going to act upon this idea, expect it in 2014.
Good sign or not? We'll wait and see. 
. I was really hopeful that a respected mainstream company had finally decided to dip it's toes in the men's skirts market.