Observations on a sunny day

[Jock]

At the weekend I was at the south coast of England sitting idly watching the world go by. (I love people watching). The day was warm and sunny, and most blokes had dug out their shorts (thigh high to calf high). I was comfortable in my knee length cotton twill khaki skirt which elicits no response from Joe Public.
Most interesting in a weird way were the women: from waist up an assortment of pretty tops. But down below was a very sad tale. Blue jeans, black trousers, black leggings, black thick tights. Ugh!
On a whim I decided to check the proportion of skirts and dresses ( excluding those surmounting the jeans etc). On a rough count dresses/skirts were around 3% (sample approx 100). Why women have foregone the pleasure of wearing a skirt on a warm day beats me.
So I though - Hold on. This is the sort of level where we are heading - a few % of men are wearing skirts. No one can say nowadays that skirts are "women's wear". Just look around!
If only we could jolt men out of their rigid hidebound conformity.

[Grok]

What about the future? It may well be that only hard core skirtonians-of either gender-will often wear skirts.

[Grok]

One convention may become obsolete-designating the genders by what they wear below the waist.

[Charlie]

One convention may become obsolete-designating the genders by what they wear below the waist.

Now I'm totally confused. "Real women never wear dresses" Some think that 'real' men never wear dresses. Does that mean that 'real' women (whatever they are) are the same as 'real' men?
As with Jock, when I walk into town I like to see who's wearing what. Mostly its a sea of trousers and the number of skirts can often be counted one one hand.

Charlie

[Grok]

Trousers are now the conventional dress for women.

[luvtoskirt]

I am sorry, but I have not seen one other man in California wearing a skirt as a man, not in drag. I wish once in a while you would see a brave soul. I wear one once in a while but it would be easier if other were out there too.

[Caultron]

Well, I was in Laguna Beach a couple of weeks ago and wore a kilt on three different days.

Once was on a Tuesday, when I traveled by plane from Phoenix to Orange County, took a shuttle to Laguna Beach, and had lunch with a co-worker.

The second was a Friday, after the conference was over and most of the customers had left. Kilted, I browsed art galleries in the afternoon and then went to a company-only dinner in the evening. The company president, a New Zealander, said he liked it.

The third was the next day, Saturday, when got dressed in another kilt, took a three-mile hike up and down the beach, had breakfast in the hotel restaurant, checked out, took a shuttle back to Orange County airport, happened into the president once again, and then flew home to Phoenix.

Now, it's true I didn't see any other men in skirts or kilts, but no one seemed especially surprised by my appearance. Either they're very laid back (gee, California, ya think?), shell-shocked, or seen it before.

So that week at least there were two of us.

Still, I agree it'd be nice to meet up with other skirt/kilt wearers from time to time. A couple of months ago I did encounter another member of this board in a grocery market, though, and I've averaged one or two sightings a year for some time now.

If nothing else, try some highland games or renaissance fairs. Or are kilts not at all your interest?

[skirtyscot]

Inspired by Jock's lead, I carried out the same exercise yesterday. It was a warm (by local standards) afternoon with a nice breeze to blow up your skirt and keep your nether regions cool!

157 women and girls in trousers, leggings or shorts. 17 in skirts or dresses. A little under 10%. Not quite as low as Jock's figure, but none the less depressing for that.

It's the skinny jeans, the favourite of teenage girls, that baffle me most. They must be horrible to wear on a hot day. A skirt would be so much better. In fact, most things would be better!

[couyalair]

It amazes me too that women -- to whom society grants a choice -- wear clinging leg-gear in warm weather.
Yes, even in Spain, though, to be honest, skirts are much more common here than further north. I have no statistics, but I'll make a head count next time I go for a stroll in the less tourist-ridden districts.

Martin

[Vince5680]

I just happen to be working in London this evening. I arrived on time but the truck with all the technical equipment was 15 mins late. So I thought I would have a look at what was new on Skirtcafe, I soon found this post and read with interest.
I am working at the side of the river Thames and decided to do my own survey. I always thought there were more women in skirts and dresses in London than other places. My results were: 69 women in trousers & 45 women in skirts or dresses.
It was not a particularly worm evening, the sun has been out most of the day.
I did not see any men in skirts or dresses. I am sorry to say I am wearing trousers too. Due to the type of work I am doing.
I did manage about four hours of skirt wearing in the middle part of my day.

[skirtyscot]

In a city on a weekday you would expect more, as women still commonly wear skirts to the office. My observation were made in small towns on a Sunday afternoon . Try in a shopping centre on a Saturday.

[Vince5680]

Oh yes Scot it was only an observation, I was not suggesting you observation was wrong in any way. It is a fact that most woman do not dress up for shopping. It still stands that more and more woman are wearing trousers these days.

[thesmithie]

A good observation! One I hadnt really noticed.. this is especially true of younger women i would say. although you do get the trashy types wearing belts (sorry, skirts) on a friday/ saturday night.

But then they probably dont fall into this observation.

I can only offer as contributors:

changes in modern fashion
the acceptance leggings without top bottoms are acceptable (the feline crotch being more sightly than the males)
femininity in terms of empowerment
skirts being seen as more child like
the trouser offering more masculine features in an unconscious strive for equality through mirroring

[skirtyscot]

Are skirts really seen as being child-like?

If so, by whom?

Not saying you're wrong, it's just that this is news to me.

[thesmithie]

Are skirts really seen as being child-like?

If so, by whom?

Not saying you're wrong, it's just that this is news to me.

lol ah er i cant really explain this very well.. but ill try...

I only meant this as a possible suggestion for a small percentage of women who wear jeans/ trousers over skirts.

Because i would suggest a lot of young girls wear skirts up to teenage years. So having adopted a type of dress (uniformly speaking) one could see the option or transition into something different as being a coming of age fashion statement. And having worn skirts for such a large period of childhood, one could argue they associate the garment with the age/ stigma.

So the suggestion was only meant that if a person saw it this way, they may wish to distance them selves from being seen as a child by wearing something else.

I hope it wasn't read i think skirts are for little girls lol, i wouldn't be here if i thought that!

My suggestions were only hypothetical and guessed from a woman's perspective, not my own! or meant to offend.