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.
dillon wrote: I do not skirt for the comfort of the garments, though that is certainly a benefit. I do not skirt to express femininity, though I relate to women on an inner level. I do not skirt to shock or offend conventionality and societal expectations, though it pleases me to do so. I do not skirt for any fetishistic desire, though I won't deny that part of my psyche. I skirt for none of those reasons and for all of those reasons, and even more; things that would require years of expensive psychoanalysis to fully identify. And it doesn't matter. I skirt, therefore I am! It is part of who I am, and whether I wear a jeans skirt or a ruched floorsweeper just doesn't matter. I don't expect to be unnoticed, but I am not seeking the attention of rubbernecked gawkers either. Don't ask me what I expect from my style, just get used to it.
I've rarely posted in threads about why we wear skirts, as I've struggled to formulate a sincere and complete answer. So a big thank you for this, which says it how it is for me.
Actually, thinking about it a bit more, my conscious reason these days is that skirts are more comfortable. I increasingly find trousers uncomfortable round the genitals, which is a problem seeing as I'm going to have to carry on wearing them for the next 20 years or so at work. The other reasons were equally in my thoughts at first. Now, after a couple of years, I don't think about them, but I suppose they are still there, subconsciously.
STEVIE wrote: I felt "lousy" and could not be bothered with any effort
to wear a skirt.
That's at least the second time someone has said it's a bother to wear a skirt. What makes a skirt more tiresome than trousers? A wrap skirt in particular is the easiest thing in the world to put on, whereas trousers have to be pulled up over other clothes (shirt, undershirt) which then have to be smoothed down inside the trousers. I don't need to be on a good day to put on a skirt/kilt. It's just what I do every day. I don't have to search for a reason to do so, nor even wonder what deep subconscious impulses are behind my choice.
couyalair wrote:That's at least the second time someone has said it's a bother to wear a skirt. What makes a skirt more tiresome than trousers?
I believe the overall thrust is that when one is feeling lousy, down, ill, or anything much out of the ordinary one isn't going to be mentally prepared to really stick out from the herd and will just generally want to blend in and not get noticed. I do not believe that it's because skirts are a "bother", but rather that it's the mental state that's in play. At least that's the way I am.
Retrocomputing -- It's not just a job, it's an adventure!
couyalair wrote:...What makes a skirt more tiresome than trousers?
For one thing, you have to be more careful getting into and out of cars. I have to remember to get in butt first rather than leg first, and then arrange my hem, and then make sure I'm not closing the door on the tail.
When sitting onto a chair, I have to remember to hold the back of the kilt against my thighs, and that's hard to do if I have anything in my hands. And if I still end up with naughty bits touching the chair surface, there seems to be no graceful way of pulling my rear hem forward.
And of course windy days can be a nuisance.
None of these are deal-breakers but they are a bit tiresome, the price one pays for greatness.
Courage, conviction, nerve, verve, dash, panache, guts, nuts, balls, gall, élan, stones, whatever. Get some and get skirted.
I played a gig with a band yesterday wearing my black Utilikilt, olive green long sleeved t-shirt, olive green tights, and black shoes. No reaction about anything from anyone. Which is fine...
Among chores I had to do today, I had to go over to the band leader's place to pick up my pay from the gig and to do a little 'IT' work on her computer. Due to having some pretty severe lower back pain and Sciatica issues that cropped up this morning, I decided to wear a black denim skirt, a little shorter than my kilt. I've found out that when you have back pain, it's much easier to put on a skirt that trousers. She didn't even notice until I mentioned to her about my back issues! She thought I was wearing the kilt! Which goes to show... black is pretty much invisible. Also, I went to a few stores and, to the best of my knowledge, nobody noticed. I'm getting to the point where I'll wear skirts/kilts when I want to, where I want to!
Kilted Musician wrote:Among chores I had to do today, I had to go over to the band leader's place to pick up my pay from the gig and to do a little 'IT' work on her computer. Due to having some pretty severe lower back pain and Sciatica issues that cropped up this morning, I decided to wear a black denim skirt, a little shorter than my kilt. I've found out that when you have back pain, it's much easier to put on a skirt that trousers. She didn't even notice until I mentioned to her about my back issues! She thought I was wearing the kilt! Which goes to show... black is pretty much invisible.
But it doesn't show whether or not your skirt or kilt were noticeably not trousers in the first place. It just shows that your band leader is used to seeing you in a kilt, and the skirt wasn't different enough for her to notice. Or that she noticed but she has seen you in a skirt before, so it was no big deal. Or that she noticed and she hasn't seen you in a skirt before, but it was still no big deal. Or ...
I have suspected (but not tested) the idea that a khaki twill, cargo pocketed, knee length or slightly longer, skirt would much resemble a pair of baggy cargo shorts often seen these days. Indeed, seeing such shorts I have often had to look carefully to be certain whether they are shorts, kilt, or a skirt. So it would seem to me that shorts casually seen as a skirt might mean a skirt would be casually seen as shorts. Anybody have any experiences or observations to offer on this possibility?
Hello and welcome to the forum, kiltguy1789! Feel free to tell us about yourself in the Introductions section.
Your theory is certainly worth testing - skirt on and out you go! As I said earlier on in this thread, there are degrees of sticking out. The style of skirt you describe would be firmly at the less noticeable end of the spectrum. Quite often I have had to look twice to tell whether a person was wearing shorts or such a skirt. It would have to be above the knee though. Once you get to knee length it becomes pretty obvious when you walk that you have a skirt on. And below the knee, either the loose fabric is a dead giveaway, or the skirt is very straight and restricts your stride significantly and that is a dead giveaway instead. Either way the skirted silhouette is easy to spot. 3 or 4 inches above the knee is probably about right if you want to minimise the chance of people noticing, but many will still notice. Let them! Hardly anybody really cares.
When you wear a skirt in public some people are going to notice and some not.
The more your skirt resembles big floppy shorts, the fewer people will notice, but some will still spot you.
But look around and you'll see all kinds of unconventional people wearing all kinds of unconventional clothing, and so what? Yes, they do get reactions from people -- a few negative, the majority quizzical, and a few strongly positive and reinforcing -- but that's part of the fun. You're allowed to do your own thing. Be confident. Don't cringe or skulk. Just do it.
Courage, conviction, nerve, verve, dash, panache, guts, nuts, balls, gall, élan, stones, whatever. Get some and get skirted.
kiltguy1789 wrote:I have suspected (but not tested) the idea that a khaki twill, cargo pocketed, knee length or slightly longer, skirt would much resemble a pair of baggy cargo shorts often seen these days.
That pretty much describes the cargo skirt I wear hiking every once-in-awhile around here. If it stays as unseasonably sunny and still as it's been the last couple of weeks, I make take it out for a hike tomorrow.
Stuart Gallion
No reason to hide my full name
Back in my skirts in San Francisco
