Sightings "in the wild"

[moonshadow]

i live in Mobile, Alabama. i have never seen anyone in a skirt or kilt. Once in Walmart, I seen a goth guy dressed in a long black dress. I thought it odd but cool. never seeing anyone is why I was super apprehensive about going out.

You know... I'd like to be goth for a day. Get me a heavy dark dress like you described.... full of chains, enormous safety pins, etc. I'm not much on piercings and I won't dye my hair, but I could go so far as the black eyeliner, black lipstick, and black nail polish.... oh yeah and a spikey collar.

And no Jennifer... I'm not seriously contemplating this.... it's just a wandering curiosity of mine....

Saturday.... dressed in dark goth, Satans helper.... sitting in the basement listening to heavy metal!
Sunday.... light and fluffy hippie chic skirt!... skipping through the summer meadow!

Night.... and day! Ahh the many phases of the Moon!

[Elisabetta]

i live in Mobile, Alabama. i have never seen anyone in a skirt or kilt. Once in Walmart, I seen a goth guy dressed in a long black dress. I thought it odd but cool. never seeing anyone is why I was super apprehensive about going out.

You know... I'd like to be goth for a day. Get me a heavy dark dress like you described.... full of chains, enormous safety pins, etc. I'm not much on piercings and I won't dye my hair, but I could go so far as the black eyeliner, black lipstick, and black nail polish.... oh yeah and a spikey collar.

And no Jennifer... I'm not seriously contemplating this.... it's just a wandering curiosity of mine....

Saturday.... dressed in dark goth, Satans helper.... sitting in the basement listening to heavy metal!
Sunday.... light and fluffy hippie chic skirt!... skipping through the summer meadow!

Night.... and day! Ahh the many phases of the Moon!

I really don't care what you do.

[crfriend]

You know... I'd like to be goth for a day. Get me a heavy dark dress like you described.... full of chains, enormous safety pins, etc. I'm not much on piercings and I won't dye my hair, but I could go so far as the black eyeliner, black lipstick, and black nail polish.... oh yeah and a spikey collar.

Careful with goth; it's easy to get it wrong and turn it into "emo". Chains and safety-pins work to turn the look into the latter (and are more "punk" anyway)..

Here's Goth done well. Note that it doesn't have to be all black. I like the red and silver touches in the pictured rig. Really deep purples can work well too. Done well, it's a style that can be worked into everyday clothes and not look any more out of place than your typical bloke in a skirt.

Also, if you want to see some really great looks, peruse some of the creations that have come from the steampunk subculture.

[partlyscot]

I have my eye out for bits to put together a steampunk kinda thing. That black suede skirt I posted in the Christmas Party post, or it's shorter cousin when I have it fitted correctly, would do as the base I think. Industrial looking waistcoat corset thing over silky/shiny shirt maybe.

[moonshadow]

Here's Goth done well. Note that it doesn't have to be all black. I like the red and silver touches in the pictured rig. Really deep purples can work well too. Done well, it's a style that can be worked into everyday clothes and not look any more out of place than your typical bloke in a skirt.

Also, if you want to see some really great looks, peruse some of the creations that have come from the steampunk subculture.

Actually, now that you mention it.... I do have a black cloak with a red liner. It's fleece and VERY warm. It's in my closet as I write this, I often forget I have it, however might be a neat garment to wear on those chilly nights. Pictured below is my wife wearing it at our old store in Pulaski VA on Halloween 2013:

1031131513 by Moon Shadow, on Flickr

I've seen a lot of the steampunk dresses and such, and wouldn't mind adding a few to my wardrobe. Reaper man can pull off some awesome steampunk looks.

[Caultron]

I have my eye out for bits to put together a steampunk kinda thing. That black suede skirt I posted in the Christmas Party post, or it's shorter cousin when I have it fitted correctly, would do as the base I think. Industrial looking waistcoat corset thing over silky/shiny shirt maybe.

Keep it brown and don't forget the leather cap and heavy goggles.

And tread carefully with those fringed bustle skirts 36" long in back and 6" up front. Bloomers would seem to be in order.

[skirtingtoday]

Glasgow airport yesterday morning. I spotted an Indian fellow who was seeing some family/friends off. He was wearing a white full length thobe under a short coat.

Nobody seemed to notice or be bothered by it. Which is at it should be!

[Sinned]

Don't know if this comes within this topic but ....

.... I have seen an advertising circular from a company called Joe Browns http://www.joebrowns.co.uk who do men's and women's clothing and the dresses and skirts are, to me, awesome. I think that they would appeals to many of those here. I would love to be able to wear some of them. Drool.

[partlyscot]

I have my eye out for bits to put together a steampunk kinda thing. That black suede skirt I posted in the Christmas Party post, or it's shorter cousin when I have it fitted correctly, would do as the base I think. Industrial looking waistcoat corset thing over silky/shiny shirt maybe.

Keep it brown and don't forget the leather cap and heavy goggles.

And tread carefully with those fringed bustle skirts 36" long in back and 6" up front. Bloomers would seem to be in order.

Are you saying "keep it brown" because the steampunk "movement" seems to have that as default colour scheme? If so, I say "Poppycock sir! The whole point of this endeavour is to show a certain individuality of style!" And you want me to adhere to a defined standard? Yes, it might not work, we'll see. Fringed bustle skirts? Hmm, don't think so, with or without bloomers, not unless it's an actual fancy dress event.

[moonshadow]

Though I really like the steampunk dresses, I must admit, most of the ones I like seem to be built for women with large bust, or a designed to call a lot of attention to the area. I would have to make considerable modifications to the garments to make them work on my body, and I'm not that great with a needle and thread... yet. And fear I would ruin an otherwise lovely dress.

I see some on google images that look like they are more for smaller busted "people", but as I've worn a few dresses, I have learned that even those that look as though they are for smaller bust, and thus, would work on a man.... still have a little extra room in that area that just make for awkward little baggy areas. And it seems there's NEVER enough room in the blasted arm holes!

This is why I sort of backed back out of dresses, and went back into skirts. At this juncture... it's just hard to find one that fits properly on a man. Skirts on the other hand are much easier to work with. Very seldom to I find myself with a skirt that just "wont work". Dresses on the other hand have a very high probability of not fitting right. I've got a few dresses that fit well enough... and I'm just waiting on the weather to warm up a little before I can wear them. But simply put... I've just lost too much money on dresses at this point to want to buy more.

[crfriend]

Though I really like the steampunk dresses, I must admit, most of the ones I like seem to be built for women with large bust, or a designed to call a lot of attention to the area.

That does seem to be part of the aesthetic -- not that there's anything wrong with that! (I may wear skirts, but I'm still a guy and I still think like one [0].)

I would have to make considerable modifications to the garments to make them work on my body, and I'm not that great with a needle and thread... yet. And fear I would ruin an otherwise lovely dress.

Of note here is that steampunk draws heavily on Victorian-era styles, and if one looks back at history one will find that in a great many cases the "dresses" of the time were in fact separate bodices and skirts [1]. That allowed women quite a lot of variability with the styles, and if one contemplates it from a modern male perspective it means that we can ditch the fancy bodice (which would not fit us anyway) and instead substitute something that works better -- absolute historical accuracy is not required, nor even sometimes all that desirable. Use your imagination -- that's what a whole lot of steampunk is about (and the ability to make things).

[0] "A dirty mind is a joy forever." -- Or, "If there's one thing that the government can't take from me it's my thoughts."
[1] Two websites which touch on historical styles are Fripperies and Fobs and OMG That Dress. Both are visual feasts.

[Kilted Musician]

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[Judah14]

Careful with goth; it's easy to get it wrong and turn it into "emo". Chains and safety-pins work to turn the look into the latter (and are more "punk" anyway)..

Here's Goth done well. Note that it doesn't have to be all black. I like the red and silver touches in the pictured rig. Really deep purples can work well too. Done well, it's a style that can be worked into everyday clothes and not look any more out of place than your typical bloke in a skirt.

Also, if you want to see some really great looks, peruse some of the creations that have come from the steampunk subculture.

Gothic Lolita is another look that is worth trying, and here is a picture of a man wearing a Gothic Lolita maid dress outfit, cosplaying as Alto Saotome from the anime series Macross Frontier (specifically from the second movie):

[moonshadow]

... I've had my share of "near sightings" only to be disappointed when you see that ever popular bit of light from between the legs to imply there is an inseam after all. *sighs* Better luck next time!

I've often felt the same way when I see guys, young and older, wearing baggy shorts. Out here in California, a lot of guys, mostly younger, are wearing the real baggy sport shorts. The ones made from nylon/polyester that hangs just like a skirt. They're usually below the knee. From a distance, they look exactly like a skirt. Then you can see the bit of light... oh well.

I assume a lot of the reason young boys (and men for that matter) wear the baggy shorts and pants is because the style is "in" at the moment. However I suspect the fact that they are more comfortable than tight pants doesn't hurt. Too bad they can't really test their "man hood" and eliminate that inseam! eh? Although personally, I've never been one of those that "sagged", when I do wear trousers, I do prefer loose fits over tight ones.... not for style, but rather just because it's more comfortable for obvious reasons.

... then I discovered skirts... and life has never been the same!

Gothic Lolita is another look that is worth trying, and here is a picture of a man wearing a Gothic Lolita maid dress outfit, cosplaying as Alto Saotome from the anime series Macross Frontier (specifically from the second movie):

OMG... My daughter would go insane! (she's REALLY into anime)

I'd totally wear that! Probably not to be taken seriously, but simply for the fun of it.

[crfriend]

Also, if you want to see some really great looks, peruse some of the creations that have come from the steampunk subculture.
Gothic Lolita is another look that is worth trying, and here is a picture of a man wearing a Gothic Lolita maid dress outfit, cosplaying as Alto Saotome from the anime series Macross Frontier (specifically from the second movie)

I have always enjoyed the world of anime since my first exposure to it in the 1960s, especially its portrayal of powerful male characters with hair in styles other than the typical (for the time) crew-cut so prevalent in the USA (and one which was enforced unto me until I grew large enough and eloquent enough to finally say, "NO!" in the mid 1970s). It also serves as the basis for my sometimes considering colouring my hair something other than its natural brown with reddish highlights.

Gothic Lolita is interesting, but I have to wonder whether it'd really do at work, and that's the environment where I spend much of my time. I know that some folks here regard some of my looks "forced" -- and, yes, some are a bit -- but lolita takes "forced" to another level altogether. I'd say it's fine for cosplay, but don't really think it'd work in the day-to-day "real world". (I also think that lolita would look utterly naff on a bloke already into his second half-century on the planet. Younger guys might well be able to pull it off in some situations, though. i cannot, at least not without much laughter from those around me.)