Where will we be in say... ten years?

[crfriend]

I do not believe that one exists in the English language. There are specific types of skirts in other languages (e.g. "lava-lava", "sarong", &c.) but the only terms in English that haven't been purloined from other languages are "kilt" and "skirt".

[Dust]

I think in ten years, the only issues we'll have will be with employers, spouses, and a few old curmudgeons. Oh wait, we're already basically there, just add to that list our own insecurities.

Numbers will increase. I've seen almost no men in skirts out and about, other than kilt wearers and backpackers. But we keep spotting stuff on social media and even the occasional celebrity news. Not a lot, but enough to know it's not going away.

I'm actually encouraged a bit by how slow moving it is. That means it will be a lasting change, not a flash in the pan. It's tough to wait, but I'd hate for men in skirts to be remembered as a passing fad.

[Chirp]

Running and hiking kilts and skirts have come along well.
There have been a slow increase in products as well.
I expect that will slowly increase more over next few years.

[Grok]

As a group, Free stylers gradually gain numbers, and diversify. Some will try fashions from the past (such as the brotherhood of the hoop); some will experiment with garments from other cultures, such as the sari. A few will try an eclectic mix.

[Grok]

Other forms of personal expression have been mentioned in other threads, such as hats, nail polish, jewelry, eye wear, etc. As these endeavors may be accompanied by trousers, they may evolve independently of MIS.

[Grok]

If talking about Main Stream rather than subcultures, it is hard to predict which path change may take, other than it is likely to be slow, if not glacial in speed. For MIS, change might conceivably take several different routs:

1. Skirt like garments that resemble shorts. Possibly stealth skirts. Quoting beach lion (From "The Man in the Dress" thread)-"...my wife is not ready for skirts that look like skirts. One of the reasons she accepts/tolerates my denim skirts is they look like denim shorts".

Looked at an article about woman culottes (Fashion Archives: A Look At The History of Culottes):

"Womens culottes came about in the Victorian era as women of the time started to become much more active... participating in activities such as horse back riding, tennis, and especially bicycling...created as garments that would give the illusion of wearing a long skirt while enabling women to straddle a horse...Ruffles or panels helped to conceal the divide...Women enjoyed a new found freedom in the Victorian version of culottes, and fortunately , did not need to endure much social backlash as a result of their sartorial choice. This garment looks enough like a skirt that few made too much fuss."

[Grok]

2. Twin-tube rigs that resemble skirts. Skorts come to mind. Possibly skirts worn over trousers-for example, to provide extra insulation during winter weather, or to keep rain off of trousers.

This path would result in a very slow evolution, at best.

[Grok]

Path 3. As has been mentioned before, a few existing designs might become part of the fringe of the mainstream, being not so much accepted as mens wear as being something tolerable for a man to wear. I am thinking of things such as sarongs and caftans, as examples.

Personally, I have the least enthusiasm for path 2 (which might not even lead to actually skirts). I prefer path 3 to path 1, but path 1 might be acceptable to some wives.

I have little enthusiasm for any of these, and I think subculture garb will be a lot more fun.

[Grok]

Actually, I have reached the point where I find my own comments about the mainstream to be uninspiring and tiresome. The mainstream is dull. I have just about lost interest in the mainstream.

[crfriend]

Eliza, is that you? I haven't read you in close to a half-century! Who's writing the underlying scripts?

OK, let's see what the human mind can make of this:

1. Skirt like garments that resemble shorts. Possibly stealth skirts. Quoting beach lion (From "The Man in the Dress" thread)-"...my wife is not ready for skirts that look like skirts. One of the reasons she accepts/tolerates my denim skirts is they look like denim shorts".

This is down to the human female's propensity to eschew risk in most things -- most of all Her Man (her protector and provider (read, "ATM")).

As to the "shorts" end of the matter, quite a lot of men's "baggy shorts" are so voluminous that they are indistinguishable from skirts at range or when at rest. The only thing left is to remove the inseam (these are the equivalent of what were known for a while as "gaucho pants").

2. Twin-tube rigs that resemble skirts. Skorts come to mind. Possibly skirts worn over trousers-for example, to provide extra insulation during winter weather, or to keep rain off of trousers.

Rigs like that already exist, mainly for women, but could be taken up by men trivially. An excellent example is the "palazzo pant". Some of those can be so voluminous that they absolutely resemble skirts at least when at rest. These can work spectacularly well on men who are confident enough to give them a go.

Keeping rain off trousers is a losing battle, and trousers under a skirt just look naff. Don't do that. One or the other, but not both.

3. As has been mentioned before, a few existing designs might become part of the fringe of the mainstream, being not so much accepted as mens wear as being something tolerable for a man to wear. I am thinking of things such as sarongs and caftans, as examples.

These are already normative outside the immediate influence of "Western Society" so are already accepted.

We're closer than you may think. It's not critical mass yet, but there are definite motions in that direction.

[Grok]

Running and hiking kilts and skirts have come along well.
There have been a slow increase in products as well.
I expect that will slowly increase more over next few years.

Yes. And they might be easier to sell if the skirts had some resemblance to shorts.

I think that from a distance my Running Kilts might pass as navy blue shorts.

[Shilo]

One of the reasons I like skirts is the feel of my legs next to each other. Shorts defeat the object in this respect although they do allow the air to get to the lower leg. In this respect women’s shorts are better as the inseam is much shorter and the material a lot lighter weight. Unfortunately for some reason the pockets are very shallow and stuff tends to fall out.

[Faldaguy]

Skirt like garments that resemble shorts. Possibly stealth skirts. Quoting beach lion (From "The Man in the Dress" thread)-"...my wife is not ready for skirts that look like skirts. One of the reasons she accepts/tolerates my denim skirts is they look like denim shorts".

It is a bit strange that I do not care what folks make of my being in a skirt, and yet I'm not very keen on the notion of wearing a skirt that looks like shorts --IF the reason is disguise it, since a chunk of what I'm doing aside from my own comfort is trying to convey that men can and should have the same fashion freedom as women -- get men out of the conformity box(es), not just the two tubes. So yes, perhaps skirts that looked masculine and like shorts might add a token edge to conversion, I would prefer to see that we just keeping pushing the envelope a little bit with our own sartorial style, and perhaps in 10 years with the younger generation's greater tolerance others will not find MIS noteworthy.

[denimini]

It is a bit strange that I do not care what folks make of my being in a skirt, and yet I'm not very keen on the notion of wearing a skirt that looks like shorts --IF the reason is disguise it, since a chunk of what I'm doing aside from my own comfort is trying to convey that men can and should have the same fashion freedom as women .........................

I am with you there. I initially thought that a skirt looking like shorts would be a good idea but I am thankful that I didn't persist as I might not have progressed to the freedom of confidently wearing skirts as skirts.

[Dust]

... perhaps in 10 years with the younger generation's greater tolerance others will not find MIS noteworthy.

That I would like to be the case. Sometimes I am optimistic, but I try not too get my hopes up too much...

I am with you there. I initially thought that a skirt looking like shorts would be a good idea but I am thankful that I didn't persist as I might not have progressed to the freedom of confidently wearing skirts as skirts.

Confidence, or better yet, courage. I was just reading a piece on how society is lacking in courage, and it has lead to most of our troubles today. No one willing to stand up against problems in society, large or small. Most people lack the courage to risk suffering in any way (losing anything from their job or social standing, never mind risking imprisonment or death) for what they believe.

While not stated in the piece, it had me thinking that it doesn't matter what those beliefs are, from freedom and civil society, to religion and morality, to relations between the sexes (which would include men in skirts).

Courage learned in one area of life, I think tends to transfer to others. I know wearing skirts out and about has made me more willing to stand up for my beliefs in other areas. It's a subtle thing, but I can't help but think that skirts have helped my courage and confidence. Probably simply because it is something that takes practice, slowly building up virtue over time.