Why has long hair been mainstreamed for men while skirts haven't?

[LiuBang]

Why? Because long hair started becoming fashionable on men in the 1960's and skirts on men hasn't even started to become fashionable yet.

And why is this the case? People here keep saying that quite a few men had long hair for millennia before it became "feminine" a couple hundred years ago. Same thing could be said about skirts.

I feel like long hair (without a beard/mustache) would make me look more feminine that wearing a woman's navy blue, plain, skirt.

[moonshadow]

I just don't think the truth of the matter is quite as cynical.

In western countries, men and women are pretty much free to express themselves any way they want, I think the simple answer as to why more men don't wear skirts is that "they just don't want to".

I myself have no issue with wearing a pretty skirt out, however there are days where I just want to wear pants for whatever reason. Many times it's not just for practicality or even social bullying....

No, sometimes I just want to wear pants.

So I don't think it has much to do with society, the trans stuff, or even social conditioning, I honestly believe that most men simply just don't want to wear skirts. I don't know why this is such a rant for us here.

I mean, I don't care for seafood, and here I am, in Seattle, immersed in seafood culture. I don't avoid seafood to be a "rebel" of out of some protest, I just don't want it, and I've never even tried crab or lobster... but it just doesn't appeal to me.

Such as it is with men in skirts, I just think it doesn't appeal to most men. And there's nothing wrong with that.

And someone's going to respond "well now you don't know if you like seafood unless you try it!"

True, but you're missing the point. It doesn't appeal to me. I could fire back how goat testicles are supposedly tasty too, but I don't see people lining up for those....

[Barleymower]

sometimes I just want to wear pants

I wear trousers too, in fact I'm wearing shorts now.

I have thought about your statement before. You are not the first person to say this. Most men just don't want to do it, it doesn't appeal to them. That is a common theme. Similarly you could say: it doesn't occur to them, why? Because they are men. That's what men are like. In these statements we are linking masculinity with not wanting to wear these types of clothing. As you say some people just don't like crab. In the same way men don't even think about clothing that's not assigned to them. Its true they don't care for it.

But then a man picks up his wife's nightie and it feels so soft. Suddenly feelings rush through him and he drops it. That's gay he thinks. Rings his mate and talks about the Tyson fight in 93. Balance is restored.

Instead of crab I would offer French fries. I don't eat French fries, why ? I don't care for them. Have you tried them? No and I don't intend too. You are missing out they are great. Maybe but I won't touch them.

Like French fries I tried skirts and they are great. I'm not going back to a life with no skirts. They are too nice.

[timemeddler]

Don't forget it's traditional for native american men to have long hair, that may factor into it in the states.

[Coder]

I kind of think it comes down to knowing they are an option, you won’t be made fun of or ostracized if you wear one, and if you are curious give one a try.

[Grok]

In western countries, men and women are pretty much free to express themselves any way they want, I think the simple answer as to why more men don't wear skirts is that "they just don't want to".

So I don't think it has much to do with society, the trans stuff, or even social conditioning, I honestly believe that most men simply just don't want to wear skirts. I don't know why this is such a rant for us here.

I've never even tried crab or lobster... but it just doesn't appeal to me.

Such as it is with men in skirts, I just think it doesn't appeal to most men. And there's nothing wrong with that.

someone's going to respond "well now you don't know if you like seafood unless you try it!"

True, but you're missing the point. It doesn't appeal to me.

Awhile back a member came up with the term "Skirtonian"-meaning, people who like skirts, enjoy wearing skirts. This term can include both men and women-which I suspect is a minority of men, and a minority of women.

If a majority of women prefer trousers, this would go far in explaining why most women have largely abandoned skirts. These women have an option that is more to their liking.

The division isn't absolute. Some people, like myself, may prefer to wear trousers one day, and a skirt on another day. Which has made one option easy for me-choosing to conform at work.

Apparently, some people like leggings, which never appealed to me.

BTW, lobster and crab never appealed to me.

[Grok]

On Sunday mornings when I'm dressed en femme, I go the whole 9 yards, unlike the average trouser wearing short haired woman. My hair is beyond shouler length. I wear a dress, ear rings, makeup, heels, and nail varnish (polish). Very few women wear heels anymore, and few of them wear nail varnish.

It's like it is becoming shameful for even women to be feminine.

John

I was somewhat surprised the first time I saw a man wearing nail polish. Hadn't ever given nail polish a thought.

When I was a boy I envied girls because they could wear skirts. I would now suppose that a few boys envied the option of nail polish. Perhaps a few other options that were denied to boys.

[LiuBang]

I was somewhat surprised the first time I saw a man wearing nail polish. Hadn't ever given nail polish a thought.

Nail polish on men is fairly mainstream by now in the States. I guess it's because it's often a daddy-daughter bonding activity, and compared to skirts are pretty inconspicuous.

I have zero desire to try any cosmetics, including makeup or nail polish. I hate any kind of goo on my body. I don't like even lotion, Chapstick, or hair gel.

[Grok]

One thing I over looked...perhaps a few boys envied ladies' jewelry? Jewelry has not been my particular interest, but I can see why others might like it.

[jamie001]

I disagree that long hair for men has been mainstreamed. When was the last time that you saw one of the following:

1. A long haired male newscaster or news reporter? They all look like 1940 clones of each other.

2. A long hair senator or congressman that don’t identify as trans.

3. A long haired judge?

4. A long haired Police Officer?

5. A long haired military man even if the hair is in a hair bun as is allowed for women in the military.

6. A long haired POTUS.

And the list goes on and on. The bottom line is that long hair is not mainstreamed, it is just tolerated in some professions.

[moonshadow]

I disagree that long hair for men has been mainstreamed. When was the last time that you saw one of the following:

1. A long haired male newscaster or news reporter? They all look like 1940 clones of each other.

2. A long hair senator or congressman that don’t identify as trans.

3. A long haired judge?

4. A long haired Police Officer?

5. A long haired military man even if the hair is in a hair bun as is allowed for women in the military.

6. A long haired POTUS.

And the list goes on and on. The bottom line is that long hair is not mainstreamed, it is just tolerated in some professions.

Yeah but none of these people are "mainstream".

[Grok]

In western countries, men and women are pretty much free to express themselves any way they want, I think the simple answer as to why more men don't wear skirts is that "they just don't want to".

I honestly believe that most men simply just don't want to wear skirts.

Such as it is with men in skirts, I just think it doesn't appeal to most men.

Which would lead to such men not being able to comprehend why some men do want to wear skirts. I had a house mate who seemed bewildered when I wore a Utilikilt. I think that he eventually settle on the idea that I wore it as a Scottish heritage thing.

[jamie001]

Moon,

Do you believe that most men don’t want to wear skirts because they are worried that they will be perceived as a gay homosexual? I believe that is the reason that men’s skirts don’t catch on. Any item that has been marked as “feminine “ is off-limits to the average Joe, even if they would like to wear it because it appears to be very comfortable.

Little boys were educated that feminine items like skirts are off limits and some of those boys when caught wearing skirts were even called fa66ots by their parents before they even knew the meaning of that slur.

IMHO that is the reason that men don’t adopt skirts. For me, I don’t conform to societal expectations so I don’t GAF what people think. However, the situation is bleak for members here that want to wear as CIS average Joes. I believe that the only way for men to wear a skirt is to adopt the don’t GAF attitude about how you will be labeled. Women took this route when they first started wearing trousers outside of factory jobs that required trousers during WW2 for safety reasons. The were labeled as “lesbians” but still prevailed and won their fashion freedom.

[Spirou003]

I tried long hair recently and gave up because my starting baldness (at age of 27) was the certainty of always having hair in my eyes when I was doing something. I could bear with it when I had hope it was temporary (let hair the time to grow), but the day I realized long hair imply (for me) to always be bothered when doing anything, I cut everything... despite liking my 30+ cm long hair. Now they're most of the time shorter than 1 cm.
Male baldness is one of the culprits for long hair not being common for men, despite it being accepted. Long hair is a genetic privilege that not all men have, this genetic privilege is diminishing with age (often starting before 30's), and people tend to live longer with medical science progresses.

[Seb]

I have had long hair most of my life, with a few periods of buzz cuts in between.

Most people don't care, but there's always some that dissaprove, the most recent was a couple of boys att my daughters school (8y olds) that thought it was weird that someones dad had long hair, while they have several classmates who has long hair.

I'm thinking of cutting it should length again. I dont mind it getting in my face, I'm used to that. But the tangles even it gets really long! Still want enough to braid it though.