Making the effort....inspiration for us.

[Spirou003]

From another thread:

IT here too, at a university. I've mentioned all of this in the past - the majority of women - staff/students/faculty wear bifurcated bottoms. The women who do wear skirts (I have yet to meet another MIS at work) tend to wear skirts more often than not. This is also quite seasonal - as the weather gets nicer, you see more and more skirted outfits, colder and colder fewer brave the elements. My personal thoughts:

Girls - just like boys - are forced to wear outfits their parents think look "cute". And if one goes to certain schools, there is a required uniform, which for girls usually is limited to skirts. When these kids grow older resentment is formed towards the clothes one was required to wear rather than what one wanted to wear. I have a disdain for khakis/dress slacks/ties/white button up shirts because of school and so reject those clothing items immediately. I have no doubts, had I grown up being required to wear skirts, I would have rejected that clothing item as well, or so I suspect.

So I just think a lot of anti-skirt-dress sentiment comes down to this rebellious attitude. I've had conversations with other people about this - and they tended to agree.

I suspect women also don't wear skirts because they don't like long skirts, and short skirts don't cover their legs enough. I think pants give them an option if they are any bit at all ashamed of their legs.

You made me think that here in Belgium, I don't know of any school where uniform is required. I wondered whether it could be the same in other european countries, thus googled it: https://snipboard.io/J8Kq4a.jpg
=> This may explain a part of the difference Liubang and me noticed between european cities and the place where Crfriend lives.

[Coder]

From another thread:
You made me think that here in Belgium, I don't know of any school where uniform is required. I wondered whether it could be the same in other european countries, thus googled it: https://snipboard.io/J8Kq4a.jpg
=> This may explain a part of the difference Liubang and me noticed between european cities and the place where Crfriend lives.

I wonder - but it's not just relegated to schooling - kids are often relegated to what "mom/dad" wants them to wear. I know at a young age - as others here have written - I had longed for a skirted outfit. That made any kind of "policy" - be it private school (which I attended) - or just family dictates - oppressive. I have heard women decry skirts or dresses because they were forced to wear them as a kid. But I do agree - there could be some larger policy at a young age that shapes our adult preferences.

[crfriend]

I do agree - there could be some larger policy at a young age that shapes our adult preferences.

If there were, they a decades old, and possibly false memories or echoes of what their mother's put into their heads. By the time I got into high school there were essentially no real restrictions on what the girls wore -- and today it's actually quite funny to watch modern teenage girls fight with their prom gowns because they've never worn a dress before in their lives.

[Grok]

I wonder - but it's not just rel I know at a young age - as others here have written - I had longed for a skirted outfit. That made any kind of "policy" - be it private school (which I attended) - or just family dictates - oppressive. I have heard women decry skirts or dresses because they were forced to wear them as a kid.

Which would have been the opposite situation to that of members, when we were boys. I speak of the allure of the forbidden.

And partly because we were required to wear the most boring clothes on Earth.

[rode_kater]

You made me think that here in Belgium, I don't know of any school where uniform is required. I wondered whether it could be the same in other european countries, thus googled it: https://snipboard.io/J8Kq4a.jpg

I know here in the Netherlands schools they don't have uniforms (well, maybe private ones but who cares about them).

In Australia the schools did have a uniform, but it wasn't compulsory. I thought it was great since it meant I could effectively wear the same thing every day. How easy is that? I honestly don't remember how many people wore the uniform, my memory says 50% but that could be made up.

[LiuBang]

Where do others get their inspiration from? If inspiration is low on the streets, where else should we be looking?

On the Amtrak to Cleveland I had a great conversation with a girl no more than five years older than me. Yellow, unisex, short-sleeved, crew neck T-shirt with a maneki-nekko on it. It was fitted and not too short nor too long. She wore it with a grey, A-line, floral print skirt that fell to the top of her knee. The skirt looked solid and durable, and had a lovely lace trim. And bare legs (or nude stockings?) ending in a pair of black, low-heeled, Mary Janes with white ankle socks. Her blond hair was tied in a no-frills bun and she had some chunky, blue-green frame, large-lense glasses. Little to no makeup.

I've seen a handful of similar outfits in my life--perhaps paired with sandals/flip-flops instead of Mary Janes. But these outfits really inspired my decision to order my kilt to fall to the top of my knee and wear it with a T-shirt and flip flops as I visited Scotland. I should have gotten larger-framed glasses though. The skirt + unisex T-shirt look reflects my cute, boyish, and nerdy personality.

[GerdG]

She wore it with a grey, A-line, floral print skirt that fell to the top of her knee. The skirt looked solid and durable, and had a lovely lace trim. And bare legs (or nude stockings?) ending in a pair of black, low-heeled, Mary Janes with white ankle socks. Her blond hair was tied in a no-frills bun and she had some chunky, blue-green frame, large-lense glasses. Little to no makeup.

I've seen a handful of similar outfits in my life--perhaps paired with sandals/flip-flops instead of Mary Janes. But these outfits really inspired my decision to order my kilt to fall to the top of my knee and wear it with a T-shirt and flip flops as I visited Scotland. I should have gotten larger-framed glasses though. The skirt + unisex T-shirt look reflects my cute, boyish, and nerdy personality.

LiuBang, I so much can follow you.

[GerdG]

No doubt, women are dressing better than men. Just look around you.
But this does not mean that they are also wearing skirts (or dresses). In Europe very few are, especially in their sparetime where we men have the better chances to wear a skirt. Nevertheless, women in skirts do inspire me more than men. Reason why?
They have made/make greater efforts - have a better taste or style.

[Uncle Al]

* * * women in skirts do inspire me more than men.
Reason why?
They have made/make greater efforts - have a better taste or style.

We ALL should strive for this - They make greater efforts - have a better taste or style.

When I dress casual, I do not plan on showing my 'butt' off to anyone.
I want to "blend-in" as much as possible. No grunge
A solid color shirt with a solid color skirt is great. Even a print shirt(plaid, Hawaiian, floral) is best
with a solid color skirt. When I wear a colorful skirt, it's(almost) always with a white dress shirt.
If not a white shirt, I pick a color from the skirt to be my shirt color
I NEVER mix stripes and plaids - it's shocking to the eye. I have a black and white, chevron striped
skirt that I wear a solid white dress shirt .

Uncle Al

[Kirbstone]

Hi Uncle Al,

From what you write it is clear that you have been avidly reading through the Sartorial Police manual and memorising whole chunks of it.

Now that I'm retired I have much greater 'freedom' to put on what I like, the only big constraint being the presence of MOH and resident and visiting descendants, who are not on board with Grandad's quirky skirt wearing. Fortunately MOH is very mobile and almost daily spends long hours away playing tennis/bridge/book-clubbing with friends or swimming, while descendants are packed off to Summer camps of various types.

The list of DIY tasks set out on the kitchen table keeps me so busy that I can't remember having had time to go to work! These said chores tend to dictate what I wear....skirt with good pockets (essential) and shortish, so I can kneel easily &c.

Tom

[Uncle Al]

Hi Uncle Al,
From what you write it is clear that you have been avidly reading through the
Sartorial Police manual and memorising whole chunks of it.
Tom

Sorry Tom but I don't have, or ever seen, a Sartorial Police Manual.
My choices are made from how I was brought up(born in 1951).
I don't mix stripes and plaids - period It's uncouth
I never was a 'tie-dyed', hippy person. My parents wouldn't let me
get away with that. I was more into serving, helping others than myself.

Music was(and still is) a major outlet for me.
I'm a 55 year member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
which was first documented in 1730 in England, then brought to
the U. S. by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, MD. in 1819.

The March 2024 -2025 term of the Grand Lodge, I.O.O.F. of Texas will be my last
year as Grand Musician. I've told Grand Lodge that I will not accept that appointment
any further. The 'reins' need to be passed on to one of the newer members.

This picture was before I had cataract surgery.

Al at Grand Lodge circa 2014 JPG 2024-07-17.jpg

FYI - I helped to build this instrument and I have the burned fingers from a
soldering iron to prove it

After cataract surgery.

Al in suit coat JPG 2023-03-21.jpg

Uncle Al

[Skirt18220]

Ha, ha. Enjoy reading posts like this. Reminds me that people are all different and that reminds me to be kind and sensitive.

I can't even pretend to be a fashion inspiration. My only fashion sense is I know the colour chart so my colours match mostly okay. I've never thought about dressing to inspiration others.

I only dress for comfort, my comfort. If it looks drab or uncoordinated; Sorry.

[Grok]

Some members have a special flair for fashion, and can make some combinations look good which others can not. (I lack that flair for fashion, so I am inclined to study the rules of style).

Regarding patterns and solid colors... I believe the rule is a patterned garment is paired with one in a solid color, unless both have the same pattern. Otherwise, the rig looks too "busy." A similar rule applies to jewelry, metals should match in color.

When I was growing up, this meant that I could wear a striped or plaid shirt with solid colored trousers.

With skirts, the opposite works well, a patterned skirt with a solid colored top.

Recently, I was reviewing the (on line) rules for mens traditional trouser suits. I think that white can be considered a neutral color for a shirt. A white shirt goes well with different colored jackets and ties, which explains why white is worn so much.

Black serves well as a neutral color for socks. Black socks go well with different color shoes and trousers.

One rule I saw in regards to trouser suits-it is a faux pas if the skin of your legs show, so you should wear longer socks. However...this rule doesn't apply if you are wearing a skirt.

[Grok]

A solid color shirt with a solid color skirt is great. Even a print shirt(plaid, Hawaiian, floral) is best
with a solid color skirt. When I wear a colorful skirt, it's(almost) always with a white dress shirt.
If not a white shirt, I pick a color from the skirt to be my shirt color
I NEVER mix stripes and plaids - it's shocking to the eye. I have a black and white, chevron striped
skirt that I wear a solid white dress shirt .

Uncle Al

Yes, white working well as a neutral color for a shirt

[Myopic Bookworm]

One rule I saw in regards to trouser suits-it is a faux pas if the skin of your legs show, so you should wear longer socks. However...this rule doesn't apply if you are wearing a skirt.

I recently saw a gentleman stylishly breaking that rule, wearing cropped trousers in a light tan colour with matching casual jacket, over short fawn socks and brown shoes. It managed to look elegant and casual at the same time.