Do People Notice?

[geron]

So there I was, just shutting the front door before wandering down to the shop to pick up our morning paper, when I noticed a youngish man striding along the pavement outside and looking at me. No doubt he'd spotted my skirt (one of Skirtcraft's finest)... but before I'd had time to collect my thoughts and say something, he was already receding into the middle distance. But just as he was doing so, I noticed that he too was wearing a skirt -- a black, flared knee-length number with wide pleats and two broad white bands around it. Well, I've never before seen another male skirt-wearer around town here, and to see one right outside my own premises -- and possibly even a neighbour of ours -- was a real surprise. So if you happen to be reading this, sir, do say hello next time you're passing.

[Spirou003]

Hello,

Today I've encountered a case of someone spotting my kilt (that I've not worn at work since more than a month) that I would never have guessed if he hadn't told me. At work a colleague entered, my seat in the open space is quite isolated and my kilt not really visible (but not hidden either), he was greeting everyone else and then before even looking at me, he has greeted me with a "hello kilt man". So to the title's question, it looks like the answer is "more people than you may think".

[Myopic Bookworm]

Someone called at me out of a car "You're wearing a skirt, mate", which was hardly news to me. Unfortunately I was just crossing the road and couldn't hear his follow-up comment, so I don't know whether it was positive or negative.

[Barleymower]

Someone called at me out of a car "You're wearing a skirt, mate", which was hardly news to me. Unfortunately I was just crossing the road and couldn't hear his follow-up comment, so I don't know whether it was positive or negative.

It feels like MIS have gone from a few crossdressers that nobody understands or wants to undertand to goths in skirts and few young people, trans and the odd MIS. With all the bad feeling around we seem to be in a no mans land, right now.
If we and everyone else persist it will take hold and be accepted but in no great numbers. I could be wrong though.

.

[Damon]

I think we enjoy tolerance rather than acceptance. By acceptance I mean pants shorts are accepted. So is a kilt when worn for an occasion. The rest of the time it gets a sort of tolerant acceptance. People think it a bit unusual, but unlike a skirt or a dress they don't have to worry about pronouns. We crave acceptance, but it seems the general mood has begun to move away from tolerance, unfortunately.

[Mouse]

It feels like MIS have gone from a few crossdressers that nobody understands or wants to undertand to goths in skirts and few young people, trans and the odd MIS. With all the bad feeling around we seem to be in a no mans land, right now.
If we and everyone else persist it will take hold and be accepted but in no great numbers. I could be wrong though.

I strongly believe that the great majority of men will never wear skirts on mass. My two points of reference for this belief is the Scottish nation of men and modern women who are not constrained by religion and culture. Both sets of humans have skirts to wear which are tailored to them, yet skirts are relegated behind piles of trousers in both cases.

We are left with independent, interesting men who have the inner strength to be different and make their own path in life. The current situation in the UK allows room for such men to work and exist. You see them everywhere from the guy I met on the railway platform with bright green hair to the guy with the steam punk goth top hat. Open your eyes and just watch people and you will find independence peaking out. Some take the independence to higher levels and here in the UK we have a long line of eccentric men that have become known for some reason.

I think if your plan is to wait for skirts to become popular so you can join in, you will be waiting a long time. Now is the time to believe in your own independence and let the real you out onto the streets. Yes, you will get the odd comment as MB got, pointing out the obvious, but you will also get complements. The big thing is to believe in your own self, as an independent human being, plotting your own course, with limited time to exist.

This site and the meet ups that BM and Stevie have organised have helped me and others to be independent and interesting.

No, I do not think MIS is lost in "No mans land", we just have to see it as part of a wider independent expression of individuals. What the grey mass thinks of you/us is not terribly relevant, if the internal you is happy, clear in their path and externally confident.

[Barleymower]

We are left with independent, interesting men who have the inner strength to be different and make their own path in life. The current situation in the UK allows room for such men to work and exist. You see them everywhere from the guy I met on the railway platform with bright green hair to the guy with the steam punk goth top hat. Open your eyes and just watch people and you will find independence peaking out. Some take the independence to higher levels and here in the UK we have a long line of eccentric men that have become known for some reason.

I agree with what you say Mouse but we are in the better position than others who are facing greater resistance than us. If my wife threw up barriers to stop me in my tracks, I can't say I wouldn't give in to "keep the peace".
I don't want to flood the forum with negativity but some face some nasty resistance. Here's some choice comments after my little visit to Mums Net:
Men wearing skirts is a fetish and for them Fetish means getting sexual gratification from wearing "their clothes". Yes they own them! One person said I was hopelessly naïve and the followed it with never understanding because I'm looking through the male lens. My families support was turned back on me by accusing me of gaslighting my wife and daughter. If I attempted to argue my case, that was seen as guilt tripping.

Of course this place is not clear view of the world. Life may not been kind and not turned out well for them. They are looking for someone to blame, to take their frustrations out on. A group of people serves that purpose well, they literally cannot defend themselves - MIS.

[Coder]

Of course this place is not clear view of the world.

I think you said it right there about mumsnet. It's a collective of like-minded people - with the same or similar agenda - BUT not the whole world - and they have their opinions. It's highly unlikely you will be able to dissuade them from any of their beliefs - whether those beliefs are invalid or not. Even their perspectives are probably warped (erm, poor choice of words). So - while there' no harm in reading their site and trying to understand their perspective - engaging is probably a fools errand, at this juncture, especially because of the venue and your gender. Heck, even if you were a woman with BM's opinions, you still would likely get attacked. Unfortunately - and I see this everywhere there is online discussion (less so here) - you cannot escape straw men, ad hominem and other types of attacks that have no bearing on the substance of what you are trying to discuss.