Hi from a long-term lurker

[CamperGuy]

Hi,

Thanks for letting me join. I've been lurking here for a while, so thought I should make an introduction.

I live in Southern England and have been wearing tights (mainly opaque) for years with womens' shorts.

A bit of history:

About 18 months ago I decided to take the plunge and get a skirt. Initially, I only wore it in the safety of home. But finally plucked up the courage to try wearing outside (at least in locations where I thougth I wouldn't run into people I knew!).

With Khaki green mid-thigh mini and tights, I walked around a nature reserve as my first trip out. Was nervous when confronted my a large man walking a dog - would he confront me? But when he engaged in conversation, his concern was that he had spotted a loose dog and was it mine? After this success tried other quiet locations, bought a black jean-style mini and then beige A-line mini. Worked my way up visiting shops, cafes, museums, then daring myself to take buses and trains. Fantastic high from finally being able to wear clothes I'd wanted to wear since a child. This year I added another level by occassionally wearing the outfits with ballet flats, then T-strap sandles and finally T-strap heels. I love the way the heels look. I'm confident going most places now wearing black tights, black skirt and plimsoles. Wearing womens' shoes is more nerve-wracking, but I am building up confidence. Took a trip around London wearing ankle-strap ballet flats, a trip to get my eyes tested wearing grey tights and T-strap sandles, and a couple of trips to town / shops wearing block-heel T-straps. Love the feeling wearing the latter.

So, thanks for the inspiration everyone. I likely wouldn't have left the house without the encouraging examples given here.

[Susie]

[Mouse]

Hi CamperGuy, it sounds like you have already worked out, that the more confidence you show, the easier your skirting life is.

Welcome to the cafe.

We often have meet ups in a London Pub or cafe, which are great fun to meet face to face with other members.

If you post a couple of times more on any thread, when you then log in again, your user name will be blue and you will see more parts of the cafe where we have details of meet up and pictures of cafe members in their various outfits.

Our next meet up is in Birmingham on the 10th of this month.

[CamperGuy]

Mouse wrote:
> We often have meet ups in a London Pub or cafe, which are great fun to meet
> face to face with other members.
>
> If you post a couple of times more on any thread, when you then log in
> again, your user name will be blue and you will see more parts of the cafe
> where we have details of meet up and pictures of cafe members in their
> various outfits.
>
> Our next meet up is in Birmingham on the 10th of this month.

Many thanks Mouse. Hopefully I'll work up the courage for a meet-up in future

[Jim]

Welcome, Camperguy.

[Barleymower]

Hi Camperguy well done for taking the first nerve wrecking steps and welcome to the world of out and about. London is a great place for days out. There are many different styles to be found in London and nobody minds at all how you choose to dress yourself.
Like Mouse said we will soon be having a meet up in Birmingham and younwould be very welcome to join us. The meet up will be followed shortly afterwards with another meetup if you can't make it.

[yardstick]

Hi CamperGuy

Your story sounds similar to a lot of us on here especially with building up confidence and from what you're saying you've already made very good progress.
As others have already mentioned we do have meet ups here in the uk, often in London although our next one is in Birmingham.
Meeting up with like minded individuals can be a real confidence boost if needed and I can definitely recommend them as its helped me a lot so I hope you'll join us on one soon.

[SkirtsDad]

Hi,

Thanks for letting me join. I've been lurking here for a while, so thought I should make an introduction.

I live in Southern England and have been wearing tights (mainly opaque) for years with womens' shorts.

A bit of history:

About 18 months ago I decided to take the plunge and get a skirt. Initially, I only wore it in the safety of home. But finally plucked up the courage to try wearing outside (at least in locations where I thougth I wouldn't run into people I knew!).

You have possibly worked out there's a few of us here from Southern England, myself included. Glad the skirt wearing is going well. I think that for some, or maybe many, we've reached a point where it's hard to remember that we were ever nervous about going out. My first ventures in a skirt were mostly to house parties, usually in a denim mini or similar, and I was always well received. Anyway welcome to the cafe.

[Faldaguy]

Wearing your skirts in public already puts you in the "advanced" category of MIS and probably most of our less vocal and lurking watchers; so hopefully you will jump in and share more of your experiences with those 'newbies' still trying to get past their initial fears. I have lived, travelled, and skirted in quite a few places for a number of years; and presently live in Latin America which is usually considered "macho" country -- yet I encounter no problems while being skirted in all the ordinary daily places people go. Confidence is indeed a key element, backed with courage to be true to yourself. Welcome aboard, do share--we really need all those who have made the first couple of hurdles. Faldaguy from Ticolandia (Costa Rica)

[CamperGuy]

Faldaguy wrote:
> Wearing your skirts in public already puts you in the "advanced"
> category of MIS and probably most of our less vocal and lurking watchers;
> so hopefully you will jump in and share more of your experiences with those
> 'newbies' still trying to get past their initial fears.

Thanks.

I'm quite happy to put up a few posts working my way through some of my experiences starting off if people think that would help others struggling to step out into public.

Cheers,

Camperguy

[phathack]

Great to hear another man has gotten out of the house in his skirt.
My experience is that, in general, no one cares what you wear. The only ones who may offer any pushback are family and close friends who are not as open-minded as we would like them to be.
When I go on vacation, I drive all over the southern US, always wearing a skirt or dress, and have had zero negative feedback. Many would think that if there were any states where people might encounter negative feedback, it would be in the South, but I've received no negative comments in the last 10+ years that I've been wearing skirts.

[Seb]