What did *you* wear "out and about" today?

[bcmtnbka]

I went to the pride parade today and I was in my black Workman and a white polo shirt.

[DrWu]

Bump for my first post to this thread, though hardly my first time wearing skirts outside, thanks to a sudden snap of warm weather (72 degrees when it was in the 40s a couple days ago!)

I'm wearing a just-above-floor-length blue tiered skirt with abstract floral embroidery on the bottom three tiers (out of six -- roughly the bottom of my knees down), as well as shiny strips at the top and bottom of the same tiers. Also, I'm wearing a solid yellow (not very bright, but not "pastel" either) t-shirt and flip-flop sandals.

Very comfortable. Very expressive. Very me.

[gshubert]

I flew from Colorado to Illinois last weekend to visit my parents. I wore my khaki Utilikilt on both flights. "Nice kilt" commented a TSA guy after telling me how to pack my laptop computer.

This was the first time I'd worn a kilt around my folks. I also wore a Douglas tartan SportKilt (and sometimes I wore trousers). I showed them photos of kids, friends, and my wife's family; I was wearing kilts or skirts in some of those. A raised eyebrow and "why?", to which I said "comfort, and because it's fun". No problems at all.

Both my parents and parents-in-law are okay with my kilts and skirts. I'm very grateful to my wife for her support.

[crfriend]

Out and about today? Well, let me look down -- the Wife and I just got back from grabbing a meal at our local establishment, and I've got on a medium blue dress shirt, my 1850s-pattern dark blue vest (waistcoat) and my long black tiered skirt. 'Twas a good evening.

[...]"Nice kilt" commented a TSA guy after telling me how to pack my laptop computer.

The last time I flew with a laptop computer was probably around 1998, and that was with a Data General One (I'm a computer historian by passion, and I practise what I preach -- use, and cherish, "old iron") -- the 45-second interval between pushing the power switch and any activity on the part of the computer led the "security" blokes to believe I was trouble (and I was not skirted at the time). Eventually, the machine powered up, but it could have been dicey. Nowadays, I ride trains; they're vastly more civilised.

[DrWu]

Today, I wore a green ankle-length linen skirt (officially the color is "willow"), black rayon t-shirt, and a black fleece jacket I've had for quite a while. Now colder weather is coming back, so no skirts for me for a while. Spring is on the way, though.

[Milfmog]

Both my parents and parents-in-law are okay with my kilts and skirts.

Last summer we took my mother on holiday with us, she often looks after the house and pets when we go away so it seemed like a good way to thank her for that. The evening before we left I made an (apparently off the cuff) comment about travelling in a kilt. It raised no reaction, so the next day I dressed in a lightweight black kilt. After joking that she was the only one not wearing a skirt, she paid no further attention to it and I was able to spend most of the next fortnight happily skirted.

Shortly after we returned I went to see my in-laws while I was wearing the same kilt, I figured that they'd be less likely to react to me than they would if they saw a picture from the holiday with me in a skirt. My father-in-law just looked slightly bemused, but my mother in law loved it, apparently her father used to wear kilts all the time, she does not remember him ever wearing trousers. My father-in-law soon got used to it and I never had any negative reactions from him anyway.

Strange how people never react the way I expect them to, guess it just goes to further illustrate that most of the issues about being accepted in a skirt are in the wearers mind.

I'm very grateful to my wife for her support.

My wife has always said she's happy if I'm happy. she pays no attention to what I wear unless I commit some horrendous fashion faux pas or want to be too casual so that she's worried about looking over dressed by comparison. She loves to get "glammed up" so I often have to make far more effort to dress well than I would if left to my own devices.

Have fun,


Ian.

[crfriend]

Yep, that pretty much sums it up -- another dead day.

I spent most of today working in the garden wearing a blue "Satellite Beach" (Florida/USA) T-shirt and a blue calf-length skirt (the two match well enough that if one isn't looking carefully the rig might be misconstrued as a dress.

Out for supper, however, I switched over to a burgundy dress shirt and an eggplant (deep purple) tiered skirt. The two go well together.

Cheers.

[AMM]

Yesterday, I had to drive something like 500 miles, picking my son up and then taking him to camp.

On the way to pick up my son, I wore a long (33") denim skirt with a red turtleneck shirt. Went to a supermarket and then a hardware store looking for some last-minute items for camp. As usual I was anxious, and, as usual, no reaction to what I was wearing. I might just as well have been wearing jeans

Switched back to trousers while transporting my son, as I'm not ready to add the skirtwearing issue to an already overflowing plate of issues, but after I dropped him off, I changed into a home-made knee-length denim skirt with my red This Body Climbed Mt. Washington T-shirt for the long drive home. At first I had normal socks, but my legs were getting cold, so I put on knee socks (actually, E.E. Smith cotton stockings from Sock-dreams.)

Stopped at a sandwich shop in rural Vermont, no reaction except that the young woman serving me seemed a little scatterbrained. Since I was the only customer there the whole time, it might have been just that she wasn't used to having customers. I'd like to think it was the classy skirt, though. Also stopped at a gas station, pumped gas, used the bathroom (there was a line), bought junk food. Nobody acted like I was wearing anything odd.

One nice thing about wearing a skirt while driving (by yourself): if you adjust the skirt right, you can get a bit of a breeze. Not as much as I'd hoped, and you have to be careful if you don't want to show people in the other cars exactly what you have on under your skirt.

* * *

I still can't make up my mind whether I prefer when people act like it's no big deal or wish they would act shocked and all (a little, at least.)

I guess I do like it when women (or even men) at dances say "like your skirt." (And some women tease me with "I'm upset that your skirt looks better than mine." To which my standard response is, "but you're prettier than I am.") I guess this is the attention that good-looking -- or well-dressed -- women get and (usually) want to get more of. It takes some getting used to, though.

-- AMM

[Stu]

If you want to be noticed, don't wear a denim skirt, especially knee-length or slightly longer, because they are practically invisible. I called in to a neighbour's house today, about seven doors from me, after a parcel was wrongly delivered to my address. I didn't know the neighbour but he was extremely grateful and invited me in for a moment to chat. I was wearing a denim skirt and I would bet money it hadn't even registered with him. He thanked me, shook my hand, and off I went. Denim skirts are just not an issue - you can wear them pretty much anywhere that you would wear a pair of jeans. I have even worn one on a train journey when I found myself sitting in the midst of a bunch of quite rowdy teenagers - at least some of whom had been drinking alcohol. They didn't so much as give me a second look.

Stu

[AMM]

If you want to be noticed, don't wear a denim skirt, especially knee-length or slightly longer, because they are practically invisible. ..

I know that is the Dogma here, but I don't think this is quite true. If you look at people's eyes when they first see you, you notice that they quickly look down and then back up again. They see the skirt, all right. They just don't say anything.

After all, what are they going to say?

"Hey, you've got a skirt on!" (Like you didn't notice what you put on?)

"Why are you wearing a skirt?" (An invitation to Too Much Information.)

It's not like there's a Miss Manners section on What To Say To Men In Skirts, and besides, their lives are complicated enough without getting into a possibly contentious discussion with some perfect stranger about what is or is not appropriate clothing.

I have to say, I've worn my Contra Dancing skirts, which are not denim and only one of which is knee length (the bright red one that sticks out like a funstinella.) There's no way people don't notice them, but when I go to restaurants or gas stations or motels wearing them, no one says anything. They glance down at the skirt and then politely back up again, just like they do when I wear denim, and ring up my sale/take my order/check me in.

Other dancers do say something, whether I wear denim or bright colors, but then they're more used to men in skirts and aren't worried about getting into an awkward situation by talking about it.

And I'll bet that these denim skirts are not invisible to people you have closer interactions with: your family, your boss, your religious community or your drinking buddies.

-- AMM

[crfriend]

... from running a few errands (you know, the postal office, the bank, the liquor store, &c.) in a (for lack of a more expressive word) "eggplant" coloured shirt and closely-matching tiered skirt. In true "guy fashion" I'm finding I'm settling into a few looks that go well, and this is one of them -- it also looks like a dress because the colours match so closely, and that's where things can once in a while get interresting.

Last week sometime, I was wearing the same thing at the local gas (petrol) station, and got quite directly queried by a chap, "What's with the dress?". I simply used my usual comment of, "It's quite comfortable, especially in this weather (hot and humid)." One could almost hear the gears grind -- and then the woman behind the counter chimed in and commented, "That's why. It makes sense." This was a case where it might have gotten nasty; the guy looked like he had a few beers on board, and the initial opening was definitely on the brusque side. A disarming rational comment about being comfortable in the heat (and not being soaked in sweat) and a comment from behind the counter defused everything -- a happy outcome!

[ChristopherJ]

After all, what are they going to say?

"Hey, you've got a skirt on!" (Like you didn't notice what you put on?)

Well, that's exactly what a guy said to me today - in the local city library. Although, to be exact, he said "Excuse me, but it looks like you are wearing a skirt".

I was. Short brown denim mini - with black leggings and tall (Boho) suede brown boots - a (new) black shirt and a denim jacket.

Well, I thought it looked cool . . . .

I was expecting him to be offensive, so I was prepared to defend my taste in clothing. However, I was wrong to pre-judge him as he was very supportive and we had a great chat for a few minutes. He complimented me and said that I must have a lot of confidence in myself, or something like that. He agreed with me that men are very restricted in what they wear etc. and he also mentioned makeup - so I think that was his particular fashion interest. In fact he may have been wearing eye makeup - I'm not sure.

Anyhow - was nice to meet a supportive man. I get quite a few good comments from women - but very few from men.

[binx]

An Underkilt and Nike slides, out to get the mail.

binx

[crfriend]

Diana and I decided to head on into Boston yesterday to meet another chap who hangs out here occasionally and I decided to wear my "safe" rig -- a white dress shirt, red vest, and black tiered skirt. It's a good looking combination, and is one of the "safest" looks I actually do. I wasn't expecting problems, but sometimes city life can turn quickly and I'm not used to the environment as well as I used to be.

The trip was fun, and we covered ground that I hadn't seen in the better part of a decade. It's nice to see that the place hasn't changed too much, it's still got cramped narrow streets lined with brick building, and it's still got its weird side. We managed to miss seeing a guy jump from a second-floor window by a couple of minutes, but for some strange reason that just didn't seem too terribly odd. Go figure.

I got a couple of looks, both in the subway and on the street, but nothing was said or even non-verbally communicated. All in all, things were as they should be. It was a good day all 'round.

[sapphire]

Perhaps its just Boston. There's always a bit of weirdness.

I didn't get any second glances either. I was wearing a long dress, but was also wearing both of my ankle braces.

The only looks I got where when I stood up. I have to give myself a little extra push because of the orthopedic problems.