Man in Skirt Sighting!

[ChristopherJ]

Or you turn to see someone and their head is looking at you but the eyes have already darted away at what now seems an unrealistic angle. Or people go quiet and you also can feel they're staring!

Nah. That's just normal paranoia, Iain.

Everyone feels like that!

[davereporter]

I agree with Iain too.

Years of wearing skirts and still no sign of change. I buy my skirts from discount department stores and will try them out. Most skirts are either too feminine or if they are straight they restrict movement. I have made several skirts and the wrap skirts work. The only bought skirts I really like are straight slightly below the knee denim and some light twill cotton for summer. I made a stretch wool A-Line with false wrap and its OK but I can't say I feel comfortable in public.

I solved the uncomfortable pants problem (I fit a woman's cut perfectly) and since the need to wear skirts has gone I can't say the desire to do it has remained. The only exception is around home, long drives or around home but the silent attention is annoying. I suppose I am sick of feeling freaky and one is always concerned about who you will meet (eg. the minister of your place of worship, a work colleague, a client).

I suppose you could say that I have largely given up as well but we can only hope things will change. Keep on skirting chaps!

Dave

[iain]

Wow, I didn't say I had given up! I think there is plenty of scope for guys wearing skirts. I just think if it were everyday wear for every guy, then probably pants would look like a better bet sometimes. Only sometimes!

Whenever there is an obstacle to doing something people will push against it but once that limitation is removed, they often go back to doing whatever they were doing before. If you put a chain around an elephant's leg and loosely attach him to a tree or something, he will continually pull it until the chain breaks and he's free. But then instead of bounding over the fence and escaping, he'll go on standing there quietly staring into space.

We don't like being told what we can't wear, and so we are quite right to push the idea until it becomes everyday wear. I notice that girls in the offices where I work never wear any revealing skirts. One time a girl wore a skirt with slits up the side, and she spent the whole day hiding in her office.

Sometimes what I choose to wear is far more daring so I guess I have to accept it will attract attention. I just want a practical design, and get used to the attention, and eventually I think I'll find all this and then I'll be happy!

[ChristopherJ]

I'm glad that you haven't given up wearing skirts Iain!

My decision to start wearing skirts was an entirely personal one. I wanted to wear skirts sometimes - and I refuse to allow other peoples' prejudice to stop me. So I started wearing skirts before I discovered any forums (fora?) on the internet. I was just doing it for me - not on behalf of any 'movement'. And I don't expect my own little fashion rebellion to cause any earthquakes in the society and culture that surrounds me. but it can - and does - have little effects. And I think that makes it worth it.

I had a classic example today. Within the space of 30 minutes, I met one man who gave me a tremendously positive response - and 3 drunks who gave me a tremendously negative one.

I was walking through a market today and a man ran up behind me and said "Excuse me, but you can't walk around dressed like that". I thought "Oh dear, here we go" as I was expecting him to be aggressive - he was a big bloke and I could smell booze on his breath - although he had spoken to me in a very moderate tone.

I said "Why not? It's just clothes". I was wearing a blueish combat mini skirt, black shirt, black leggings, high boots and denim jacket. It's the leggings that attract attention - I do know that! Anyhow, this is what I was wearing:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1289/115 ... cc.jpg?v=0

I started chatting to this guy and pointed out to him that women wear trousers etc. so why shouldn't men wear whatever they want. And after a couple of minutes he completely suprised me by saying - "I wish I had your courage, because I would like to wear a skirt - with stockings". As he was a big butch guy, that did take me by suprise - but I just said to him - "Do it". He just said that he didn't have the courage.

He then gave me a lot of praise for having the guts to wear a skirt etc. - and he said that he thought I looked very good in it. He then shook my hand and wished me well - and we both went on our ways.

I was left feeling delighted to have met him; pleased that he gave me a positive response - and giggling at the thought of him in a skirt and stockings (although - why not? If that's what floats his boat . . )

Anyhow - I walked from there toward the center of town and in crossing a large open space I walked passed three drunks - street people type of drunks - who just showered me with abuse as I walked pass them and kept shouting and gesturing at me until I was out of sight. I very nearly went back and laid into them - as when I lose my temper I can go a bit berserk - but I kept my cool and just ignored them.

But what different responses to my skirt - all within 30 minutes.

[Skirt Chaser]

What a good looking ensemble, Christopher. Handsome all around including the man himself. I really like seeing the people behind the names. Cool encounter with the positive man. Calls to mind the first time I saw Quiet Man come out as a skirt wearer to a friend. When he mentioned it to her she was easily accepting and put him at ease mentioning her own husband liked to wear large print flowers on dresses himself. Not the way I knew her husband at all but what a good lesson in the variety out there.

Quiet Mouse, who really likes guys with glasses

Oh, I want to mention people often do have trouble covering up their gaze. Many of my shoes and boots stand out and it is the funniest thing to see when people clearly drop their heads to see my shoes. The bright yellow patent leather high top sneakers get that the most. I mention this because if people are watching you are bound to see at least some of them heading straight toward the skirt if it is on their mind. Can't blame them, I'd do the same myself to verify I really saw a skirt but for me it would be with a big smile on my face.

[Since1982]

One, perhaps "forii" as in "octopii" instead of "octopusses" or "octopussies", probably just "forums" tho..

Secondly, is it cold where you are? To me, wearing leggings or tights is just another kind of trousers and sort of defeats the reason for a skirt in the first place. No airy feeling with pants of any kind, and leggings are really a kind of long pants.

Otherwise, you look great. :):)

By the way, street type drunks act like that to all people, a skirt-wearing man gets the same response as a woman pushing a baby cart with a baby in it or another street type that just doesn't happen to be drunk at the time. Drunks are a social type, and act like drunks no matter who is around. (excepting maybe on duty cops)..in which case the drunks tend to blend into the background..after all, they're drunk, not blind.

[ChristopherJ]

Secondly, is it cold where you are? To me, wearing leggings or tights is just another kind of trousers and sort of defeats the reason for a skirt in the first place. No airy feeling with pants of any kind, and leggings are really a kind of long pants.

Not cold - but cool. In hot weather I don't wear leggings or tights as they are far too uncomfortable. However, when the weather is cool or cold then I prefer to wear them - partly to be warm but also because they improve how my legs look - and I can use them to add to the style of my skirts because they come in lots of different colours and patterns etc.

I don't have a problem with leggings or tights at all. I think they are great. Don't forget that hosiery like this was invented by men for men many hundreds of years ago. For me, tights or leggings are not like wearing trousers at all - and there is still plenty of airy feeling - believe me! At least, if you wear a mini skirt there is.
Also, hosiery helps to protect my modesty (what little I have!) as dark hose does prevent any person getting much of an upskirt view.

Tights or leggings do make my legs look better - and I like that. For me such hosiery goes well with a skirt and I don't see hosiery as 'feminine' - although many people would probably say that it is. I would just reply that Henry VIII wore tights - and he padded them to make his legs look prettier - and you can't say that he was 'femme'! For some reason, I don't like stockings and don't wear them - but am perfectly happy wearing tights or leggings - in fact I prefer to be wearing leggings than not wearing them.

Don't forget that socks - as worn by kilt wearers everywhere - are also a form of hosiery. They are just short woollen stockings really. So there is very little difference between the leggings that I wear (mostly cotton) and the stockings that most men wear (cotton, wool etc.) apart from the length.

[ChristopherJ]

What a good looking ensemble, Christopher. Handsome all around including the man himself.

You have excellent taste my dear! Seriously - thanks for the compliment QM - it makes it easier for me to go out wearing a skirt if I can be confident that I look reasonably OK. Of course, I think I do - but then, I have been known to be totally wrong before!

I want to demonstrate a couple of things. First - that it is OK for a man to wear a skirt. Secondly, that a man can look OK in a skirt. And thirdly, that there is no age barrier to someone looking good. I'm 55 - and some people may say that is too old for a miniskirt. I say NO! You're NEVER too old for a miniskirt.

Quiet Mouse, who really likes guys with glasses

Cool - as I wear glasses most of the time. In that photo I posted a link to I am wearing tinted glasses, not ordinary sunglasses.

I'm single, you know . . . .

[Skirt Chaser]

Christiopher, don't take my dress sense as anything helpful yet, you haven't seen how I dress- pretty much in whatever makes me happy. Looking at your glasses again I figured out what makes that picture look so good to me, you remind me of Quiet Man. Sure a more confident, skirting at large Quiet Man of the future but it gives me hope for him yet.

I forgot to comment earlier about the positive man's change in attitude or at least in his comment tone. You handled it so well by not getting worked up about hearing "you can't walk around dressed like that". Given his later admission he might have been negative at first thinking it was unfair for you to be visible in the way you wish while he can't/doesn't feel he is able to.

I had a similar discussion once with an eight year old student once back when I was a substitute teacher. He told me my hair was too long. Funny thing though was that as we talked he told me he wanted long hair himself but his parents wouldn't let him have it. Shame how that suppressed desire can come out as negativity toward others as it had for the man you conversed with too.

QM, about to learn how to navigate MySpace to make a new friend