Out and About -- In the World at Large

[Charlie]

We've had nice hot weather these past few days. Yesterday morning I walked into town wearing a denim miniskirt (4" above the knee) and a polo shirt untucked, so that it fell over most of the skirt. Before going out, I had a few minutes of should I/shouldn't I wear the mini, but in the end thought if people laugh, they laugh. I shouldn't have worried; no-one noticed or said anything.
In the afternoon, Mrs C and I went to an auction room to buy a chair for the forthcoming production of 12th Night at our local theatre. The weather had warmed up even more so I changed to a long floaty gypsy skirt and a black tee shirt. There was a bit of a breeze which blew the skirt around and boy - was it comfortable
After the auction (we won the chair) we celebrated by going into the City Arms pub for a long, cool drink. I left Mrs C in the courtyard while I went into the bar. Lots of people inside, so a few looks. When I returned with the drinks, an elderly man said to us that he thought he'd seen a man in a skirt. That was the only comment. We walked up through the town back to home. Again a few looks but nothing else. We stopped to chat at the market stall where I'd purchased the skirt last year and even then the stallholder didn't seem to notice; he didn't mention it anyway.
We're out dancing at our local folk dance club tonight. As it is still very warm, I think I'll give the other club members a treat and wear a long skirt instead of the usual Union kilt.
Charlie

[dillon]

When I returned with the drinks, an elderly man said to us that he thought he'd seen a man in a skirt. That was the only comment. Charlie

When you and I start calling people "elderly," it must mean wheel them back into the nursing home and change their diapers.

[dillon]

MOH and I went to see the Irish film "The Lobster" tonight, starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz. It was excellent. I wore the new Betabrand "Work It" skort with a tropical print black shirt, and black Rider flip-flops, toenails painted in "Lavender Lustre". Also smooth-shaven legs with the best tan I've ever had...in my skirted years, anyway. I recommend the film; it was a moving "black comedy"; the inferences were not hard to spot.

[Mike]

It's hot here in Michigan, here is how I came to work the other day.

[Caultron]

Looks comfortable to me!

[luvtoskirt]

The skirt is very nice and looks great on you! I need to get heels like that.

[dillon]

Can you work all day in those heels?

[Kilty]

It's hot here in Michigan, here is how I came to work the other day.

That's a great look, Mike! Nice simple skirt, and great shoes! What did your colleagues think of the outfit?

[skirtingtoday]

I returned yesterday from a long weekend in Leicester, England, attending Gothla http://www.gothla.co.uk/, a bellydance/goth event.  It was the first occasion I have gone on a long trip without  packing any trousers or shorts. Traveling there and back, 3 trains each way, all very crowded as trains are in the UK, in a knee-length cargo skirt. The weather was quite mild, so I wore that skirt for most of the weekend. My wife tells me it turned no heads!

At the Gothla events, there were some other men wearing cargo kilts.  To these events I wore a black leather utility kilt, again no reaction.  Feels really good to go ahead and just wear what you want.  Oh, and as it’s a Goth weekend, black nail varnish on fingers and toes throughout.

Great look there Donald! Glad to see you are getting more and more adventureous!
Ross

[tesjolts]

Great look, except it must be tough walking in those heels.

Did you get any good reactions from your coworkers?

Tes

It's hot here in Michigan, here is how I came to work the other day.

[partlyscot]

On Monday this week, walked to the store for some groceries, not very unusual for me. Was wearing a denim knee length skirt and t-shirt. On the way back, I had to walk past 3 guys doing some landscaping in a front garden, and was somewhat relieved that they either didn't notice or ignored me, when 4 more guys, who looked even more redneck and rough types got out of a truck in front of me as they came back from lunch. Said hi, and nodded to them, definitely saw startled looks and surprise on their faces. It was pretty hot so I was walking up the hill at a steady pace. The guys were all wearing shorts or cut offs, some were without shirts. As I got past them all, I heard the last one who had been looking down at something and hadn't until then seen me say "He's wearing a dress! Is that a dress mate? Is it comfortable?" Turned around and said to the last guy who was standing there looking somewhat stunned, "It's a skirt not a dress and yes it is" I don't think he heard me properly and repeated "Is it comfortable?" "Yes, very" He shook his head and turned around to go back to work, possibly thinking that he would have preferred to be in a skirt, as the work looked hot and sweaty.

[moonshadow]

On Monday this week, walked to the store for some groceries, not very unusual for me. Was wearing a denim knee length skirt and t-shirt. On the way back, I had to walk past 3 guys doing some landscaping in a front garden, and was somewhat relieved that they either didn't notice or ignored me, when 4 more guys, who looked even more redneck and rough types got out of a truck in front of me as they came back from lunch. Said hi, and nodded to them, definitely saw startled looks and surprise on their faces. It was pretty hot so I was walking up the hill at a steady pace. The guys were all wearing shorts or cut offs, some were without shirts. As I got past them all, I heard the last one who had been looking down at something and hadn't until then seen me say "He's wearing a dress! Is that a dress mate? Is it comfortable?" Turned around and said to the last guy who was standing there looking somewhat stunned, "It's a skirt not a dress and yes it is" I don't think he heard me properly and repeated "Is it comfortable?" "Yes, very" He shook his head and turned around to go back to work, possibly thinking that he would have preferred to be in a skirt, as the work looked hot and sweaty.

Living in Appalachia, I am literally surrounded by rough looking rednecks, rebel flags, lifted trucks, mobile homes, etc.... I guess I got pretty used to them pretty fast. I'm sure they still notice and stare. But I don't notice them anymore.

A few weeks ago, a co-worker friend who I was helping move and I were driving my old truck up I81 in Tennessee outside of Blountville when I stopped for a snack. I was wearing one of my knee length skirts and tank top. The gas station we stopped at was across from a big year round fireworks store and it was Independence day weekend, so there were all flavors of rednecks all over the place!

My friend took it in stride. He's cool with my skirt wearing, and apparently cool being seen with me...

However it was the first time I had accompanied someone other than my wife or daughter skirted, and since he was a guy, naturally my big complex was people were going to think we were a couple!

No matter... I joked it off... looked at my friend as he was remarking about the novelty of my skirts I replied "Well... as long as nobody gets the impression I'm your b!tch or anything like that!"

I think my friend got more of a rush out of it than I did! For the rest of the trip, it was all he talked about.... how the people gawked... I was like "it's not so bad... once you get used to it.."

[Pdxfashionpioneer]

My last few skirting adventures had a few moments that might be of universal interest.

The resale shop where I got the red J. Crew dress I wore on Valentine's Day had a Hapoy Hour event this past Tuesday. I made a point of showing up because the last time I had been there one of their regular customers seemed impressed with how I looked in my red mini. I was hoping she'd show up so we could pick up the conversation. No such luck.
But while I was nursing the very strong drink they provided I chatted up the manager. At one point she said, "It's David, right?" I told she had a good memory; to which she replied that I was "memorable." Which took me back to one of Moonshadow's posts where he said we're all memorable in our skirts; the question is how will we be remembered? Because we're in such a small minority and want to be accepted, I feel compelled to reiterate Moon's sentiment, we've got every reason in the world to make sure it's a favorable impression.
Including dressing in an smart-looking, appropriate manner. Recently, a friend of mine at church asked me how did a man get such a good fashion sense. Obsession that comes from thinking I could only press my nose up against the candy store window. I'm sure if I didn't dress with the kind of taste that made people say such things I wouldn't have the kind of acceptance I do.
Today I wore a teal and blue paisley print shift with a border print that I bought last week to church. I got lots of compliments on it, which of course made me feel good, but that happens with enough regularity at church I didn't realize what I had until I was leaving Costco and in the parking lot a woman made a point of telling what a pretty dress I was wearing and how it took her right back to the '60's!
Later at Fred Meyers a really lovely young mom took the time to look me straight in the eye to tell me what a great dress I was wearing and how much she liked the colors. She was immediately followed by another lady who told me I had nice legs.
For all hat, I finally got a negative reaction to my outfit at yet another store (Sunday seems to have turned into my weekly shop till I drop day). I was in a restroom stall and had just thought, "I need to get out of here!" because I'd been there awhile when I heard this booming voice say, "Ma'am! You're in the men's restroom!"
I gave myself a moment to recover from my surprise, summoned up my lowest register, while I finished putting myself back together, and said, "That's because I'm not a 'ma'am'!"
He explained he'd seen my shoes, T-strap heels, and I told him it can be confusing.
As I stepped out of the stall, he apologized and said, "You look really nice!"
That's as bad as it gets when you ignore people you think might be snickering at you or talking about you behind your back or even yelling at you -- that last is just plain rude and cowardly; if they've got something to tell you, let them say it to your face, man-to-man -- and treat people with courtesy, respect and, when appropriate, good humor.

[Mike]

Great look, except it must be tough walking in those heels.

Did you get any good reactions from your coworkers?

Tes

It's hot here in Michigan, here is how I came to work the other day.

Those heels are by far the most comfortable heels I've ever owned. $30 at Paylesss. It's a 4.25" heel, with a bit of a platform, the heel is sturdy, very easy to walk in.. no problems with all day at all.

Co-workers are used to me waist down "cross dressing." To me the only gender specific clothing is the bra and the jock strap. Skirts are more comfortable than anything in the mens department, and as long as it isn't some goofy micro-mini, it's perfectly acceptable. I've worn pantyhose openly for about 25 years, so that's not even a consideration. The hardest hurdle for me was heels in public, but honestly, it's been the most fun, and what I get the most COMPLIMENTS on.

[crfriend]

I spent a fairly delightful day today, mostly in the Big City to my east, on a Company outing. This put me out in public view -- again (like that's unusual) -- in Boston.

We went on a "duck tour" (were driven around the streets of Boston in a WW2-era (but well retrofitted) DUKW, and spent some time motoring around in the Charles River (made famous by the lyric, "I love that dirty water // Oh, Boston you're my home"), and then some more time fighting traffic) and then went bowling. I was wearing one of my very new lightweight black-and-white skirts that I picked up earlier this year on the Grand Sailing Cruise for the day -- and didn't draw any comments.

There are parts of Boston that are now unrecognisable to me, even though I worked in that city for almost two decades. Traffic-patterns, mainly thanks to the "Big Dig", are completely different, although the drivers aren't, and the number of new buildings -- many of them architectural monstrosities that never should have left the architects' imaginations, never mind the drawing board (Prince Charles, where are you when we need you?!) -- is astonishing.

I hurt myself, perhaps badly, bowling (by over-stressing my back), but once that was done the party pretty much broke up and I took a decent walkabout of the old place. I miss the tall buildings that I used to course amongst, got to say "Hello" to several old architectural "friends", came to the serious conclusion that I need to restore a VCR so I can get a re-shot of an exquisite sunset that I photographed in the 1980s from the Hancock tower with the Old South Church silhouetted in a sunset, had a Guinness in an old watering-hole that I used to spend way too much time in, greatly enjoyed my walk through the Public Garden and Common, and had nice peaceful and reminiscent ride on the train from Worcester to Boston and back.

One of the interesting things was the number of vacant spaces in both the Copley Place mall and the shopping pavilion at the Prudential Center (both top-flight, "high-end" destinations). I'm wondering if the bite that's been afflicting the bottom 99% of the population for the last 30 years is starting to creep up into the top 1% as everything accrues to the top 0.01%.

'Twas a good day. But, no comments. I must look normal now. How ordinary. So much for shock and awe.

I still treasure the comment I received so many years ago in the Public Garden from the bride who was in a photo-shoot of her party that I saw when I was leaning on the edge of the bridge over the duck-pond -- "I love your skirt", with a finger pointed at me. I returned a genteel compliment, but boy did that put a spring in my step! My how the decades fly...