Half Slips

[Brandy]

Dale,

Two discoveries I made. Half Slips cannot normally be seen beneath a skirt. The best way of hiding pantyhose or tights is under a skirt. It seems the skirt gets all the attention and the hose is not seen the just blend in.

The rest is in your head. How do you think of yourself as male trying to present as female or just as a man in a skirt? If it's the later just relax and people will just react to you as a male.

--Brandy

[Ray]

I couldn't agree more. This Christmas I wore my grey tweed kilt. Now I love the kilt but the material is very itchy so I also wore a comfilon kilt slip and sheer flesh tights which were invisible. Add big chunky kilt socks and I was in heaven.

Did anyone notice the slip or even the tights? No, not in the slightest. My family were present and I can assure you that I would not wear these things if they had been visible; the opprobrium received would have been too great. Nevertheless both slip and hosiery greatly enhanced the comfort factor of wearing said kilt which of course was the garment which got all the attention (apart from the lovely dresses of both my sister and fiancée)!

[janrok]

Ever considered or tried cycling shorts?

[Big and Bashful]

Cycling shorts? I think they would destroy the feeling of the skirt, you might as well just wear shorts. More so because my understanding of cycling shorts is that they give lots of support to things, which I wear skirts in order to set free, if that makes any sense!

[Ray]

Cycling shorts are far too restrictive for me. You might say that hosiery is also restrictive but I'm talking about very sheer (10 denier) tights here - a featherlight touch on ones body compared to cycling shorts.

I do find cycling shorts terrific - when cycling! Specifically, bib shorts which look hideous but are very comfortable on long rides (50 miles or more).

[RichardA]

I like cycle shorts on the bike, but I always have to shorten them hate them down to my knees

[chrisinkilt]

Most of the time I use bike shorts on the bike. My wife requested that I wear shorts under the kilt for modest sake, so I got a pair of yoga shorts from Walmart (US store). They are really short and are not visible and warm. If I buy another pair I'm going to try and get a different brand that has less of a waist band. This pair is from Danskin, I like the look of the Champion ones at Target (US store). These are definitely from the ladies side of the isle though.

[Dale]

I wear a skirt because of pain that is caused in my pelvic region and hips, that is aggravated by wearing pants. Since I started wearing skirts I have been feeling a lot less pain, and can walk better. I think cycle shorts would totally defeat the entire reason I have started wearing skirts in the first place.

[the_scott_meister]

A half-slip is no more or less women's wear than a skirt is. If it's on a man then it's men's-wear. It doesn't have any gender specific attributes to it's design (unlike a bra). It's simply utilitarian, it has the benefits that have already been mentioned. Granted, most slips have lace or some sort of flare to them that most people consider feminine, but since it's under the skirt then ideally shouldn't be seen. Although, I have it on good authority that most women don't pay that much attention to whether their under things (slips, bra straps, etc.) don't see the occasional light of day, meaning: they don't care too much if a slip shows a little occasionally under a dress or skirt, and it's quite common to have bra straps clearly visible when wearing spaghetti strap dresses or tops. However, men in skirts are mortified if anybody sees their slip, probably because they're not supposed to be wearing a slip, the fact that they're wearing a skirt notwithstanding. Ironic, eh?

Interestingly enough, I read some time ago that transvestite men, those trying to "pass", are very concerned about their slips showing, thinking that no real woman would ever allow this to happen. However, as I already mentioned above, real women don't really care that much. It's the same as if somebody sees my socks showing between the bottom of my pants or shorts and the top of my shoes. They're just there and nobody thinks anything of them because they're supposed to be there. The same with a slip. So go ahead and wear them.

I usually wear one under my skirt during the colder times, and believe me, it really does help to keep in the heat. The nylon doesn't conduct heat very well, being a synthetic material and a tight weave, so it creates warm air bubbles underneath it from the body heat from your legs. If you were also wearing tights or panty-hose this affect would be less pronounced because the heat from your legs wouldn't get through the leggings very well. Besides, it's nice to feel the smooth silky-ish material against my legs. I usually wear lighter skirts with built in liners during the hotter times (which is most of the time here in Phoenix), otherwise with a slip I'd sweat too much. I've got a number of slips in different lengths, styles, and colors, some full-slips, but mostly half-slips. I pick the right length and color for the skirt and don't worry about the rest.

[Man in a skirt]

Before I was "public" about my skirting, the winter I wound up in Wisconsin, across town from my wife (long story there...) I would wear her long denim skirt (almost ankle length), and 2 long half slips to tromp in the snow after dark. It would be 20 below and bowing hard and I was as warm as could be. The ensemble was long and heavy (by weight and warmth) that the wind could not get up underneath... (no other underwear, and just regular socks under my work boots)

[crfriend]

I would wear her long denim skirt (almost ankle length), and 2 long half slips to tromp in the snow after dark. It would be 20 below and bowing hard and I was as warm as could be. The ensemble was long and heavy (by weight and warmth) that the wind could not get up underneath...

Long petticoats (the "practical" kind, not the showy "dancing" ones) perform similarly when it comes to keeping wind out. Many have a double-ruffle down around ankle height and are positively amazing at keeping one warm when it'd be otherwise intolerable out. The biggest problem outdoors in the winter is keeping the hem dry; once things start to get wet the comfort-level declines precipitously.

I very happily wear my long skirts and petticoats out in the coldest weather and find them to be much warmer than trousers. However, it's springtime now and I'd really rather not think of winter....

[GerdG]

I’ll very often wear short and very light weight skirts under my kilts. They protect, are invisible to others and give the same comfort as when I go regimental the right way. You may read more about my solution here:

http://iloapp.dress2kilt.eu/blog/blog?Home&category=1

[Zorba]

I wear half slips frequently as needed for modesty, warmth, and/or skirt hanging/flow.

Was in Chicago in February, wore an ankle length heavy canvas skirt with slip - and bare legs underneath! Was warm enough - although I would have added leggings to my lower legs had it been much colder.

[Gymswhirled]

Eastbay.com has athletic tights cut for men - worth a try. For the cold season - long johns work the best for me.

[Davy]

I have never had a problem being cold when wearing a long skirt in the winter. The skirt doesn't even have to be that heavy as long as it comes down far enough to prevent wind from blowing up underneath it. I have never tried a slip under it; but I have never been in Wiscosin in winter either. One thing I like about a skirt in the winter is that if you keep your legs touching each other as much as possible you stay warmer than you would wearing pants of the same material. Panty hose would seem to defeat this, so its hard to imagine they would keep you any warmer.