Skirtcraft - Long Skirt

[Sinned]

I quite like the design, even the slanted seams. With a top, as in the photographs, the diagonal fly probably won't even be seen ( both the fleece and the T-shirt mostly cover the fly to the extent that it's not really noticeable ) so that is a bit of an irrelevance to me. What would put me off is the stiffness of the fabric thus giving it a very triangular look. Some denim A-line skirts made out of a stiffer form of denim suffer the same defect to me. It's probably why the denim skirts that I have are all above the knee in length and so minimising the triangular effect. If I were to buy an ankle length skirt then it would have to be made of a softer material that hangs or drapes and not stick out at the sides at the bottom. Thus probably made of rayon or polycotton or something similar. So I would be unlikely to buy one of these skirts.

[finrod]

Thanks, everyone, for the valuable feedback! Some responses to questions and comments below.

Joe (finrod)

Stuart, the skirt is 100% cotton twill, though this whole design is just an experiment at this point. I can see how having a small amount of spandex blended in could have a nice effect! I'll keep that in mind in future. Walking in the skirt is pretty comfortable, and I like the balance point it's at, between having a nice drape yet having a secure/sturdy feel that I find comes with having a little weight.

John, I'd just finished the skirt before the photos were taken, so it hadn't even been washed once yet. I imagine it would get a bit less stiff with a few washings. But, it's also worth mentioning that it was a windy day and the photos I selected were the ones where the skirt was hanging neatly. There is certainly a degree of stiffness to it, but it moves fairly easily too.

Jan, this color was a popular one among the survey respondents for the Freethinker skirt, so there's a good chance it will be one of the initial available colors, depending on how many colors end up being practical to have available. I'm afraid the ship has sailed on the diagonal seams though! I really feel the angled lines fit naturally with the A-line shape, while at the same time giving the skirts something unique.

Alastair, I think the fabric is lightweight enough that it has a bit of drape to it, so it's not just hanging there as a rigid triangle at all times. Wearing this skirt I'm just able to take stairs two at a time, but not, say, leap up onto a platform two feet (60 cm) above the ground. To me that's a reasonable (if not ideal) degree of freedom of movement.

Uncle Al, I experimented a bit with having the flare change partway down, but I wasn't able to make it work well without creating a weird ring of inflection where the flare changed. I'm sure a more experienced tailor (seamster?) could do a better job with that. But, another issue is that having the flare begin right at the waist creates more space for the hip pockets. I should also say that I'm not aiming for a strongly masculine look. The style I like, though it would be considered more traditionally masculine than feminine, I like to think of as unisex. A simple, functional garment to appeal to (some) men and (some) women is my goal.

Ian, you bring up another benefit of the diagonal seam: that it makes the garment stand out as different from most women's skirts. I don't have anything against cross dressing, and wouldn't be horrified to be viewed as a cross dresser by a casual observer who assumed I was wearing a skirt because I specifically wanted to wear women's clothing. *But* having the skirt look less like women's skirts the observer has seen before, I think, has the potential to do something helpful: to make them wonder what this odd garment is, and perhaps whether it might be something actually designed for men. Thus perhaps doing a better job of challenging the definition of a skirt as a women's garment, which I think is important. Ok, maybe it's a stretch, but that's my reasoning anyway.

Potbelly MacKraken, no, there are no back pockets. I haven't been able to figure out a location for a back pocket that wouldn't be uncomfortable while sitting and also would fit in with the design. I find the upper pockets work well for a wallet. Regarding multiple designs: kind of like Alastair said, at first, selection will be limited since I'm trying to minimize risk. I'm investing up front in creating a single design and preparing it for manufacturing (this longer skirt is just an idea I'm trying out at this point). So the coming Kickstarter campaign will have just one style and likely pretty limited colors. If it succeeds and the feasibility of the product is proven, the plan is to offer more colors and styles.

[crfriend]

I experimented a bit with having the flare change partway down, but I wasn't able to make it work well without creating a weird ring of inflection where the flare changed. I'm sure a more experienced tailor (seamster?) could do a better job with that. But, another issue is that having the flare begin right at the waist creates more space for the hip pockets.

In this case, the key is not to create an abrupt change in the straight lines of the gores, but rather to have the gores curve gently so that the flare is generated smoothly along the line of the garment thereby avoiding anything abrupt.

This is going to be difficult given the diagonal nature of the panels chosen, and may require quite the bit of 3D design work being done so it can be boiled down into a 2D representation of flat fabric. Quite honestly, I wouldn't know where to begin, but I am sure it's possible. Ultimately, it's all down to math.

Good luck with it!

[skirtyscot]

Why bother, if the A-line shape gives more room for pockets?

[johnb]

Its good the see the idea of another skirt suitable for men on the drawing board. I'm another one who likes the diagonal seam, and I am in fact looking to see whether one can be incorporated on my next home grown creation. That said I probably wouldn't buy one, as at present I wouldn't want one that long. The longest ones I have at present are about 3" below the knee. On one of them, a second hand womans demin skirt, I took about 6" off the bottom because I found it too long. All down to personal preference of course, and its good to have some choice in the marketplace.

John