Out and About -- In the World at Large

[couyalair]

Nor sure how many leg tubes you have there, Dillon, but it looks a most uncomfortable place to sit!

Martin

[crfriend]

My guess is that it's one tube for both legs and the confusion is down to the way he's holding himself so he doesn't slide off the front of the horseless carriage. The look is a pretty good one, too, and certainly workable.

[skirtyscot]

The skirt certainly does look a bit trousery in that pose. Nothing wrong with that, keep 'em guessing! Probably less so when you walk, though.

[dillon]

It is a long, rather thin, cotton-poly skirt, and very stretchy and comfortable. And I don't generally sit on car hoods. The film was called "Kill Your Darlings" and starred the Harry Potter kid. It was okay, something different. Out here in the boonies we don't get to see a lot of "art" films, even though a lot of film and TV is made in Wilmington. I got a few long glances, nothing unusual.

[Sinned]

I went out shopping yesterday in a black knee-length flared skirt without any problems except .... I was in The Range ( a large store selling pretty much everything ) getting some food for my parrot and I could see an old couple talking to one of the staff members and looking in my direction. I carried on as normal filling the bag with food and then made my way to the checkout. Mysteriously, what seemed to be a "Manager" ( he was dressed differently form the other staff in their uniforms ) appeared and held the chain across as if the till was closing ( it wasn't busy and I was the only one in the queue ). It was one of those situations where I didn't know if it was because of me and my skirt and the "Manager" felt he was protecting the rest of his customers from contamination from a weirdo or what. I just felt uncomfortable. I didn't know whether to say anything or not. If I complained he could just have said that the till was closing or something. I had to move the car as the rest of the shopping was done in a different area and I nearly bottled it and changed into trousers in the car but I didn't and the rest of the shopping went fine.

[skirtyscot]

Now that just doesn't make sense. If he didn't want you in his shop, the manager should have asked you to leave before you got to the checkout. Holding you up once you got there would obviously keep you in his shop and on display to those poor old customers.

Also deliberately blocking your path without saying anything to you is very strange, rude even.

But you have given us half a story. What happened once the person in front of you left the checkout? Were you allowed to proceed?

[Sinned]

Just to clarify a bit as I said the store was quiet and there had been someone in front of me. The Manager wasn't holding me up he was stood behind me stopping anyone else joining into a queue behind me. Now I come to think of it he directed some others to another queue. He also had his back to me all the time so that he was looking out into the store and not exactly inviting conversation. The Range is a national store ( google it to find out what it sells and its origins ). I feel like going back into the store for a longer visit to see if anything is said. I'm not sure about the law regarding this and if he could actually stop me and ask me to leave - like you all I wasn't breaking any laws and if it wasn't for the skirt I don't think I would have drawn attention to myself in what was wearing. OK if I caused a scene they could use breach of the peace or causing a disturbance which covers just about everything but it would be the store that would start it because I would just want to go about my business. I don't want confrontation - just clarification so that if necessary I can make a complaint to their head office and find out what their official line is. The rest of my gear was what I would call normal male - black jacket, fleece, t-shirt shoes. Skirt and thick black tights were the only off-line items.

[Dottie]

Errr,
Quiet store, then you don't want too many checkout persons sitting doing nothing, close a couple and get 'em filling the shelves,( or maybe sent one off for a break ) more productive and it costs nothing to make customers wait in line, unless of course you are the customer

I'm not sure about the law regarding this

enshrined in European law you have the right to freedom of expression and unless you are violent, profane,indecent or behaving in a way likely to commit a breach of the peace then just crack on .
However;

if I caused a scene they could use breach of the peace or causing a disturbance which covers just about everything but it would be the store that would start it because I would just want to go about my business.

just how would have the store start it ? by doing nothing ? ignoring you ?

I've been in many offices, stores and restaurants skirted and have never had a problem, nor have the folk in starship trooper outfits,rocky horror show garb, those tight fitting shiny lycra unitard suits ( Pizza hut Union st Aberdeen last October ) and other weird and wonderful outfits . In fact the only person I have seen being asked to leave an establishment was a chap in trousers & jacket, understandable in a bank whilst wearing a fullface crash helmet

Get on with life none really cares for more than 30 seconds what you are wearing, and you shouldn't care what they are thinking either. You've nothing to fear apart from fear its self.

I bet the manager wont recall you anyway.......

[STEVIE]

Sinned,
The main worry of any shop is simply that you are spending money there.
Dottie may, or may not be right that the guy will remember you. I spent about 30 years in retail and I reckon that some customers I had would be very surprised about the things I recall about them. Sad to say, only one guy in a skirt and he was just "passing through".
Personally, I loved the ones who had stories to tell, offbeat requirements or plain silly people.
Individuals all, I could write a book.
Point, they fed my kids ,paid my mortgage and paid for my beer. I sure as hell wasn't about to turn up my nose at them.
Now It's me who's the "oddity". The employees of the businesses I frequent see me as a diversion to their "normal" customer and I generally get better service because of it.
Steve.

[couyalair]

It seems to me, Dennis, that you were far too sensitive about a perfectly normal situation, ie: closing a till after the last customer (you). If the manager had stopped you getting to the till, then yes, you could complain.

We should not let our skirt-wearing lead us to read more into other people's actions than was intended. I can quite imagine that there is an unwritten but very strict rule for shop assistants : "Never risk upsetting a customer by commenting upon his appearance. Just smile and get on with the job."

Martin

[skirtyscot]

Oops! I have to say, it didn't occur to me that you might have been unsettled by the manager closing the queue after you. Struggling to see the problem here, TBH, and I agree maybe you are being a wee bit too sensitive. The world pays less attention to us than we think (generally, that is, not just when we are men in skirts), and that is probably a good thing.

Go back and see if it happens again. Then draw your conclusions.

[Sinned]

Perhaps I was being too sensitive. The old couple talking to the staff member were definitely talking about me but as I look back on the incident I just assumed that what they were saying was not good. Maybe that's just what I expected at the time and I read too much into it. They could have been saying good things. A series of innocent and consecutive actions can somehow be construed to mean something else entirely. A case of 2 + 2 + 5. Yes, I will go back again soon and see what reaction I get and I won't go with the attitude of being confrontational. Thanks for the advice and giving me an alternative view.

[crfriend]

Yet another day in a skirt, and a very nice comment about it was heard.

I was out buying safety-pins to support the backside of my brand-new, yet-to-be-worn, green, red, and blue plaid below-ankle-length skirt and was wearing my new black waistcoat with velvet trim, a black dress shirt, my new red ascot, and bright red tights. When I walked up to the cashier with my intended purchase, she at first looked at me a bit strangely, and then nothing was said. I am accustomed to this. When the purchase was rung up, she sort of sheepishly commented to me, "That rig looks good!" I thanked her, and that was that.

I'll take that comment home and dwell on it for a bit. Encouragement is always nice.

The new plaid "walking skirt" will get its first outing for Sunday Brunch at a local winery that Sapphire and I are going to visit. The new waistcoat will be a part of it, as will my silk sheer-sleeved blouse. The colours go together almost perfectly.

[skirtyscot]

I hardly ever post on this thread because I wear skirts pretty much everywhere except work. But right now it's about 11.30pm on the Friday before Christmas, the no 1 night of the year for going out on the town, and I am on a train full of drunk people. And of course I'm wearing a skirt. Most drunk people on trains are good-natured on nights like this, so my attire is not quite as crazy as you might think. But there is still a distinct frisson!

As far as I can tell, nobody has noticed. Not the noisy people who couldn't get a seat in Glasgow because the train was full, and who stood with me clearly in their line of sight. Not the people who walked past me to get on or off. Not the person sitting across the carriage from me. Not even the person who was sitting right next to me at first (hard to be sure about her though; she was on her own so had nobody to comment indiscreetly to). Given the amount most people have imbibed, not commenting or sotto voce remarks seem highly unlikely.

I did take the small precaution of sitting in an "airline style" seat, where the seat in front faces the same way and so blocks me from view for people far away. But a ton of folk have had plenty of opportunity to clock my skirt, and nobody has. It's weird! I'm not exactly hiding. I'm wearing a brown and black patterned knee-length velvet skirt and black tights, and I'm in the aisle seat, not the window seat.

Good result, I say. But it would have been even better if just one of those happy drunk passengers had noticed my skirt and, with Scottish reticence dulled by the alcohol, had asked me about it.

[Big and Bashful]

We're never happy are we! don't want to be a spectactle, want to blend in and when we do, we want people to notice! I don't understand, but I know exactly where you are coming from. I don't want to stand out and be pointed at because I have a skirt on, but you are right, if no-one even notices then I almost feel disappointed. It's true what they say, "There's nowt so queer as folk!"