Choosing what to wear was easy as I have few options at the moment, and only one decent length denim, though it is still an above the knee one. I also had to carry a bumbag as the pockets in the skirt are too inadequate. Sadly I'm still a smoker, though do try now and then to quit, but so far haven't, so I need somewhere to carry ciggies and lighter, and wallet, and change. I would have preferred a slightly longer skirt to at least fall to knee level, because when sitting down it tends to ride up just a little too far and might send out the wrong signals, but I don't yet have one.
I put the skirt in the car, and set out wearing shorts as I didn't want gossipy neighbours getting in on the act yet. One step at a time. See how it goes, and how I take to it in a place where I'm not known.
A short way along the road I grabbed a handy layby and changed into the skirt. I was now set to take on the world, and felt more positive about it.
The drive to the seaside village took half an hour, but I made my first appearance in a skirt at a gas station on the way. These places see all kinds of folk dropping in on their many journeys around the country. A whole mish mash of clothing styles. Filling up a car in a skirt is quite easy, as you're still within the 'safety zone' of your vehicle, don't have to move around much while doing it, and it makes a good first step to take - doing it with visible confidence of course. A walk into the cashier comes next to pay the woman, and that next step confronts someone deliberately and with purpose....in a skirt!! This time I also went to the 'eats' section and hung around a few seconds to choose and pick up some sandwiches and something to drink. I was actually beginning to enjoy this! I paid for all the stuff and back in the car as I drove off I silently congratulated myself. I got treated politely like anyone else.
Reaching my destinationI I pulled into the car park just above the beach and found a space. The park is always fairly full, and local and visiting folk stop and sit on park benches overlooking the beach all the time on a good day. Luckily, today was clear and bright. If I could make that first walk with confidence to the ticket machine, past others, and back to the car, without panic, I would be well on my way. What I wasn't counting on was the machine rejecting a pound coin. There was another couple there as well and we got chatting about rubbish machinery. They took the skirt all in their stride, and it wasn't even mentioned. I acted like that's what I always wear. In the end I sorted the ticket out with another coin, but they offered to change it if I wanted. Nice of them.
It was now lunch time so I sat in the car eating sandwiches and drinking Coke for half an hour, considering the next step.
The village has a few shops for tourists so I headed on down to the village proper. I never look anyone directly in the eye, but focus on targets I'm heading for rather than try to attract anyone's attention. So I don't know what expressions of shock, amusement or indifference were there. What they personally made of it didn't bother me now - I think I was becoming a skirt junkie and really wanted folk to see me by this time.
Down in the village there were a reasonable number of people going this way and that, and standing chatting with others here and there. Just a normal everyday scene for this place...except for yours truly of course! Carrying on to the shops, I stopped here and there looking in windows, and folk passed by as they always do. It felt good. To actually be out in the public arena in a way that has previously been such a secretive issue for me, and throwing off all those months of frustration at having to keep it behind closed doors, brings with it a true sense of exhiliration. To anyone who, like me until now, is still trying to summon up courage to do it, I would say just take the bull by the horns and do it.
I took a look around the better of the giftware shops, and splashed out on one of their cheaper items, just to be able to go to the lady behind the counter in my skirt, and exchange a few words. She said nothing about the skirt.
In another shop I bought an attractive hip flask with a raised dragon design on it, and we had a short conversation about what a nice day it is (the usual British topic!) and I asked when they intended to close for the winter. We had a laugh about this and that, but no mention of the skirt. Into another shop, and I purchased a model railway magazine (sorry guys, sad, or what?)
I decided then to start back home, but I needed some photo paper so I stopped off at PC World (largish computer store). Still in my skirt I went in and found a pack of paper after a lot of searching, took it to the checkout and had to wait behind some guy being told, it seemed, about the entire inner workings of a PC. It went on so long, another cashier stepped in and took my money. Skirt - no mention. Thank you sir, sorry for the delay.
That was my last port of call, so I can safely say now that I've done my first bit in promoting skirts for men in this corner of the country. All in all about an hour and a half's worth. Now I know I can do this. It was so easy...
And I'd like to thank everyone at Skirtcafe for all the encouragement. Without that I wouldn't have even got out of the front door. Thanks guys!!
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