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A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:10 pm
by DALederle
I know it's winter and not my favorite time of the year. I cower inside for
most of the next two or three months.
But it could be a good time for a new idea in male skirt wearing.
A "snow" skirt.
A wrap around garment, in the form of an a-line skirt that goes over and around
the outdoor clothes (pants) you're already wearing and adds an extra layer to
block the wind and keep us warmer.
I know that sounds a lot like a kilt but I am thinking of something heavier then
most kilts I've see and/or worn. Something made of heavy denim or even a duck or
canvas material. Something that can be quickly and easily wrapped around a
waist, closed with velcro maybe.
This would provide a wind block when someone is out in bad weather.
Let's face it most of us today wear jackets, not the long coats people used to
wear. So an added over wrap skirt would make a lot of sense.
And once people are used to seeing it on men, who knows. Maybe the concept of
skirted men won't be so hard to take.
If it caught on maybe the switch to skirts instead of pants won't even be noticed
by some people.
Wouldn't that be nice?
DALederle
:D

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:57 pm
by Kris
DALederle wrote:I know it's winter and not my favorite time of the year. I cower inside for
most of the next two or three months.
But it could be a good time for a new idea in male skirt wearing.
A "snow" skirt.
A wrap around garment, in the form of an a-line skirt that goes over and around
the outdoor clothes (pants) you're already wearing and adds an extra layer to
block the wind and keep us warmer.
I know that sounds a lot like a kilt but I am thinking of something heavier then
most kilts I've see and/or worn. Something made of heavy denim or even a duck or
canvas material. Something that can be quickly and easily wrapped around a
waist, closed with velcro maybe.
This would provide a wind block when someone is out in bad weather.
Let's face it most of us today wear jackets, not the long coats people used to
wear. So an added over wrap skirt would make a lot of sense.
And once people are used to seeing it on men, who knows. Maybe the concept of
skirted men won't be so hard to take.
If it caught on maybe the switch to skirts instead of pants won't even be noticed
by some people.
Wouldn't that be nice?
DALederle
:D
Something like this ‘Adjustable Wrap-around Waterproof Riding Skirt’ (see the bottom of the page):
http://www.nomaduk.net/riding%20clothin ... 202004.htm

As they say:
“Why wear a heavy, restricting long riding coat when a combination of a waterproof breathable shorter riding jacket or ‘STEALTH’ fleece and a jodhpur-protecting ‘Wrap-around Skirt’ is not only more comfortable but out-performing too ??”

No picture, unfortunately. It seems to be an old product. They are in the UK so the price plus shipping etc. would probably be high for buyers in the USA.

Kris

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:06 pm
by DTSA
Check out rainskirts at http://www.rainskirts.com . It is an American company and they do a skirt and wraparound version. The only problem is they are very expensive but if they last a long time it might be worth it. I have the older versions made out a different material and they were much cheaper.

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:51 pm
by r1g0r
try

http://www.themouseworks.com/FleeceSkirts.htm

good looking products, your chosen length / fabric / thickness / color / design / etc...
nice prices
HAND MADE IN THE USA!!!!

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 9:14 pm
by owen
Something padded and insulated maybe?

Like: http://www.skhoop.us/scandinavian-skirts.html (check the down-filled skirt, luxury but at a price!)
or: http://www.dobsom.se/eng/Sidor/comfortskirt.html

Update on Thursday 8/1:
Here's another, in a wrap style: http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?p_id=1106388

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 10:02 am
by Milfmog
Another padded alternative the Toast Snowskirt

I have to confess to being rather taken with some of these warm skirts, current UK temperatures may have something to do with that.

Have fun,


Ian.

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 5:24 pm
by r1g0r
gotta admit those look warm, but the cost and the bulk are too much for my tastes!

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 1:20 am
by AMM
I made one -- fleece lining, nylon shell -- but it was a pull-on skirt, not a wrap skirt. About 35" long, which works out to about 7" off the ground. It is quite warm, at least above the ankles, when worn over a regular skirt, but I tend to step on the hem when going upstairs.

I've worn in at the Dance Flurry, since it's held in Februrary in upstate New York, and you have to go outside to go from one venue to another at about 10 F (-12 C.)

It's not quite as convenient as a wrap skirt would be, but the biggest problem with skirts in the winter is drafts, and I would think that a wrap skirt would be drafty. I've thought of making one that zips up, or even making a long zip-front jumper (pinafore), also nylon outside and fleece inside.

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 1:14 am
by Sylvain
The Toast Snowskirt and Scandanvian ones seem too tight for my taste. The mont-bell may be too short. As for the Fleece Skirt: will it fit on a male's body? Did someone try it? Or have written to the company?

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:37 pm
by DALederle
Wow! These are all great sites and great options!
But that brings up the question of why I never seen anyone wearing these skirts.
This would seem to be a great way to add warmth to the winter days. So why aren't more people wearing these skirts. And I'm not talking just men wearing skirts either!
This all looks like great things women should be trying and wearing too!
Is our culture so steeped in it's set concepts that people just aren't thinking in new terms or ideas?
DALederle
:shock:

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:35 pm
by Different_Trains
DALederle wrote: Is our culture so steeped in it's set concepts that people just aren't thinking in new terms or ideas?
:shock:
With the amount of small-mindedness about men wearing skirts, I'd unfortunately have to say yes :(

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 4:10 pm
by toddlenhame
All the recent cold and snow - for almost all the last four weeks actually - has led to a style change. My current preference is for leggings, skirt and boots. I have found that two pairs of denim effect leggings are effectively coldproof (and can be worn comfortably under knee high boots) and also a 12 inch denim skirt. The last two days while I was travelling I wore a tight 12 inch panel skirt and dark vinyl leggings, also with boots - to counter all the snow and slush.

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 7:29 pm
by Dawn
Actually I just picked up a knee length brown cordoury skirt for $3.96 on close out at JCPenney & its very warm, but then I don't have to stand at a bus stop or walk longdistances from the parkingl lot. Thus its an indoor office skirt.

Dawn

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 8:42 pm
by Mindermast
There are a couple of makers of "rain skirts", skirts from fabrics similar to light rain jackets - polyamide and the like.

Agu Sports used to make a nice one, that can eventually be found on ebay (NL, I think). Size S fits a waist of 34". This skirt also works on a racing bicycle, because it barely goes over the knees.
http://www.rainmates.com is still in business, they have a simple ankle-length skirt.
There are quite a few more manufacturers and sellers of rain skirts.
I started to make a rainskirt from rain trousers in the "sewing" section.
If you cut off the upper part of a rain cape, you can wrap the lower part around your waist like a towel. Look for "how to wrap a lungi" or "how to wrap a sarong" for better wrapping styles, or see the attachment. The last step is to fold out the upper border a few times to keep the skirt in place securely (!). The fabric is enough to wrap around the waist twice or even three times, and the resulting skirt isn't drafty at all, no matter if it is in tube-shape or with "open ends".

All these skirts have one thing in common: They are perfect rain and wind protection for the areas they cover and they keep a bit of the lower body heat near you, and they are pretty unusual.

I noticed, that a simple knee-length denim skirt, worn on top of normal trousers, does a lot already. And everything fails if you have cold feet.

I have also seen a few quilted skirts, but only on pictures, not in shops.

New idea, not exactly new, but I want to do this in public: Short skirt over trousers. I know, this is not the perfect unbifurcated solution, but perhaps two skirts would have the same effect - without trousers. I do like the looks, and it is much more comfortable than additional underwear:
winter_01.jpg
winter_04.jpg
The second is a denim dress, that doesnt't suit me, therefore, I covered the top part with a jacket. I like the skirt part including the decoration and I might get it turned into a skirt.

Re: A winter skirt for men?

Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 5:39 am
by jjw
r1g0r wrote:try

http://www.themouseworks.com/FleeceSkirts.htm

good looking products, your chosen length / fabric / thickness / color / design / etc...
nice prices
HAND MADE IN THE USA!!!!
Hm, that looks pretty nice. I've been looking for something longer to wear in the cold months. Looks like a clean, almost unisex design too. Do you have one of these? More to the point, do you know whether one will fit well on a guy with the standard measurements listed there, or would one have to order a custom fit?