Help With a First-timer?

[Dragearen]

Hallo all, as you probably can tell I just registered on here, and I'm a teen from Alaska who's been very much enjoying wearing my kilt regularly(yes, actually IN public), and I'm looking to go to the next step and get some more skirts. They really spoil you.

My issue is I don't have a whole lot of money, certainly not enough to buy another kilt. So, I've found a few skirts online that may be good, and I wanted to get your opinions on which ones I should get, and if they're too feminine(I don't think they are, but I really don't want to make a fool of myself).

So first I have a few sarongs I was looking at:
http://www.amazon.com/Sarong-Celtic-Cir ... 112&sr=1-3
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brown-Black-Sar ... 7dbae569ae
http://www.amazon.com/Abstract-Tribal-S ... 12&sr=1-10

Also, with sarongs, I've heard they're not that great for everyday wear. How true is that?

I also was looking around on eBay and found one skirt in my pricerange that didn't seem overly feminine, but with only one picture it's kind of hard to tell.

3640C849080C4AC0BCC78D209914CA1B.jpg

The lot says it's a... vintage rockabilly pin-up mad men skirt... Whatever all that means. It's a camel wool blend, and has a total length of 27.5", with a waist of 15"(flat), about right for me, and hips of 21.5", along with two pockets. Is something like this suitable to buy? At a starting bid of $9, it's a pretty good price.

Generally I'm just looking for something a little longer(no shorter than maybe 20"ish) that I can wear year-round. Winters can get pretty cold here, but as long as it's as warm as my kilt it should be fine, and that's only a 6 yard 10 oz wool one.

Thanks!

[couyalair]

I don't think you'll find sarongs warm at all; they are usually very thin cloth.
I'd go for ready-made skirts. There's an enormous choice of cloths & colours available, and warmth is essential if your knees are bare!

Martin

[Milfmog]

I love sarongs, but for exactly the reason that means they are probably no good for you; I like then because they are cool... If you're looking for warmth a sarong is not the solution. I also like the very light weight, almost not there, feel of a sarong.

The skirt pictured would be fine teamed with a fleece top over a teeshirt or button fronted shirt. Personally I find gathered waists a bit untidy without something to cover them (but that may just be me). Ultimately you will find a style, or collection of styles, that you feel comfortable with, until then it's a matter of experimentation.

Welcome to the forum.

Have fun,


Ian.

[Big and Bashful]

I think that skirt looks good, in that size I would need one on each leg though!

[Dragearen]

Ah, well, now I've come up with a separate issue. My mom is convinced that that skirt looks too feminine... >_< I don't really know how to judge it myself, I've never really had to.

So I'm also exploring making some. Would a wool sarong/lavalava work? They're fairly simple to make, probably something I could do myself. I was also thinking of making a Gho(Bhutanese), but finding a pattern, or indeed finding much of anything about it, seems to be very hard to do.

[r.m.anderson]

What is that Big & Bashful ?

You need an bifurcated unbifurcated skirt !

I think there is guy named Omar that makes them.

Ya - I like it when they say "One Size Fits All"!

"LOL"
rma

[skirtyscot]

Ah, well, now I've come up with a separate issue. My mom is convinced that that skirt looks too feminine...

Perhaps she would say that about any skirt, even if it had "hate" tattooed on its knuckles!

If you're buying skirts that were designed for women, most people would say they can only range from "extremely feminine" to "not very feminine", as the scale stops there and it can't possibly go as far as "masculine". Mrs SS has commented that a couple of mine are not very feminine, which I say is a good thing. "Plain" is what she means.

As for the one in that photo, I'd say it's well towards the "not very feminine" end of the scale.

Hopefully your mother will come round to our way of thinking quite quickly.

[crfriend]

I'll chime in here and second SkirtyScot's assertion that states that in western culture a skirt cannot be considered "masculine" because the scale stops before the crossover from "feminine" to "masculine". This is not true with all cultures as, like Dragearen has noted, there are the Bhutanese gho, the Polynesian sulu, and the common-in-the-tropics sarong. However, in the west we've got a bit of a hill to climb.

It's also worth noting that it's about more than just the skirt -- what you wear with the skirt, and what your own demeanour is, can quite dramatically alter the perception of the viewer. Contemplate two possible scenarios using the very plain skirt in the photo above:

1) The plain beige skirt, heels, and a frilly blouse, and
2) The plain beige skirt, men's dress shoes, knee-socks, and a dress shirt, possibly with a tie.

In (1) above, the outfit pulls very hard towards the "feminine" (almost too much so for the plainness of the skirt); in (2) the effect is a hard pull to the "masculine" end of the spectrum. This is why one should consider the entire look as a whole and not worry so much about the component pieces.

How one looks naturally, how one carries himself, and how naturally comfortable one is with himself also has a powerful effect on the observer. If one skulks about trying to avoid being seen, one is sending a message that what he's doing is somehow wrong; if one walks comfortably into a space and confidently mingles with those around him that sends precisely the opposite message. The former is likely to net one ridicule and derision and the latter admiration and comments. (Not everybody can do this, and even fewer can do it all the time; when I know I can't pull it off I wear trousers.)

Finally, there's one appearance. One cannot do much about his height or the build of his frame (without a lot of work in the gym, that is), but one can choose to grow a mustache or beard -- both of which are decidedly non-feminine. Interestingly, I've found that the length of one's hair is not a big factor; it seems that more men than ever are growing their hair out and putting it in ponytails -- I know at least one 70-year-old who has quite the 'tail and he's still unmistakably a guy.

[straightfairy]

I instinctively like the first sarong the most, then the third and finally the second; they're great designs.
Having said that, the above posters are correct in saying that sarongs are generally designed to keep you cool in warmer climates.
It may be worth, as you said, trying to find some heavier cotton and making one yourself.

The skirt you picture does not come across as feminine to me, but if your family wants a more masculine one, try looking for jeans style denim and cargo skirts that have a front zipper an 4 pockets etc as these tend to the more practical approach and less pretty. Check out the 'men in skirts links' thread for pictures.

[Dragearen]

Thanks for the help everybody, I think I'll try and convince my parents that it's fine for me to wear it if I wear it correctly in the three days before the auction ends. And if it doesn't work, well, it's $8, not a huge huge loss. I can definitely see what you mean about how you wear it, and totally agree. I do have long hair, usually worn in a ponytail, but if I'm wearing a nice shirt and a tie and such it shouldn't matter.

I will also look into making a wool/heavy cotton sarong, maybe dying it myself as well to give it a little bit of a design. As well as that, maybe a gho if I can and perhaps even a kimono(though that's not exactly a skirt).

[klaatu]

Welcome Dragearen,
Here is a pic of me (also posted in pictures and looks) in a skirt that I wear in public regularly. It's an 8 panel velvet like skirt. Heavy enough to be warm yet light enough to be comfortable. I usually wear it with t-shirts or as in the pic a plain golf/polo shirt in a complimentary colour. I bought it for $5 at a place called Value Village. We have them here in Canada but they are based in the States so there may be one near you.

brown skirt.JPG

And just remember...It's not what you wear but how you present yourself.
George