Hi from a newbie

[skirtedbrit]

Having browsed SC for a year or so I have joined as it fits my view of the world! I am 65 and live in the north of England and started wearing skirts after a long and painful recovery after surgery for a waterworks problem. The comfort of a skirt helped to ease the pain and I realised how silly societies 'rules' can be. Women can wear anything but a man spends his entire life in a variation of shirts and trousers. I now wear skirts at home, driving and some hill walking in quiet areas and apart from occasional light ribbing from relatives and friends have not had any problems but I admit cowardice when it comes to pubs and around town.

Like most members I am happy in my hetero skin and enjoy stuff such as drinking beer, climbing mountains, and doing adventurous things (flying for one!). I have no desire to look or be feminine nor am I an overtly testosterone fueled macho type, just an average guy who does not conform. However, I would like to wear 2 tunic/dresses, one as a practical hill walking garment and the other for such as beer festivals (do you have real ale festivals in America?) with 'I am growing old disgracefully' on the front and 'Now shut up and get the beer in' on the back. Any thoughts?

[RichardA]

Hi &

[skirtingtoday]

Hi skirtedbrit,
From your first post, you'll fit in splendidly here!
Like you, we do not want to appear feminine either but appreciate the comfort of skirt-wearing.
I'm not sure about real ale in the States but there are many here who will be able to advise you

(By "flying" do you mean as a pilot or as a frequent passenger?)

Welcome to the forum!

BTW - I have been down to northern England quite a few times in recent years (Newcastle, Hartlepool, Stanley, Spennymoor and further south on the west coat to Birkenhead) and recently, we are likely to have a project in Gretna.

Ross

[skirtedbrit]

Hi Ross, thanks for the comments. I am not a pilot (cost + diabetes) but have done some gliding, microlighting, had a lesson in a near 80 year old Tiger Moth and have had several interesting flights in RAF Search and Rescue Wessex and Sea King helicopters as a member of the local Mountain Rescue team. None of these in a skirt!!!

I am based in the Furness peninsular next to the Lake District National Park

Dave

[crfriend]

Hi Dave, and welcome aboard. The others are quite right -- it sounds like you'll fit in here swimmingly.

Sorry about the diabetes (nasty disease, that, and one that doesn't get the attention it deserves!), but from the sounds of it you don't let it keep you down! Mountain rescue, eh? You have to be tough for that!

"Now shut up and get the beer in!" I love it. We don't get "beer festivals" here in the USA, at least none that I've seen or partaken of. Until recently (the past 10 or 15 years) getting decent beer meant going for the imports (I have a taste for Bass and Guinness) as the local swill was just that -- swill. But that's changing for the better, and there are breweries that are producing some really stunningly-good ales, so there's hope.

Again, welcome!

[Caultron]

Hi, skirtedbrit, and welcome to the group!

As to beer festivals, we certainly have them here in Arizona. For many years there were fewer and fewer kinds of beer available here, as the big breweries got bigger and the small ones dropped out of business. For a while imports were an alternative, but now, thousands of micro-breweries have sprung up offering an incredible variety of beers and ales. All these small operators are, of course, looking for ways to promote their product, and beer festivals are a great way to do that. And beer fests are certainly poplar around college campuses.

I'm not sure what that has to do with skirts, except that I certainly wouldn't hesitate to wear a kilt to a beer festival. The dress code (and in fact overall attitude) at those things is pretty loose.

As to being out in public, just do it. The fear of negative reactions is almost always much stronger than any you'll actually receive. Very few people care what you wear, and people are shell-shocked by fashion anyway. Don't skulk or cringe. Just look people straight in the eye, wish them a nice day, and behave as you would in trousers or shorts. You can only be yourself.

[Sarongman]

Welcome to our group of bright sparks who have decided to challenge conventional wisdom. As Caultron said, the fear of a reaction is far greater than the reality, so get out there confidently.

[skirtingtoday]

Dave,
I often pass through that way - on the M6 going to Oxford or on the train going to Manchester Airport. Unfortunately for me on those occasions, not skirted, as MoH is a bit - ummmmm - negative about it.

So any skirts I wear are when I am on my own which is a bit sad really but that's the position I have been put in.

Do you have any problems with your partner or are friends/neighbours aware of your choice? Look forward to hearing from you

[skirtedbrit]

Thanks skirtingtoday. My wife shares my views completely and is very supportive. Most friends know and are not bothered but some of my wife's relatives are very uptight and we have not told them. My sister is not bothered but does take the Mick now and then. Overall, it is a non issue and I find it hard to understand how anyone can have a problem. A skirt or dress is bit of fabric, in history we all wore such clothes, women can wear an infinite variety of clothes, and most of all this is still a free country.
Rules are for the guidance of the wise and blind obedience by fools.

[TheRod]

The more you get experience going public, the easier it becomes. I recently had a job cleaning out a garage and basement for a well traveled fellow. On the second visit, I was skirted. I met his sub tenant first, a female student, and she said she loved my short denim skirt. I replied that it was comfortable and practical, especially in the 38 deg C heat of the day. Later, when the owner arrived, he asked if he could question my attire. He asked if I considered it cross dressing, which I said didn't. As we talked, it became apparent that he approved of the idea, and mentioned that he sometimes hikes in a hiking kilt!

So anyone who thinks about the issue can see that the social bias against it has no rational basis.

[skirtyscot]

So anyone who thinks about the issue can see that the social bias against it has no rational basis.

I've highlighted the important words! The trouble is that most people don't, until they see it right in front of them. A short conversation is usually enough to start the other person thinking. Relatives are often the hardest to get through to; other people really don't care very much what you wear, or why.