So, is there? Is there some single source that gives tips out for beginner skirt wearers? I know there are tips on some aspects (namely how to deal with opposition), but what about all aspects? In addition to how to deal with the opposition, are there things like good starter skirts or problems to expect in your part of the world?
For instance, in my case I have yet to be skirted in front of anyone other than my sister, who out of all people in our family is probably the most open-minded. I haven't done it in front of my family or public yet because I only have a skirt she gave me which I really don't care massively for. It just isn't me, nor do I like the material. I don't exactly have the funds to get some skirts yet, at least until I get a job and move out.
Even so, I have managed to gather a good amount of information that should help prepare me, at least in some respects. It seems that if you project a confident attitude, rather than seeming embarrassed and ashamed you are less likely to attract trouble from most people. It also seems as though shooting for a knee-length or ankle-length skirt is best to start with, especially around family, friends, and co-workers. Denim skirts seem to attract less attention than other kinds. If you can afford it, a kilt or Utlilikilt (or some kilt off-shoot) could be a great entry point, especially for people you know who are averse to men in skirts.
Another point, while it goes against total fashion freedom, is that if you are grabbing from the other gender you should couple it with something distinctly of your own gender. So with that skirt have some other distinctly masculine looking attire. Of course that goes against my views as well, but it could be useful for some people, especially people trying to enter into it.
At this point, I'm still missing plenty of info I feel. Questions such as, "Is it better to tuck your shirt in or not?" and "Are there certain materials that look better on men or not?" and stuff like that. Not that I won't have enough trouble once I start with the other stuff. I have low confidence in stuff unless I know I'm good or experience with it, and I have to control my temper when people accuse me of being something I'm not. Although the obvious question of, "Are you gay?" could easily be answered with, "Nope, I'm metro-sexual." which is completely true in my case. Not that I have anything against gay people, I just don't like people saying I'm one thing when I'm not.
Well, I personally think a guide to all aspects of male skirt wearing should be made if it's not already been done. Another nice thing would be a world watch, listing areas of high and low tolerance to this activity, constantly updated by users, or more realistically by a team of admins after having several reports for an area by different people. This would help people avoid trouble, say from gangs and whatnot. I personally have no idea how well something like this is accepted in New Mexico, or more specifically in the general area of Albuquerque and out all directions for about 60 miles, since I do get around that far in different directions. Hopefully there isn't too much aversion to this type of thing here.
Okay, I feel like I've been rambling some here, so let's end this. Do you think I've got a good understanding of things? Did I miss anything major, or get something wrong? Anyone have answers to my listed questions? Also, sorry if I've been kinda random. I'm pretty tired right now, so... oh yeah, excuse any mishaps in grammar as well.
Anyways, let's consider this my introductory post to these forums, since I never really made a proper one. As said, I've yet to do any real skirting yet, although I plan to soon. I'm looking at things such as the Survival Utilikilt and this tiered skirt, along with making my own in the future. I'd also like to grab a pleated skirt in some nice plaid design made out of rayon (so soft!) and something similar to what the seifuku of Japanese schoolgirls. So now you know something about my tastes, which probably tells something about my personality as well.
Beginner's Guide question + introductory post
Beginner's Guide question + introductory post
http://the-shining-path.blogspot.com
Hatred is learned, not inherited. Let a little child from Iraq play with a child from the United States, and they will play together without a care in the world. Put the children back in their homes and their parents and the media will teach them hate and prejudice.
Hatred is learned, not inherited. Let a little child from Iraq play with a child from the United States, and they will play together without a care in the world. Put the children back in their homes and their parents and the media will teach them hate and prejudice.
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Departed Member
Sashi, you seem to have got the basics already, to be honest!
All I would say is try your charity shops/thrift stores and pick yourself up a knee-length or ankle-length denim skirt, before you try anything else. Just substitute it for the dreaded tr*users! Don't change anything else, other than possibly ensure that shoes and socks don't 'clash', style-wise. I'm totally convinced that 'total fashion freedom' will never exist, and indeed I, personally, hope it never does.
The 'Kilt Road' is fine, but it does come with 'baggage' - you know, the "Are you a Piper?", "What's underneath?" cr*p, that Americans in particular seem to suffer from. And conventional Kilts, apart from being expensive, are too darned hot to wear, unless the temperature drops below 60F!!!
As for the "Are you g*y?", a reply of "If you mean 'happy', yes thank you, I am, but if you mean 'homosexual', then I'm sorry, you'll have to look elsewhere!" is quite useful!
Lists of areas of low/high tolerance? Sorry, it just wouldn't work - period. Any attempt would be subjective. "One town centre on a Monday night, no problem, on a Friday, forget it!" might seem OK, but what if it's a Bank Holiday? It's a 'suck it and see' scenario for everyone - there are far too many disparate factors to take into account, to pronounce anywhere 'safe', or otherwise. Large cosmopolitan centres (London, Manchester and the like) will have as many 'no go' areas as they have tolerant ones, and even the time of day will have a bearing.... Add to that, the fact that no-one globally is remotely interested in trying to compile any such list, brings us all back to square one. One step at a time, suss the area you intend to 'try it out' first, then try the 'quick fix', such as filling up with petrol when it's not too busy, the 'all-night' supermarket, or just going for a walk in the country. It doesn't take long before you forget what you're wearing - just act naturally!
All I would say is try your charity shops/thrift stores and pick yourself up a knee-length or ankle-length denim skirt, before you try anything else. Just substitute it for the dreaded tr*users! Don't change anything else, other than possibly ensure that shoes and socks don't 'clash', style-wise. I'm totally convinced that 'total fashion freedom' will never exist, and indeed I, personally, hope it never does.
The 'Kilt Road' is fine, but it does come with 'baggage' - you know, the "Are you a Piper?", "What's underneath?" cr*p, that Americans in particular seem to suffer from. And conventional Kilts, apart from being expensive, are too darned hot to wear, unless the temperature drops below 60F!!!
As for the "Are you g*y?", a reply of "If you mean 'happy', yes thank you, I am, but if you mean 'homosexual', then I'm sorry, you'll have to look elsewhere!" is quite useful!
Lists of areas of low/high tolerance? Sorry, it just wouldn't work - period. Any attempt would be subjective. "One town centre on a Monday night, no problem, on a Friday, forget it!" might seem OK, but what if it's a Bank Holiday? It's a 'suck it and see' scenario for everyone - there are far too many disparate factors to take into account, to pronounce anywhere 'safe', or otherwise. Large cosmopolitan centres (London, Manchester and the like) will have as many 'no go' areas as they have tolerant ones, and even the time of day will have a bearing.... Add to that, the fact that no-one globally is remotely interested in trying to compile any such list, brings us all back to square one. One step at a time, suss the area you intend to 'try it out' first, then try the 'quick fix', such as filling up with petrol when it's not too busy, the 'all-night' supermarket, or just going for a walk in the country. It doesn't take long before you forget what you're wearing - just act naturally!
I think you have to treat a skirt or kilt the same as you would a pair of jeans--just wearing what you feel comfortable with on top.
the good thing is that if you have decent boots, people will be able to see them at long last. and matching colours with the top is good because the skirt presents a wide band of colour whereas jeans just give you two blue areas. untucked shirt is probably better because it lowers the apparent centre of gravity.
women's fashions, skirts included, tend to try to raise the apparent centre--making her look lighter and more mobile upwards. the guy with his boots and jacket and untucked shirt will look heavier than he is. not fatter, but like he has more mass and is more pulled to the ground. it's a neat illusion. men's stuff tends to be earthier colours and deeper blues again to give the idea of hefty mass.
the good thing is that if you have decent boots, people will be able to see them at long last. and matching colours with the top is good because the skirt presents a wide band of colour whereas jeans just give you two blue areas. untucked shirt is probably better because it lowers the apparent centre of gravity.
women's fashions, skirts included, tend to try to raise the apparent centre--making her look lighter and more mobile upwards. the guy with his boots and jacket and untucked shirt will look heavier than he is. not fatter, but like he has more mass and is more pulled to the ground. it's a neat illusion. men's stuff tends to be earthier colours and deeper blues again to give the idea of hefty mass.
The only thing man cannot endure is meaninglessness.
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crfriend
- Master Barista
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What (not) to wear. ;-)
Actually, the two are perfectly compliant with one another -- just because you have (or assert) the freedom to dress in any manner of attire you see fit doesn't necessarily mean that you have to at any given point in time. It's the choice that's key!Sashi wrote:Another point, while it goes against total fashion freedom, is that if you are grabbing from the other gender you should couple it with something distinctly of your own gender.
That depends on the style of shirt. The "rules" here are pretty much the same as they are with trousers -- if the shirt has tails on it, tuck it in; if the shirt has a straight bottom hem, it's optional and may depend on the skirt. I tuck all my dress shirts in; polo shirts and tee-shirts (in the rare instances I wear such things) go untucked mostly.Sashi wrote:"Is it better to tuck your shirt in or not?"
Most guys I suspect would tend to shy away from very flashy fabrics like satins (which are a pain to take care of, anyway), but pretty much everything else is on the table. I have a velvet skirt I wear from time to time (in a royal blue) and my wife says it works perfectly well.Sashi wrote:"Are there certain materials that look better on men or not?"
It's none of their business, but if the numbers are any indication, the number of homosexual blokes wearing skirts must be positively tiny. I find the term "metrosexual" rather meaningless if not outright confusing: "You mean you have sex with cities?"Sashi wrote:"Are you gay?" could easily be answered with, "Nope, I'm metro-sexual." which is completely true in my case.
Retrocomputing -- It's not just a job, it's an adventure!
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davereporter
- Active Member
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- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2005 2:12 am
- Location: Australia
From my experience here in Australia most people don't seem to care except for family who may either be supportive or totally ostracize you for your choices.
I agree with most posters that a denim skirt (knee length or just below) is a good option. Mini skirts tend to be high maintenance (need to keep legs very nice, sit properly etc.) and generally only suit taller thinner people (in my view).
Skirts with belt loops and a fly front tend to be less feminine looking than those with an invisible zip at the back. Remember that women like to emphasis the smooth front whereas with guys bits tend to let's say disturb the line.
Personally I find slightly firmer fabrics work well - it gives you the feeling of being secure and means that others don't see the lumps or your knickers.
Something like a wrap skirt tends to work very well. Several times I have worn a home made one (including on a trip to Hawaii) the comments were very positive as most people thought it was a lava lava or sulu. Since they could put a label on it they were very accepting that this dude is cool wearing island fashion. They also give freedom of movement and the wrap covers the front well. If the wrap is long enough they can also be more forgiving if you haven't yet mastered how to sit, get up, get into/out of cars etc.
Personally I find knee length the best. Longer skirts either tend to restrict movement (in a long pencil skirt you cannot help but walk like a penguin) or need to be plaid or flared. My sewing teacher and colleagues (a.k.a. the fashion police) invariably comment that long plaid or flared skirts look feminine - that's their opinion but I personally respect it, whereas if I rock up in a well fitted knee length denim or chinos then I get complements.
Also in my community women tend to wear longer skirts so wearing knee skirts means that I don't look like the woman next door. Personally I find it very creepy when you go out and see a woman wearing the same skirt as you... I know this is my issue because they wear the same jeans as me and I don't have a problem.
Hope my rambling helps - good luck and stay strong.
Dave
I agree with most posters that a denim skirt (knee length or just below) is a good option. Mini skirts tend to be high maintenance (need to keep legs very nice, sit properly etc.) and generally only suit taller thinner people (in my view).
Skirts with belt loops and a fly front tend to be less feminine looking than those with an invisible zip at the back. Remember that women like to emphasis the smooth front whereas with guys bits tend to let's say disturb the line.
Personally I find slightly firmer fabrics work well - it gives you the feeling of being secure and means that others don't see the lumps or your knickers.
Something like a wrap skirt tends to work very well. Several times I have worn a home made one (including on a trip to Hawaii) the comments were very positive as most people thought it was a lava lava or sulu. Since they could put a label on it they were very accepting that this dude is cool wearing island fashion. They also give freedom of movement and the wrap covers the front well. If the wrap is long enough they can also be more forgiving if you haven't yet mastered how to sit, get up, get into/out of cars etc.
Personally I find knee length the best. Longer skirts either tend to restrict movement (in a long pencil skirt you cannot help but walk like a penguin) or need to be plaid or flared. My sewing teacher and colleagues (a.k.a. the fashion police) invariably comment that long plaid or flared skirts look feminine - that's their opinion but I personally respect it, whereas if I rock up in a well fitted knee length denim or chinos then I get complements.
Also in my community women tend to wear longer skirts so wearing knee skirts means that I don't look like the woman next door. Personally I find it very creepy when you go out and see a woman wearing the same skirt as you... I know this is my issue because they wear the same jeans as me and I don't have a problem.
Hope my rambling helps - good luck and stay strong.
Dave
Simple tips that worked for my first outings
A knee-length pleated skirt would be a good starter, as it allows the bits to be concealed as the front falls downward when sitting. My 18" denim UK from eBay allowed me to be in a skirt and be modest. I got some knee-high boots from LB that look great with it IMO. Wear the skirt at a public mall or shopping center away from home to build confidence. I wore a pleated mini with dark hose (no need to shave) and sandals to a distant mall, and got a few compliments from the store people, while most shoppers really didn't care. Try walking down a busy city street sidewalk, too. I knew after those trials that I could get away with the look without any negative remarks as I progressed to nicer bars and the casinos. For tighter skirts I wear longer shirts untucked so as to cover up the bits. So what if your bits show sometimes? We are men after all...
binx
binx
I was in Albequerque two weeks ago for 4 days, most of the time in a black ankle length skirt and received no negative comments and little or no notice by anyone. so my advice is go for it.Well, I personally think a guide to all aspects of male skirt wearing should be made if it's not already been done. Another nice thing would be a world watch, listing areas of high and low tolerance to this activity, constantly updated by users, or more realistically by a team of admins after having several reports for an area by different people. This would help people avoid trouble, say from gangs and whatnot. I personally have no idea how well something like this is accepted in New Mexico, or more specifically in the general area of Albuquerque and out all directions for about 60 miles, since I do get around that far in different directions. Hopefully there isn't too much aversion to this type of thing here.
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talon2mech
- Active Member
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 7:26 am
- Location: Albuquerque NM
Well you are in luck. I have been wearing skirts in Albuquerque for 4 years now. I have had some interesting reactions and some great reactions.Sashi wrote: At this point, I'm still missing plenty of info I feel. Questions such as, "Is it better to tuck your shirt in or not?" and "Are there certain materials that look better on men or not?" and stuff like that. Not that I won't have enough trouble once I start with the other stuff. I have low confidence in stuff unless I know I'm good or experience with it, and I have to control my temper when people accuse me of being something I'm not. Although the obvious question of, "Are you gay?" could easily be answered with, "Nope, I'm metro-sexual." which is completely true in my case. Not that I have anything against gay people, I just don't like people saying I'm one thing when I'm not.
Here is my advice. Get a knee length denim skirt and wear it like a pair of shorts. Walk around with some confidence and people will react with open minds. As far as gangs go just stay away from the SE side of town and you should be alright!
The thing that makes me confident is the fact that I do not care about peoples opinions. If they don't like what I am wearing then F*&% em'. If they want to accuse me of being gay, then I say "did I set your gaydar off?". If gang members want to mess with me, NM is a concealed carry state. Overall I am not worried and you should not be either.
-Matt
Well, I think you guys are full of good advice here. I would definitely start with a cheaper (money-wise that is) skirt to start out with, since it's a waste to spend tons of money on something you may find out is not for you.
It's nice to know that someone else has been going around town without any major problems for years now. I usually do stay away from the bad parts of town, since I can get everything I need in other areas anyways. I personally wouldn't carry around a weapon with me anyways, even if I could. I bet I'm still a couple of years too young for that anyways, but as long as I stay out of bad areas of town I shouldn't have any gang related troubles.
Well, until I get a job I'm currently broke for awhile, so no skirting for me yet. That and it would probably be best to put it on hold a few months until I've located a place to live on my own, since with my uncle living with me and my grandparents tensions are kind of high. Don't need to add any more problems to the mix, especially since a little bit of patience is all I need to get through this without any major problems occurring with my family. Although skirting is going to reinforce my mom and step dad's belief that I'm gay, according to info from my sister (because I'm basically a metrosexual), so that's something I need to squash at some point *sigh*
Okay, well I'm sick right now so I'll be heading off to rest, but thanks for all of your advice so far :ninjajig:
You do have a point there. I'll still be pulling from both sides of the gender line when it comes to things. As for the shirt thing, I am basically always in a t-shirt (I have a pretty casual personal dress code), and since I've generally never liked the feel of a shirt being tucked most likely I'll avoid it as well, unless I just can't avoid it for some reason or another.crfriend wrote:Actually, the two are perfectly compliant with one another -- just because you have (or assert) the freedom to dress in any manner of attire you see fit doesn't necessarily mean that you have to at any given point in time. It's the choice that's key!
It's nice to know that someone else has been going around town without any major problems for years now. I usually do stay away from the bad parts of town, since I can get everything I need in other areas anyways. I personally wouldn't carry around a weapon with me anyways, even if I could. I bet I'm still a couple of years too young for that anyways, but as long as I stay out of bad areas of town I shouldn't have any gang related troubles.
Well, until I get a job I'm currently broke for awhile, so no skirting for me yet. That and it would probably be best to put it on hold a few months until I've located a place to live on my own, since with my uncle living with me and my grandparents tensions are kind of high. Don't need to add any more problems to the mix, especially since a little bit of patience is all I need to get through this without any major problems occurring with my family. Although skirting is going to reinforce my mom and step dad's belief that I'm gay, according to info from my sister (because I'm basically a metrosexual), so that's something I need to squash at some point *sigh*
That is probably the funniest thing I have heard all day! Personally it makes me think of a person in a suit walking around downtown, but that's just me. From what I've heard, it seems like gay skirt wearers are quite the small minority, which makes it that much more ironic that people believe it. I also totally agree it's none of their business, and if they are only some stranger it's not really gonna matter what they think. But if you know them (such as friends or family), it helps to clear up their misconceptions about you.crfriend wrote:It's none of their business, but if the numbers are any indication, the number of homosexual blokes wearing skirts must be positively tiny. I find the term "metrosexual" rather meaningless if not outright confusing: "You mean you have sex with cities?"
Okay, well I'm sick right now so I'll be heading off to rest, but thanks for all of your advice so far :ninjajig:
http://the-shining-path.blogspot.com
Hatred is learned, not inherited. Let a little child from Iraq play with a child from the United States, and they will play together without a care in the world. Put the children back in their homes and their parents and the media will teach them hate and prejudice.
Hatred is learned, not inherited. Let a little child from Iraq play with a child from the United States, and they will play together without a care in the world. Put the children back in their homes and their parents and the media will teach them hate and prejudice.
Tucking (0f shirts, that is)
My own opinion on shirt tucking is:Sashi wrote:Is it better to tuck your shirt in or not?
a) Tuck only if you are wearing nice belt.
b) Favour shorter shirts if you are plumpish like me otherwise you will look like a slob.
c) Wear either casual shirts or Ghillie (Robert Burns type) shirts.
I also have an opinion on Sporrans, which is, in general, don't bother with them - use a shoulder bag or a belt pack instead, or even better a skirt with secure pockets.
Kilt and skirt tolerance in the South of England where I live is very high so long as you stick to fairly affluent areas (I guess this is the same everywhere - avoid places where men define themselves by aggressive masculinity). I get fewer comments here than in Scotland, strangely.
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crfriend
- Master Barista
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Here's where the going gets tough, but if you can pull it off, do not consider for an instant that you're "shopping in the womens' section" -- instead, consider yourself as "shopping in the clothing section". The semantics of how we view things can make quite a bit of difference in our behaviour.Sashi wrote:I'll still be pulling from both sides of the gender line when it comes to things.
Then you'll be going for casual looks and shirts with straight hems (aka "blouses"). This is fine, as it's a statement of your personal tastes. I'm at the other end of the spectrum, preferring dress shirts, tucking them in, and wearing vests (waistcoats) most of the time. I dress that way at work, and I just swap the tr*users for a skirt when I get home; it saves having to maintain two entirely separate wardrobes.Sashi wrote:As for the shirt thing, I am basically always in a t-shirt (I have a pretty casual personal dress code), and since I've generally never liked the feel of a shirt being tucked most likely I'll avoid it as well, unless I just can't avoid it for some reason or another.
Skirttron's suggestion of "Ghillie (Robert Burns type) shirts" is a good place to start as well.
Retrocomputing -- It's not just a job, it's an adventure!
Oh yeah?
It's funny, but if you wear a sporran with any skirt it seems to become a kilt, so if you need some confidence-building while in a short skirt, this could help. And it also covers the bumps that short tight skirts can reveal. Who says they're just for kilts? I use sporrans so much, particularly ones with magnetic catches, that I sometimes find myself reaching for my wallet there when wearing pants! I also think that "fondling" around for something in your sporran can be a turn-on.skirttron wrote:
I also have an opinion on Sporrans, which is, in general, don't bother with them - use a shoulder bag or a belt pack instead, or even better a skirt with secure pockets.
I've caught a few women looking, and flashing a smile when they look up and make eye contact.binx
"Is it better to tuck your shirt in or not?"
Technically, the difference between a shirt and a blouse is a shirt has tails, a blouse does not. It has nothing to do with puffy sleeves.
Skirts go really great with blouses; look around, see how many women are wearing tops that go down just below the waist and present a nice even line around. That's a blouse.
Although they were once common, men's blouses have just about disappeared. and a woman's blouse won't look right on a man because it has unnecessary extra space in the chest.
So if you can find something without tails --- either a short T-shirt or a men's blouse that looks good on you, or even a shirt you cut the tails off of --- then it will look good not tucked in. Otherwise, you have to tuck it in --- which doesn't look so good in my opinion either, because that ends up emphasizing the waist which men don't have much of. So I go for a non-tuck-in (blouse-type) top when possible.
Sometimes, you can achieve a fashionable look involving non-tucked-in shirt tails. It comes through the runways every now and then.
Technically, the difference between a shirt and a blouse is a shirt has tails, a blouse does not. It has nothing to do with puffy sleeves.
Skirts go really great with blouses; look around, see how many women are wearing tops that go down just below the waist and present a nice even line around. That's a blouse.
Although they were once common, men's blouses have just about disappeared. and a woman's blouse won't look right on a man because it has unnecessary extra space in the chest.
So if you can find something without tails --- either a short T-shirt or a men's blouse that looks good on you, or even a shirt you cut the tails off of --- then it will look good not tucked in. Otherwise, you have to tuck it in --- which doesn't look so good in my opinion either, because that ends up emphasizing the waist which men don't have much of. So I go for a non-tuck-in (blouse-type) top when possible.
Sometimes, you can achieve a fashionable look involving non-tucked-in shirt tails. It comes through the runways every now and then.
Whoa! Sashi, I love that tiered skirt you linked to. And I don't even usually like red that much. Now I want one...but I'm reluctant to spend $99 on it.
I don't have a lot to add here...I tend to wear t-shirts with skirts, but that's by default -- the only other things I have are polo shirts, and those just don't look good with the skirts I wear, to my eye. I also like some kind of jacket, to give me pockets, but I don't really have one that's light enough if it's even moderately warm.
Good to see you here...I thought I was the youngest member of this board (I'm 20) and it seems like most of the members are much older than I am.
I don't have a lot to add here...I tend to wear t-shirts with skirts, but that's by default -- the only other things I have are polo shirts, and those just don't look good with the skirts I wear, to my eye. I also like some kind of jacket, to give me pockets, but I don't really have one that's light enough if it's even moderately warm.
Good to see you here...I thought I was the youngest member of this board (I'm 20) and it seems like most of the members are much older than I am.
Are you crazy? Are you high? Or just an ordinary guy?