A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Fourm

matman · Post by **matman** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 5:32 pm

Ready for a great laugh?

Background: Casual neo-wearer here. That means I wear lycra type comfortable skits around the house, sometimes in the yard, and have ventured out on errands maybe ten times in my Mountain Kilt. Grocery store, drug store- type errand runs.

OK, so yesterday I had to fill up the car with gas, and went with my Mountain Kilt on. My anticipated exposure, so to speak, would be limited to the comparatively short time I expected I'd be out of the car to pump the fuel.

Well, fate had another plan, as I LOCKED THE KEYS in the car! Holy Smokes. What was I in for?

A lady was on the other side of the pump with her vehicle, so plan A was to see what help she could be. I explained that I'd just locked my self out and wondered if I could get a ride home if she was going the same way as I. She was going the same way, but after quickly glancing at my kilt and navy blue knee high sox, she said she couldn't.

So, I walked and jogged home, mostly along a main arterial, at noon-thirty on a Friday afternoon, to get home. The distance was some 30 blocks, including just one stop-light controlled intersection where I had to wait and then cross in front of lots of traffic. Then the sidewalk crossed in front of a grocery store and some busy offices. More crossing directly in front of waiting vehicles.

Fortunately I got home before my wife (she does not approve of my going outside skirted), changed, and phoned her at work. She was able to come home and we went and fetched the car, only with the assistance of a tow-truck operator. (Neither one of us could locate the extra key to the car, so breaking into it was the only option.)

So, those are the facts of what happened. It was interesting how I reacted. The first several minutes were feeling of Holy Smokes, Got No Options, etc. Guess I survived. I wonder how many folks just thought the kilt was a pair of shorts. So those who noticed got perhaps their first small-town exposure to modern type kilts for men.

Anyway, it was funny, and I'm glad my wife wasn't yet home from work when I first returned to find the other key, etc.

r.m.anderson · Post by **r.m.anderson** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 6:17 pm

Always carry a spare key in: 1) Your sporran; 2) Utilikilt pocket;
3) your wallet if not using a sporran; 4) back of kilt buckle if wearing
a belt or taped to the belt itself; 5) fasten inside a shoe/boot; many
more places to stash a key. DO NOT hide the spare key on the
vehicle - car thieves are really smart about finding these places.
Fortunately for you that you did not lock yourself out of the house.
And that is another key that you should have a spare for just in case.
Been there - done that - lesson learned!

Since1982 · Post by **Since1982** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 9:14 pm

Does your wife go outside skirted? Or is she one of those "I have the right to wear whatever I please, (Mostly all types of trousers) but my husband doesn't" types...

iain · Post by **iain** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 10:21 pm

I think we all know the answer to that one. Women can wear whatever they want.. it's their right.

The reason some women don't approve of their men wearing unusual garments is pretty simple--they consider the man an extension of them. So if the man looks different or absurd in some people's eyes, they reckon they will as well.

Secure people feel comfortable with themselves and they allow people close to them to explore their own selves. But there are so few self-secure people in the world, it's small wonder that change in their partners can seem unbearable. It's something which they know they can't control and some unreckoned side effect might discredit their world view.

Whoops! Sorry--almost forgot to negate my whole reasoning by saying:

:twocents: :whiteflag

Very interesting story though about getting locked out of the car.. funny how things conspire against our secrecy sometimes!!

matman · Post by **matman** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 10:37 pm

Thanks, Iain.

I guess the real point is I thought I was taking "baby steps" when fate conspired to convert my effort into "big steps"

ChristopherJ · Post by **ChristopherJ** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 1:22 am

As many people say, the reaction from other people largely depends on how you (the skirt wearer) comes across. If you think that wearing a skirt is a problem and act furtively and hide behind the bushes when someone walks towards you - then their reaction will often be: "Look out! Problem in the bushes!"

But if you can at least try to appear relaxed - and I believe this comes with practice - then people will react towards you in a fairly relaxed manner. They will not see you as either a problem or a threat.

(she does not approve of my going outside skirted)

Obviously, I'm not the only one who found this a little odd - but then, I live alone.

My immediate thought was - what is she going to do? Tell you off? FFS. If wearing a skirt is something that you enjoy doing - and I certainly do - then I would suggest that it would be best for your own well-being to follow your instinct and not allow any other person - even your wife - to prevent you from being who you want to be.

Website · Post by **crfriend** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:56 pm

ChristopherJ wrote:[...] If you can at least try to appear relaxed - and I believe this comes with practice - then people will react towards you in a fairly relaxed manner. They will not see you as either a problem or a threat.

Absolutely. However, it's not something that can be forced -- either you're confident or your not. There is a range in there, I'll grant, and you wind up projecting that whether you intend to or not. So, if it's not there for real you're stuck, and "acting", from my experience, usually does not work.

As an aside, you're probably a bit more confident than the average bloke if you've got the guts to go outside wearing a skirt. Personally, after "getting the hang" of how to actually wear a skirt properly, and modestly, around the house and yard, I just "took the plunge" went out and didn't look back -- and I'm not known as the most confident person in the world. But, looking rationally at the issue, what was "wrong" with my attire -- NOTHING!

ChristopherJ wrote:Obviously, I'm not the only one who found this a little odd - but then, I live alone.

There are more sad litanies when it comes to blokes wearing skirts and their wives or girlfriends than there are happy ones, if from what I hear here and other places is true. That's unfortunate, but people can be really obstinate when it comes to tossing aside notions they've held dear most of their lives -- especially when it comes to those closest to them; hence we get the situation of wives/girlfriends with the notion of, "Skirts are okay on guys -- just not mine!"

ChristopherJ wrote:My immediate thought was - what is she going to do? Tell you off?

Sometimes it's just easier to "suck it up" and play along. Is it worth tossing the relationship over this?

ChristopherJ · Post by **ChristopherJ** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 1:42 am

As an aside, you're probably a bit more confident than the average bloke if you've got the guts to go outside wearing a skirt. Personally, after "getting the hang" of how to actually wear a skirt properly, and modestly, around the house and yard, I just "took the plunge" went out and didn't look back -- and I'm not known as the most confident person in the world. But, looking rationally at the issue, what was "wrong" with my attire -- NOTHING!

For me it was simply that - once I discovered that I enjoyed wearing skirts, I felt that I had a decision to make. Do I keep this "in the closet" and simply wear skirts in my own home - in secret - or do I actually go out in the street and wear skirts? I immediately knew the answer - as I absolutely refuse to live any part of my life in secret. So I decided to begin wearing skirts out and about in my town.

The first time I was very scared - I actually went out wearing tracksuit bottoms over my skirt and took them off in the car. But once I got out of the car and began walking towards the town centre, I managed to look rationally at what I was doing and - as you say - realised that there was NOTHING WRONG with what I was wearing. After that I was fine. I still get nervous every time I go out in a skirt - but it passes quickly.

Sometimes it's just easier to "suck it up" and play along. Is it worth tossing the relationship over this?

No - I wasn't suggesting that. But taking the "easy" road usually doesn't satisfy anyone. The woman may still not be happy as she knows that the husband is merely complying with her wishes just to keep the peace - and the man may be very resentful at having to curtail his own freedom of expression in what he wears. The easy road in fact can often lead to a very bumpy one - in my experience anyhow.

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:39 am

I guess I'm in the same boat with you, Matman. I'm not totally "out" with my skirting for several reasons, but mainly out of regard for the feelings of my family. They're pretty tolerant of my eccentricities at home, and I'll often wear a skirt in the backyard or workshop. They tolerate me wearing one at the beach or when we're camping or hiking. But we know so many people in our small town, and it is a very religious and conservative community, that my appearing at the supermarket in a skirt would certainly elicit talk. My wife and I both interact a lot with our community on several levels, professional, social, and business, and it doesn't make sense at this juncture for me to alienate anyone. My day will come. Meantime I won't embarrass my kids for the sake of "male fashion freedom."

After all, wearing a skirt is a bit of a self-indulgence, and my family's feelings are certainly more important to me than my choice of clothing. Plus I'm not particularly obsessive about what I wear and when - it's just not that important to my quality of life. Deferring my self-indulgences seems like a pretty small sacrifice for the people I love more than anything in the world.

I was fishing at the beach last fall on a nice day, alone, wearing a camo skirt that reaches just above my knees. I do that on the few occasions when I have time for fishing. I headed home a couple hours after dark and encountered a police "driver's license check" roadblock not far from home. At these checks they are actually looking for drunk drivers, and while one looked at my license, another was shining a flashlight around the interior of my truck looking, I suppose, for open beer. He spotted the fact that I was wearing a skirt, nudged his buddy to look. The other cop said nothing but just shook his head in disbelief, sort of a "Now I've seen everything" shake.

I was sure they were going to make me get out of my truck and walk the center line just for a laugh. I hadn't been drinking (much) but I was so flustered by then that I was sure I'd fall right over!:scared: But he handed my license back and said "Have a good evening, sir." I know they were laughing as I drove away, but so was I by then.

Sasq

davereporter · Post by **davereporter** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:39 pm

I'm not totally "out" with my skirting for several reasons, but mainly out of regard for the feelings of my family

I would agree with that for similar reasons. I do live in a small community and the sad thing is that people don't seem to have much better things to do than gossip about others. Wearing a skirt out does get noticed (last year a distant relative saw me in a skirt and rang up my mother-in-law to ask her how come she lets me go out in a skirt to which she replied it's his business and there is nothing wrong with it) so I have to respect that.

Our day may come but I hope I am not too old by then to enjoy it.

David

cessna152towser · Post by **cessna152towser** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 11:25 pm

Yes, first time out in public in unfamiliar clothes is scary but the more you do it the more you gain confidence, and if you look confident you are far less likely to get a negative reaction from others. I started wearing kilts as everyday wear to work four years ago, purely by accident because I sustained a leg injury and couldn't get into trousers for a few weeks, so a kilt which wrapped round and then buckled up was the obvious solution but I found the experience so comfortable that I then continued to wear kilts once or twice a week and over the last four years I have gradually come out by appearing kilted among various friends and interest groups, and yes the first time is always scary, but after people have seen you in a kilt they come to expect to see you in it and it is no longer an issue. Indeed since Christmas I have only worn trousers out in public once, and that was of my own choice because I knew I would be clambering in and out of aeroplanes that day, and one acquaintance greeted me that day with "Good Lord! Trousers!". Interesting what the wives say about skirts. My wife is happy for me to wear any of my twelve kilts. I've recently bought my first two skirts, both are camos from Midas Clothing and while I've been out two days very publicly in the box pleat camo, of which once to an airport and once to a zoo with my wife, the unpleated camo. with the vented front is a different story, being a much more radical departure from my usual kilted style and I have yet to overcome my own self consciousness and my wife's resistance before going public in this one.

Sashi · Post by **Sashi** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:58 am

True, small towns can be a pain to do anything different from the norm, since every seems to know everyone. Luckily that won't be a problem for me, as I'm not social enough to know most people anyways. My grandpa on the other hand knows everyone practically, and has the ability to strike up a deep conversation with just about any random stranger!

On topic: Very interesting story! Must've been a really interesting experience. Now that you've been out so long kilted, do you plan to try it again? Although, technically you didn't plan to be so publicly put on display during this outing, but still...

Yorkie · Post by **Yorkie** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:58 pm

[FONT="Arial"][/FONT]I have not yet had the courage to go out in public. I do however wear skirts and kilt type skirts pottering around home. Friends and family have seen me in them as well as the ocassional canvasser. Before Christmas an elderly friend called with her Christmas card and she was not phased what so ever in fact she was quite complimentary.

skirtcafe.org

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Fourm

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Fourm

Wife Doesn't approve..