Why men don't wear skirts ...

[Hotdog]

Hi. I’ll tell you why I don’t yet wear skirts publicly: it’s out of respect for my wife, who is clearly not ready to accept this style of clothing for me. I respect that, principally because change is always hard to accept, especially when you've been married for many years.

Anyway, I am in the process of getting her to slowly accept that her man can wear skirts and still be masculine. OK, not much success there yet, but there’s been progress on the home front since I changed tactics: as skirts were off limits, I went for kilts, even though they’re more expensive – I hate paying more for basically the same thing, but one must do what one must do... I guess that in the long run, the difference between a skirt and a kilt will become pointless, as both are unbifurcated garments.

In the mean time, we don't really talk about it much, but she knows I am stocking slowly but surely on kilts (I have one, and 2 more on order). I know my wife: badgering her will only aggravate things. I guess that through the silence on this subject, the acceptance is filtering like osmosis.

At 48, I have been in love with her for the last 31 years. I will not choose skirts over my wife, but I believe I won't have to. This challenge will be overcome with time, love and understanding.

I have a woman's kilted skirt in Black Watch tartan that I wear for hill walking in the summer. I am always very concious when I meet somone that my kilt is really a skirt as its fastened on the left-hand side.
However I have discovered this company in Scotland that make a woman's kilted skirt that looks like a man's kilt and is fastened on the right hand side.
http://www.kinlochanderson.com/highland ... adieswear/
I am planing to get one as its a lot cheaper than a man's kilt and its a lot lighter and cooler to wear in the summer.

[r.m.anderson]

Aye a great idea - I like a thrifty scotsman!
A word of 'caution' since you are going to be wearing a kilted/skirt
made for a woman - that the measurements actually fit you. Make
sure that they know that in advance. Could be that they might
charge you more for mens sizing but if you are of a small to medium
size it should not make much of difference. There will be more
fabric needed in the waist and less in the length.
Another thing to watch out for the number and type of pleats across
the rear may be different for the ladies.
Just some casual observations for you to consider.
Good Luck and let the forum know how this works out for you!
r.m.

[Hotdog]

Aye a great idea - I like a thrifty scotsman!
A word of 'caution' since you are going to be wearing a kilted/skirt
made for a woman - that the measurements actually fit you. Make
sure that they know that in advance. Could be that they might
charge you more for mens sizing but if you are of a small to medium
size it should not make much of difference. There will be more
fabric needed in the waist and less in the length.
Another thing to watch out for the number and type of pleats across
the rear may be different for the ladies.
Just some casual observations for you to consider.
Good Luck and let the forum know how this works out for you!
r.m.

Getting the size right is not a problem as I normally wear a size 18 to 20 (UK), 32" long straight black skirt. The kilted skirt that I wear at the moment is a size 20 and its 26" long, which is just the right length for me as I am over 6". I don't think that anybody would know how many pleats a traditional kilt should have unless they were a highland dress expert. The thing that interested me about this skirt is the fact that it opens on the right-hand side so that it looks like a man's kilt, but I think that only a woman would notice that my present kilt opens on the left and is in fact a ladies skirt. I should point out that I only wear this kilted skirt in the summer, for hill walking when its very hot.

[SkirtDude]

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[Peter v]

Your last reason not to, is a very important one, as I can imagine that a wide skirt, most skirts, would probably catch easier on things, especially when we move downwards, than a pair of p*ants would, them being "tucked in at all times.

Peter v.

[AMM]

I don't think that anybody would know how many pleats a traditional kilt should have unless they were a highland dress expert. ...

Keep in mind that how many pleats, and how deep, is a matter of fashion and look.

Fashion, because, as I understand it, the 7-8 yard kilt is fairly recent in the history of the kilt, 4 yards was more typical 100-150 years ago. As far as I can see, the extra yardage doesn't have any practical advantage, but, like one-of-a-kind designer clothes, it does allow you to show off that you have money to burn.

Look, because if you have a tartan kilt and want to "pleat to sett" or "pleat to stripe", the number and placement of the pleats is constrained by the pattern of the tartan.

I should point out that I only wear this kilted skirt in the summer, for hill walking when its very hot.

There's a long-standing tradition of "walking kilts," which are much simpler (and have less fabric) than the so-called "traditional kilt." Often done in tweed.