Winter cometh

[moonshadow]

First weekend since I've been skirting that is was on the chilly side. Not cold, but chilly. Chilly enough that my cold natured body would have been very uncomfortable without some type of leg covering.

So I break out one of the three pairs of leggings I purchased just for this reason. Put them on, and proceeded to take a day trip to Charleston West Virginia, via I81 to I77, then to US119 back down towards Williamson WV, however we got off on a state route and came home the back way (enjoying the fall foliage and all). Through Grundy Virginia, Drill, Lebanon, Abingdon, and finally home again.

The served their purpose, they kept my legs warm, however I'd like to make a few points on leggings.....
Lets face it, they can be worn without a skirt if one so chooses (women do it all the time), and thus, I suppose are considered pants (or trousers for you folks across the pond), orat least they are not considered underwear.

Not only are they basically "tight" pants, but it brings me back full circle to wearing something that's frankly quite constraining. Sure, it's not as bad as a tight pair of jeans, and at least they are stretchy. But lets face it, wearing a skirt with leggings becomes less about comfort and more about the pleasing "view" of myself in a skirt. In other words, the skirt really isn't necessary, as I'm basically wearing pants under it. I also have the opinion that it's "cheating".

However I do like the way I look in skirts, and I always am game for a little stroll through strange towns, bolding going where no man has gone before (in these parts anyway).

I guess what I'm trying to say is I'll be glad when it warms up again next spring. Winter time is okay, but here I hate "bundling up". I've really gotten used to the feeling of the air between my legs when skirted.

Now I'm home, the heat pump is running and it's warm in the house. I slipped off my leggings and am now wearing the skirt I wore today over bare legs. What a comfort!

Winter can get pretty brutal around February, I'm not sure how the skirts will fare. I plan on wearing them as long as I can stand it. Worst case, I have some thermal underwear I might wear under a skirt, maybe over (or under however it works) a pair of leggings. We'll see.

I know it will look silly, but when you're freezing your a__ off in a 25 degree(F) day with a wind chill well below zero (F), vanity is less important.

Guess I could wear the Macabi (for a windbreaker) over the Mouseworks (fleece) over thermal underwear, over leggings. Bring it on cold weather!

Still I'll be glad when I can enjoy an 85 degree day with a warm summer breeze fluttering a light fabric skirt again. Sadly, it probably won't be until 2016.

On a side note, stopped at a Burkes Outlet in WV. I looked over the skirts but didn't see anything I liked. My daughter picked out a really nice skirt that I just love. It's white with little ruffles, and hangs to the floor. I would have liked to have purchased on for myself, but alas, they didn't have one in my size. Bummer.

I've heard there's a little hippie chic shop somewhere in Bristol that sells mainly clothes. I'm sure they'll have some cool skirts. Might check it out next week.

[Caultron]

I'm not a big fan of leggings, either, except when it's too cold for anything else. You get more cling with cotton leggings, and footed leggings are hard to find. (I don't like wearing visible socks with a skirt or kilt.)

If you haven't tried them already, you may find that heavy tights are warmer than you suspect.

Knee-high boots are another option to consider, although if you want real leather, they can be expensive,

[hairy]

Much the same for me, I hate winter and having to wear anything on my legs so to that I might as well go back to the discomfort of jeans when out in cold for next six months.

[denimini]

Much the same for me, I hate winter and having to wear anything on my legs so to that I might as well go back to the discomfort of jeans when out in cold for next six months.

I am very much the same, tried various things in winter but defaulted to pants and looked forward to summer for a change (most people here dread summer).

[crfriend]

Well, we've had our first official freeze here in the pink little state of Massachusetts, and the mercury (that oh so politically incorrect stuff) bottomed out in the upper 20s (F). This is certainly not as cold as it gets here, but it's slightly uncomfortable nonetheless. Today it'll be tights under a slightly heavier-than-normal skirt when I head out to do the grocery-shopping.

As the temperature drops, I adopt tights, and then, when it's finally close to zero (F) with no wind I go for very heavy skirts with petticoats. The Macabi layered over a Mouse Works fleece sounds like it might work well, but it's definitely a time for longer hemlines!

[dillon]

Moon, I think most of us will agree that manskirting is not wholly about comfort but also about fashion and a bit of rebellion. I live in leggings in winter.

[skirted_in_SF]

Since I've been wearing skirts more and more since July, I think I'm going to try over the knee socks for what we call winter in SF. I may also start wearing shoes in place of my sandals.

As a side question - any of you UK people familiar with a UK brand called Hotter? I received a catalog from them in my newspaper six weeks ago. They claim to make all their non-heel shoes in Britain and they look like they would fit me and not be too bulky.

[dillon]

Looking for our first frost tonight; already 37F at 11pm. I put the polycarbonate panels back on the screened porch today and we filled it with potted plants that had spent the last six months outside. Eight panels with twelve machine screws each, but only a minor hand cramp from the screwdriver work.

[Darryl]

Last winter was great. A lady friend introduced me to fleece-lined tights and fleece-lined leggings. I was post-toasty. I've got them in black and red. Will be looking for better colors this year - basically a solid color without sequins, or fancy designs. Better than long johns when I have to wear trousers, and light and comfortable with a skirt or kilt.

[rick401r]

I also broke out my leggings today. 34F this morning. So black leggings, black acrylic/wool kilt, black kilt hose, black boots, and a black tee shirt under a red fleece jacket.

[jeanfor]

I basically never wear leggings. I prefer a pair of warm socks with a wool skirt or kilt. It has to be below 0 for me to wear my black or navy blue long jones that you can wear like leggings. But most of the time I wear a below the knee wool skirt or kilt and I am never cold. Wool is quite amazing!

[skirted_in_SF]

I also broke out my leggings today. 34F this morning. So black leggings, black acrylic/wool kilt, black kilt hose, black boots, and a black tee shirt under a red fleece jacket.

Whew, for a moment there I thought you were going to be monochromatic black.

[skirts4me]

Friends in the northern hemisphere, enjoy your skirting during your winter months. A few years ago I spent several months attached to a church in the south-west of Australia. Though my position prevented me from wearing skirts openly at the time I quite often walked across the crisp, frosty lawn, on a winter's morning, for morning prayer, wearing shorts and open sandals - no socks. Here in Perth, Western Australia, right now it's warming up ahead of summer. We've already broken the 119 year record for the number of days when the day's temperature exceeds 30°C in October, with more to come. Envious? When summer gets here it will definitely be skirt weather. It will be far too hot for an unmentionable Tchaikovsky ballet. Down here, "sumer is icomen in".

[DonaldG]

I prefer to wear long wool or leather skirts with boots (no socks).

Hotter Shoes are made in the UK - I have buckle strap shoes and a pair of walking boots, both bought in Charity shops, as Hotter is an expensive make to buy new.

[JeffB1959]

Here in the Philadelphia area, I break out my heavier fabric midiskirts which I pair with tights and knee high boots (flat and heeled) and I'm go to go for winter. I also bought three corduroy knee length skirts I recently bought at Sears which should work well for colder weather.