Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

General discussion of skirt and kilt-based fashion for men, and stuff that goes with skirts and kilts.
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Daryl
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Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by Daryl »

This is a list of disadvantages I've discovered with different general kinds of skirts. It is not a list of disadvantages of skirts overall. If you have any to add, including experiences with dresses as well as skirts, please do add them.

1. Lately I've discovered a disadvantage to my new circle skirts. They are long (mid-calf when standing) and full. When I sit on an office chair I can wind up accidentally rolling over the hem because it reaches the ground and then some. The risk is that I could tear the skirt by rolling too far or by standing up before rolling off the skirt. The elastic waist on these skirts may have been the only thing that prevented the latter so far, tugging the waist down a bit rather than tearing the skirt. I am compensating by being more deliberate about sitting down but I fear that it's only a matter of time before a repair will be needed.

2. Another disadvantage of my new circle skirts is that when I sit in the car they dangle out the door. I haven't driven away like that yet, but that may be only a matter of time too. I have also had to be sure that my skirt made it all the way into my home before closing the door. It tends to flow behind me and my door closes by itself.

3. All fuller skirts suffer from this disadvantage, but I am noticing it more with my circles. Full/wide skirts can knock things off lower shelves and tables if you're not careful, just because they hang out from your body. Only straight or pencil skirts seem as immune to this as pants.

4. When I wear straight skirts my stride is limited enough that I cannot take two steps at a time. That's no great loss by itself but I did find it slightly embarrassing once when I went to enter a building that had these unusually high steps outside, requiring me to hike my skirt up a bit to take them. When I exited the building I looked around for the handicapped ramp but found some steps that were slightly shorter so didn't need to use it.

5. Skirts that are full enough to not limit my stride but not long enough to dangle over my knees when sitting may not automatically fall between my legs if I sit down with my legs spread. Since a lot of my sitting is on the sideways seats of buses and subway trains, I have learned to always close my legs before sitting then spread them only once I have a hand free to push the skirt down between my legs. (Mostly I don't even bother spreading my legs in these skirts, but sometimes I don't feel like sitting with my legs together the whole time. Since I can cross my legs at the knees I mostly do that instead, and it serves the purpose.)

6. Fuller skirts are more easily blown up by the wind. Even if you succeed in holding your skirt down, you will look like you are holding it down, and people will find a man struggling to keep his skirt down amusing. (There is no solution to this problem. Just smile along with them.)

7. When fixed the traditional way, lungi require frequent re-tightening or re-rolling at the waist. I think this may be worse on heavier gents (like myself).

8. Some kinds of thawb limit stride more than others, and kick-boxing is out of the question in all of them.

9. Shorter dresses and nightshirts can rise too much when you reach up, potentially exposing others to a view they didn't pay for. (Sleeveless dresses with shoulder straps closer to the neck, or sleeved dresses with narrower yokes, may not suffer from this as much.)
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Re: Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by Grok »

What I refer to as a poncho style caftan is basically a cloth tube, with holes for head and arms. This style garment tends to limit ones stride. It also tends to limit how wide one can spread one's legs when sitting down.
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Re: Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by Daryl »

Grok wrote:What I refer to as a poncho style caftan is basically a cloth tube, with holes for head and arms. This style garment tends to limit ones stride. It also tends to limit how wide one can spread one's legs when sitting down.
Got any pictures?

Some thawbs limit leg-spreading as well but is that a bug or a feature? I often find it convenient because it allows me to rest my legs in that partially open position, which is harder to do than fully spread for me if I have to hold them there myself. Basically, I get to enjoy the different position without exerting any muscular effort.
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Re: Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by crfriend »

Daryl wrote:This is a list of disadvantages I've discovered with different general kinds of skirts. It is not a list of disadvantages of skirts overall. If you have any to add, including experiences with dresses as well as skirts, please do add them.
The fault, dear gentlemen, is not in our skirts, but in ourselves.

The "faults" listed are all common with long/full skirts and require attention to detail in motion and wearing to overcome. In short, it takes work Compounding the issue, men are not taught these things as youngsters by their mothers as their mothers never contemplate that their little boy may someday wear skirts (this happens with daughters today, as well, so that's a bit of an equaliser in the modern world). But these are skills that can be learnt, although in the case of men it's going to be by first-hand experience, trial and error (mostly error), and only occasionally observation.

Wide skirts, especially ones accentuated by petticoats, are going to knock stuff off tables and will tip over the little piles of stuff on the floor that we all have. The answer to this is to either exercise heightened situational and positional awareness and stay clear of said objects or not have such objects in the way. The other option is to ignore things and merely pick up the mess after the fact (this is easiest with things like papers and hardest with spilt liquids).

Rolling over the hem in an office-chair. Although there is no perfect cure for this, it can be partially combated by approaching the chair properly and lifting the rear of the skirt a few inches before sitting down. This motion takes the place of the "sweep" that one uses with kilts and tighter skirts and can be executed quickly and modestly with folks watching. Stand in front of the chair facing out, gently grasp the back in a hand on each side, lift, and back into the chair and sit once your legs hit. That'll at least keep the rear hem out from other things. Note that it's still possible to run over the front or the sides, but at least some of the problem is lessened.

Getting into a car in a long full skirt presents its own problems, and those are mostly solved by an exaggerated sweep with the left hand (for those barbarians who drive on the right-hand side of the road) designed to catch everything and get it into the vehicle in one fluid go (this, obviously, is especially important in low cars, in the rain, or on dirty ground). Worry about adjusting it once you're in the car, and double-check that the whole thing is in before closing the door. This is especially challenging if your skirt has a hoop in it; mildly challenging if you've got a full petticoat; and pretty easy otherwise. Just pay attention.

Wind. This can actually be fun so long as you're wearing proper under-things as getting a bit of wind up one's skirt is one of the unsung joys of wearing skirts, and I suspect the gals like it as well. The trick is not to fight it, but rather to spill the wind creatively so it doesn't fill the skirt and make it rise (too far). Think spilling the wind from a sail and you'll get the idea; a quick and subtle lift on the downwind side is usually enough to do the trick. If you're standing on a subway-grate then you're just asking for it, and it'll usually be hot.

With dresses, a lift of the hem when reaching is inevitable and that's down to human mechanics. Anything connected to (or supported by) the shoulders is going to move any time the shoulders do, and restraining that motion will either inhibit the reach or make things very uncomfortable someplace else. So, situational awareness is again your friend; if you think you're going to be in for some work that requires reaching, don't wear your shortest dress. Unless you're alone or in the company of those who won't care.

So, all of these problems are solvable, and fairly easily so. The only one that can't be easily solved is how to sit astride a horse comfortably and gracefully, but that's a critter of a different colour altogether. But how often, really, is one required to ride a horse?
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Re: Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by Grok »

I expect that, if this exercise is continued, that we could list pros and cons for each (general) type of skirt. We would likely notice trade offs between the different types.

An implication being that a variety of skirts will be desirable! :idea: :D
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Re: Trade offs between kilts

Post by Grok »

Traditional kilts tend to appear during special occasions. And no wonder-with associated regalia, traditional kilts look grand. In terms of appearance, very few male outfits can even approach traditional kilts as formal wear.

Of course, utility type kilts-the "blue jeans" of kilts-are more practical than traditional kilts. They tend to be designed with excellent pockets. And belt loops. These designs can be described as good, general purpose garments. Good all rounders.
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Re: Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by Big and Bashful »

I find with long skirts, even skirts with a train, sitting in my computer chair in the house, when I need to roll forward I just use my hands and keep the skirt clear of the wheels, it works well and you soon get used to it. Now I also find that when I go to move, under the skirt there is normally a small heap of kittens, they love long skirts to nest in along with bare feet, which is nice!
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Re: Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by beachlion »

One of the Dutch soccer-wonders, Johan Cruijff, had a string of vague, oracle like quotes. On of his famous ones was:"Every disadvantage has its advantage."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Cruyff

So I think that with some common sense you could find for yourself the good and the bad of cerain styles of single pipe garments. They can be of aestetic, visual matter, how they feel on your body in and out the house or how the garments behave in your daily movements.

I just found out the a skirt with darts creeps up more than my usual circle skirts. So I have to be more careful with sitting.
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Re: Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by Couya »

I have a short denim skirt that I like to use when out walking. Last night was very hot, and I decided to wear it to go to an open air show in town. Surprisingly, I found a free seat ... and discovered the disadvantage of too short a skirt. Sitting in the heat waiting for the show ot begin, my bare thighs on the plastic seat, I left pools of sweat on the seat when I finally decided to move.
Not very nice for whoever came to use the chair I had abandoned.
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Re: Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by Gusto10 »

Daryl wrote:This is a list of disadvantages I've discovered with different general kinds of skirts. It is not a list of disadvantages of skirts overall. If you have any to add, including experiences with dresses as well as skirts, please do add them.

1. Lately I've discovered a disadvantage to my new circle skirts. They are long (mid-calf when standing) and full. When I sit on an office chair I can wind up accidentally rolling over the hem because it reaches the ground and then some. The risk is that I could tear the skirt by rolling too far or by standing up before rolling off the skirt. The elastic waist on these skirts may have been the only thing that prevented the latter so far, tugging the waist down a bit rather than tearing the skirt. I am compensating by being more deliberate about sitting down but I fear that it's only a matter of time before a repair will be needed.

2. Another disadvantage of my new circle skirts is that when I sit in the car they dangle out the door. I haven't driven away like that yet, but that may be only a matter of time too. I have also had to be sure that my skirt made it all the way into my home before closing the door. It tends to flow behind me and my door closes by itself.

3. All fuller skirts suffer from this disadvantage, but I am noticing it more with my circles. Full/wide skirts can knock things off lower shelves and tables if you're not careful, just because they hang out from your body. Only straight or pencil skirts seem as immune to this as pants.

4. When I wear straight skirts my stride is limited enough that I cannot take two steps at a time. That's no great loss by itself but I did find it slightly embarrassing once when I went to enter a building that had these unusually high steps outside, requiring me to hike my skirt up a bit to take them. When I exited the building I looked around for the handicapped ramp but found some steps that were slightly shorter so didn't need to use it.

5. Skirts that are full enough to not limit my stride but not long enough to dangle over my knees when sitting may not automatically fall between my legs if I sit down with my legs spread. Since a lot of my sitting is on the sideways seats of buses and subway trains, I have learned to always close my legs before sitting then spread them only once I have a hand free to push the skirt down between my legs. (Mostly I don't even bother spreading my legs in these skirts, but sometimes I don't feel like sitting with my legs together the whole time. Since I can cross my legs at the knees I mostly do that instead, and it serves the purpose.)

6. Fuller skirts are more easily blown up by the wind. Even if you succeed in holding your skirt down, you will look like you are holding it down, and people will find a man struggling to keep his skirt down amusing. (There is no solution to this problem. Just smile along with them.)

7. When fixed the traditional way, lungi require frequent re-tightening or re-rolling at the waist. I think this may be worse on heavier gents (like myself).

8. Some kinds of thawb limit stride more than others, and kick-boxing is out of the question in all of them.

9. Shorter dresses and nightshirts can rise too much when you reach up, potentially exposing others to a view they didn't pay for. (Sleeveless dresses with shoulder straps closer to the neck, or sleeved dresses with narrower yokes, may not suffer from this as much.)
Skirts, contrary to trousers ome i many more lenghts and widths. So there should be an easy solution for the problem.
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Re: Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by skirtyscot »

Daryl, it strikes me that you are looking at this the wrong way. Advantages of skirts: they are so varied that you can always choose one that avoids a particular problem, so long as you anticipate it when getting dressed. For the office: choose something shorter. (Or get a chair without wheels!) For a windy day: eschew the joys of your circle skirts - I have long skirts which let me climb stairs two at a time, but the wind could never lift them up and expose me. Et cetera.

Or learn to deal with the problem. Getting into a car: just pay attention, man! Public transport: keep your knees together. Et cetera.

Compared with the inherent problem with trousers, that they are badly designed for the male anatomy, and generally severely lacking in variety, these little matters are as nothing.
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Re: Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by Sinned »

I had a conversation earlier in the week with one of my female colleagues at work. She asked why I like to wear skirts and quite a long discussion followed. She said that surely the issue of long skirts, climbing stairs, short skirts lifting in the wind etc were disadvantages. I use Carl's reasoning to say that they weren't disadvantages but merely our lack of control of the inherent qualities of the skirt. Thanks Carl. I think that I left her with a better appreciation of skirts and their characteristics.

I really don't find that there are any real disadvantages to skirts. They are what they are and we must learn to use them to our advantage. Of course we have a steeper learning curve because we have come to them late in the day, so to speak, but I do feel more and more comfortable in them by the day.
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Re: Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by Fred in Skirts »

I have found more disadvantages with pants than I ever found with skirts. I don't think I will ever go back to pants.
Yes it was a steep learning curve but it is easily mastered all you have to do is keep wearing skirts and you will learn to control them fast enough. :lol:
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Re: Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by denimini »

Horses for courses. Obviously the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or we wouldn't wear them.
I would say the biggest problem with a mini skirt is feeling your bare legs contacting pubic seats. I suppose it is no worse than sitting on a public toilet.
I had a mini that was a bit tight in the hem but being stretch denim it didn't limit my stride - but the hem gradually rode up my thighs when walking.
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Re: Disadvantages of Different Kinds of Skirts

Post by Grok »

Straighter skirts tend to limit the stride. One must sit with care to avoid exposure. However...they stay down when the wind tends to blow other skirts up.
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