Running into family / friends / collegues

General discussion of skirt and kilt-based fashion for men, and stuff that goes with skirts and kilts.
Eevee
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Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by Eevee »

I haven't been online for quite a while, but suddenly thought about this forum and realized I made so much progress compared to last time I was here.
I've been wearing skirts a lot more often while hiking. Even once in a shopping mall looking at skirts in the stores while wearing a skirt with tights.
I noticed it feels so much more natural this way. I prefer having no way to hide that the skirt would be for me, that way I can focus on finding a nice skirt without having to worry about others. Also when hiking I don't feel that scary feeling anymore like I used to. Getting out of the car still makes me a little nervous, but really a lot less than I used to.

I used to always carry jeans with me in a backpack, but I also stopped doing that. I sometimes even leave them at home now.

But I still have one fear, running into someone I know. My wife knows about my skirts and is supportive of me wearing them around the house.
And as long as she's not with me it's fine in public. But that's causing my fear, what if I run into someone I know?

I happened me once now that I saw someone I knew (fortunately in a crowd) and I don't think he saw me. But that was really close.
I think my wife wants to keep it between us, and I'm fine with that. But on the other hand, it's unlikely to never run into anyone you know your whole life.

What would I tell if I run into someone I know? I'm probably fine with just telling them that I just like skirts.
Having to hide part of who you are makes me sometimes sad, although I also am glad that at least when I'm by myself it isn't an issue.

How do others cope with this?, is this an issue at all for you?
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Caultron
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by Caultron »

Eevee wrote:...What would I tell if I run into someone I know? I'm probably fine with just telling them that I just like skirts.
Having to hide part of who you are makes me sometimes sad, although I also am glad that at least when I'm by myself it isn't an issue.

How do others cope with this?, is this an issue at all for you?
Just play it straight, as if you were wearing shorts or trousers. No explanations, no cowering, no apologizing, just straight. Everything's OK. These aren't the droids you're looking for.

If they ask why you're wearing a skirt, try one of these:

* I'd get arrested if I just went around in my underwear.

* I'm just goofin' around.

* I'm just havin' fun being goofy.

* I've always wondered what it's like.

* One good thing about being an old man is that you get to be a crazy old man.

* Outstanding freedom of movement, excellent ventillation, no chaffing... (especially when hiking)

* I've been wearing trousers my whole life, and I just got tired of it.

* Residual teenage rebellion.

* I'm nuts.
Courage, conviction, nerve, verve, dash, panache, guts, nuts, balls, gall, élan, stones, whatever. Get some and get skirted.

caultron
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phathack
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by phathack »

In a conversation with my brother I mentioned that I was going to a local scottish festival an would be wearing a kilt in our clan tartan. We had dinner together later that night and I was still wearing my kilt.

A few weeks latter I was invited over to his place again for dinner and instead of a kilt I wore a simple A line skirt. DId not seem to make any difference to the family.
Now at family dinners you don't know what I'm going to be wearing, skirt, leggings or pants of some kind.

I just showed up at a friends house one day in a skirt and we went running around town all day in his truck, most of my friends know that I wear skirts from time to time and none seem to mind. There are a few friends that I'm not out to, they are of a more conservative religious mindset and are not as accepting of my fashion sense as most of the people in the metro area.


Since its winter time here I'm more likely to wear leggings or pants to keep my legs warm than to be in a skirt.
But come spring I'll break out my skirts which I generally wear when its warm out.



:ugeek:
Happy-N-Skirts
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by Happy-N-Skirts »

I have gone through the stages you have as I am certain we all have. I tell people I am wearing a hiking kilt because it allowed freedom and comfort, unlimited stride, and ventilation. I say we met a group of back packers who were all wearing them and I thought it looked like a good idea so I bought one. I usually don't wear a skirt within a couple of miles from home where I would be recognized. I wear them to state and national parks, gas stations, restaurants, ranger stations. So far in about eight years I have never been noticed, stared at laughed at or any other comments. While hiking on trails I am frequently asked to take someone's picture in front of a sign, view, etc. with their camera. No one has noticed my skirt even when having a face to face discussion. ENJOY !
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Caultron
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by Caultron »

Happy-N-Skirts wrote:I have gone through the stages you have as I am certain we all have. I tell people I am wearing a hiking kilt because it allowed freedom and comfort, unlimited stride, and ventilation. I say we met a group of back packers who were all wearing them and I thought it looked like a good idea so I bought one. I usually don't wear a skirt within a couple of miles from home where I would be recognized. I wear them to state and national parks, gas stations, restaurants, ranger stations. So far in about eight years I have never been noticed, stared at laughed at or any other comments. While hiking on trails I am frequently asked to take someone's picture in front of a sign, view, etc. with their camera. No one has noticed my skirt even when having a face to face discussion. ENJOY !
I don't get a lot of comments when out hiking I do get some. The most common are, "I like your kilt," and, "That must be comfortable."

A few weeks ago a woman along the trail asked if I was Scottish or something, and I told here that no, I was just being goofy and having fun with it, and then she gave me a big grin and high-fived me.

Two weeks ago our group passed a woman looking under rocks for native life forms. She stood up, took one look at me, and exclaimed, "A camouflage kilt! I love it!"

For the record, never in 70 years has anyone remarked, "Hey, I like your pants!"

As to going out skirted or kilted close to home and being recognized, I worried about that at first but now don't give it a second thought. People may be slightly surprised for half a second but no more negative than that. So I'm a bit eccentric. So what? The world is full of eccentric people. Just look people in the eye, be friendly, and be confident.
Courage, conviction, nerve, verve, dash, panache, guts, nuts, balls, gall, élan, stones, whatever. Get some and get skirted.

caultron
STEVIE
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by STEVIE »

Age old and perennial problem that we all have had to deal with in one way or another.
I won't pretend that it will all be sweetness and light, especially with family.
Practice where and whenever you are comfortable. Learn to be yourself regardless of the clothes. They do not make the man.
When it happens, and it will, be natural and above all, let it happen.
Nerve wracking, sure, but a vital part of the journey.
As a scarred veteran of such encounters they can be the lowest and highest moments of your skirted journey.
I would not change them for anything.
Steve.
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by Darryl »

I didn't even think about it when I started wearing skirts. I just went places I needed to go to and did what I had to do. I've met, spoken with and otherwise interacted with friends from my church with no problems - being dressed in pencil skirts, a-lines, midis, minis, running skirts, dresses, and kilts. There were a couple who kinda gave me the 'whassamatta you' look in the beginning but that also passed.

Now ... on Sunday mornings I've always turned out in an argyle kilt suit and Wednesday is a more casual 'peasant' outfit (with a laced-neck tunic top, more or less). I have, on occasion run out of time and just went as I was...and the overall impression might be summed up in one friend's response. Having come straight from my 'workout' going up and down Iroquois Hill, I was dripping sweat, wearing a t-shirt and 'running skirt' and a boonie hat. After the hour-long meeting concluded we stood up to leave and he looked me up and down, then commented "your HAT is sweating...." [True, it was still sopping wet, being the only thing I was wearing not designed to wick sweat away from the body and evaporate it quickly.]

Being 'on-call' at work I have even been in the office properly dressed a few times when I got a call. Kilted on those weekends the RenFair or Celtic Festival or Highland Games were going on, skirted otherwise. I do carry a pair of shorts or trousers in the car now for 'call-up' situations because I may have to climb some ladders and/or crawl about on the floor monkeying with cable runs, data/voice drops and so on. We only wear suits on special occasions (last Thursday, for example, people were in from offices all over the country and we had a photographer come in to do some photos for the web site and so on...even the IT guy...) but I usually will wear a Navy blazer and when needed, overcoat, so I'm just a tad towards the high end of 'business casual.'

We're a fairly conservative state, but I'm in a city known for its liberal leanings. I grew up in the Highlands (the beginning of the 'East End' (a higher income, liberal-leaning area...or at least middle-of-the road) and in 2000 we moved cross-town to the Dixie Highway area (redneck country).

Maybe I just haven't met the wrong people yet. But I think most simply don't care unless it impacts them some way or another. It also appears that 'dressing up' just a bit covers a multitude of cognitive dissonances. If I can develop the eye and 'feel' for putting outfits together like SkirtsDad and Jeff1928 (?) and a few others notable gents here I suspect the thought might not be 'why is he wearing a skirt' but rather 'wonder where he's going, all dressed up?'

Just a ramblin'
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crfriend
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by crfriend »

Darryl wrote:Being 'on-call' at work I have even been in the office properly dressed a few times when I got a call. Kilted on those weekends the RenFair or Celtic Festival or Highland Games were going on, skirted otherwise. I do carry a pair of shorts or trousers in the car now for 'call-up' situations because I may have to climb some ladders and/or crawl about on the floor monkeying with cable runs, data/voice drops and so on. We only wear suits on special occasions (last Thursday, for example, people were in from offices all over the country and we had a photographer come in to do some photos for the web site and so on...even the IT guy...) but I usually will wear a Navy blazer and when needed, overcoat, so I'm just a tad towards the high end of 'business casual.'
I finally said, "The heck with this noise." (the polite version) one time when I got called in to my last job to fix a management-self-inflicted gunshot wound and wore a skirt in on the weekend -- and made it really clear that I was here on MY TIME and the clown who called me in is going to have some explaining to do. I believe I've recounted the experience here before, but the cast of characters who were on-site that day included a lot of grunts and the main manager from the UK office.

Set the scene: Saturday late morning, the power quits at the office, and several computers fall over that shouldn't have. I'm relaxing at home, already with a couple of beers on-board. The "Phone Call" comes in: "We need you here NOW!" // "I'm 45 minutes away at the shortest. What's going on?" // "Systems 'X', 'Y', and 'Z' are down!" // "Why?" // "The power is out." // "The office is dark and the rest of the stuff is going to quit in 15 minutes if the generator fails to fire up -- and even then the comms gear is going to fail once its UPS's batteries go flat." // "Get in here!" // "45 minutes." // "I don't care, get in here!"// "OK." -- and I recall commenting to my late ex-, "They want me to go in, and I don't give a damn. I'm wearing what I have on." And so off I went.

I showed up about 45 minutes later, right on time, the comms gear had all shut down other than what was on the diesel, and I got the dirtiest look imaginable from the guy from the UK. I merely glared back and went to work, taking about 30 seconds to find the problem and another 10 seconds to fix it. I hung out for a little while longer helping out on some of the other issues, and then headed home in time for a late lunch.

Interestingly, on Monday, when I was back in trousers (this was before I started formally wearing to work) I ran into the guy from the UK, and was astonished by his comment of, "You really rocked that look on Saturday!" I think that there was just a little bit too much stress over the week-end.
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Sinned
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by Sinned »

I don't sweat it whoever I run into, relative or not. MOH seems so concerned about neighbours seeing me in a skirt but I guess that most of them already have. Certainly anyone who matters and knows me. So why's she worried? I don't know. I just act naturally and if they ask I tell them. No problem, but most don't even mention the skirt. I don't care anymore and the only person who I take note of is MOH. So don't worry, be happy.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.
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skirtingtoday
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by skirtingtoday »

I am in the same position as you Sinned in that a lot of our neighbours have seen me skirted, people at bridge clubs have seen me skirted (usually knee-length) - some of them have seen me in shorter minis in local shops as well - and at curling and golf, many have seen me skirted. All with no negative comments and any comments are either positive or the "I wouldn't dare to wear a skirt" variety.
However MOH's arguments centre around the "What will the neighbours think?" Go figure!

So long as others are ok with it, I am more than happy to continue wearing them! Even met a few whilst wearing blue tights (and red ones at curling - reported elsewhere on this forum)
"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on" - Winston Churchill.
"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it" - Joseph Goebbels
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phathack
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by phathack »

skirtingtoday wrote:... "What will the neighbours think?"
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" :)


:ugeek:
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skirtingtoday
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by skirtingtoday »

My thoughts exactly!!! :D :lol:
"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on" - Winston Churchill.
"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it" - Joseph Goebbels
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Kilted_John
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by Kilted_John »

phathack wrote:
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" :)


:ugeek:
Just be prepared for:

"The name's not Frank, and don't call me 'dear'." ;-P

A guy who I used to work with at an auto repair shop/wrecking yard used to use your quip all the time. We all finally started using the retort above.

-J
Skirted since 2/2002, kilted 8/2002-8/2011, and dressed since 9/2013...
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by crfriend »

Kilted_John wrote:"The name's not Frank, and don't call me 'dear'." ;-P
And stop calling me Shirley.
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Re: Running into family / friends / collegues

Post by STEVIE »

Today I was effectively blanked (ignored) by my Wife and Daughter.
Ouch!
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