Noticability

General discussion of skirt and kilt-based fashion for men, and stuff that goes with skirts and kilts.
jjjjohanne
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Noticability

Post by jjjjohanne »

I had two recent outings in skirts that were notably different. On the first outing, I wore a red skirt that hung to just below my knees with a striped top. I thought it was a nice outfit. I felt like it drew a lot of attention from people. By that, I mean, a lot of people looked at me in very obvious ways. On the second outing, I wore a gray, pencil skirt that hung to just above my knees. I noticed very few looks. Most people did not look at me in a way similar to when I am out in shorts or any other menswear. I think the darker color of the gray skirt (and perhaps the lack of being flowy) made it not stand out. It was like being invisible in public while wearing a skirt.

So, if you are nervous about going out in public, or if you are going out with your spouse for the first time and she is nervous, I say: strongly consider wearing a dark gray knee-length pencil skirt.
Kilty
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Re: Noticability

Post by Kilty »

jjjjohanne wrote:I had two recent outings in skirts that were notably different. On the first outing, I wore a red skirt that hung to just below my knees with a striped top. I thought it was a nice outfit. I felt like it drew a lot of attention from people. By that, I mean, a lot of people looked at me in very obvious ways. On the second outing, I wore a gray, pencil skirt that hung to just above my knees. I noticed very few looks. Most people did not look at me in a way similar to when I am out in shorts or any other menswear. I think the darker color of the gray skirt (and perhaps the lack of being flowy) made it not stand out. It was like being invisible in public while wearing a skirt.

So, if you are nervous about going out in public, or if you are going out with your spouse for the first time and she is nervous, I say: strongly consider wearing a dark gray knee-length pencil skirt.
Pencil skirts (esp. Denim) are my go-to item for invisibility. I think the Pencil cut is very masculine as well, hence no looks. Male colours are naturally dark, grey, black, navy, though in summer it's nice to have something bright to wear :)
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crfriend
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Re: Noticability

Post by crfriend »

Here are a few thoughts on the above observations.

Brilliant colours certainly draw the eye when worn by men -- precisely because so few men wear such hues in any sort of quantity. Couple the colour with the vastly larger (compared to trousers) surface area of a skirt and the net effect is to attract even more attention. Bright shades -- especially highly saturated ones -- will draw the most attention, less saturated ones (pastels) will draw less; less fabric (less fabric, less flare) draws less attention that more flare, which brings us to this: A "pencil skirt" will draw less attention than an A-line skirt because the skirt fits closer to the body and, thus, will appear less "different" than the expected trousers.

What people pick up on is difference from what's expected - this is why denim is essentially invisible today because it has become part of the background-radiation. Hence a denim pencil skirt will likely go unnoticed at a fast glance as that's all anybody usually gets unless one really stands out from the crowd. A full denim A-line skirt might gather a second glance or two but will quickly fade into the background-radiation as "normal". However, something large and brightly coloured is going to attract the eye simply because it's different and unexpected.

Pick your mode: if you're unsure, pick denim and try to blend in; if adventurous or in a very buoyant mood, go bright. The options in skirts are myriad more flexible than those for trousers. Part of the fun is trying to decide what to do (and whose head to fiddle with)! Enjoy it!
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Wonderful Electric
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Re: Noticability

Post by Wonderful Electric »

There is a biological attraction to red colors. It’s why stop signs are red
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Sinned
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Re: Noticability

Post by Sinned »

I wear bright colours, not because I want to be noticed but because I have always liked bright colours. Blue, red, purple and yellow are my favourites. But yes, bright colours on a man are rare and even rarer in the stores.
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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Re: Noticability

Post by skirtyscot »

I love wearing my red cord mini. Everyone notices it, so I have to be feeling confident. It's for winter, with tights, so I'm having a break from it right now. In the meantime I will have to make do with green and whatever colour oldsalt1 wants us to wear next month!
Keep on skirting,

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moonshadow
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Re: Noticability

Post by moonshadow »

Red will certainly attract the attention! I have a few red skirts myself...

I think my favorite look was this one: (click for link)

And yes... I literally... stopped traffic....
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weeladdie18
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Re: Noticability

Post by weeladdie18 »

I am wearing my Argyle Kilt Jacket as a male top. My latest wear is what I call a Cornish Sulu. No one has ever seen a Figian Sulu.
To me this "Cornish" garment looks suspiciously like a black male pencil skirt with the hem just below the knee and three box pleats in the rear hem
for ease of movement......worn with a soft leather drovers sporran on a heavy male waist belt.

When I am dressing I feel less conspicuous in black with a sporran to confuse the perception of what people are seeing.

I feel that people have more important issues in their lives than looking at my clothes. It is rather like going to a Highland gathering
and getting bored looking at Kilts.....The Human Mind will not store the images of say 500 Kilts and switches off.....interesting

.............weeladdie.............
weeladdie18
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Re: Noticability

Post by weeladdie18 »

Some years ago a friend and I were discussing the purchase of an original black Cornish Kilt.....I gave up the idea as the garment lacked an accurate
pedigree of authenticity.........my friend gave up on the idea as his wife suggested the black Kilt looked like part of her school uniform.

The garment would have been the same for both of us , but the perception was different........

I have never seen on one of these garments in the wild..........Saw a gentleman an a smart tweed traditional Scottish Kilt.....For me
that garment did stand out as it attracted my curiosity.............weeladdie
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Caultron
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Re: Noticability

Post by Caultron »

weeladdie18 wrote:...I feel that people have more important issues in their lives than looking at my clothes. It is rather like going to a Highland gathering and getting bored looking at Kilts.....The Human Mind will not store the images of say 500 Kilts and switches off...
About 4-5 years ago I went to a number of Scottish or Caledonian festivals here in Arizona (and yes, they do have them, and way more than 4-5 people attend), and seeing so many men in kilts was, in fact, a bit boring.

But it was refreshing to know there were so many men who, given the correct stimuli, would go unbufurcated.
Courage, conviction, nerve, verve, dash, panache, guts, nuts, balls, gall, élan, stones, whatever. Get some and get skirted.

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Happy-N-Skirts
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Re: Noticability

Post by Happy-N-Skirts »

All of my skirts are denim, khaki, gray. They are all about an inch above me knees, therefore they blend in like shorts. I where them in public and on trails and national parks. In the past five years I have only been noticed twice and the comments have been positive.
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Re: Noticability

Post by geron »

On holiday in the south of France, last night I went out with my wife to dinner with dancing afterwards at a seaside restaurant. It was time to make my first outing in this:
https://www.hiatus-shop.com/en/every-me ... rutus.html
I was expecting that I might have to explain to someone that it was actually a French kilt and therefore legit., but no-one seemed to notice. It's really a skirt, though the pleats at the front may make people assume it's a pair of shorts; and, as others have said above, the black may have made it invisible. Also, the various news stories from France last summer about bus drivers and others wearing skirts to cope with the heat may have helped to normalize them.

Incidentally, this skirt is light and very pleasant to wear, and really well made. I bought mine online in a sale, so it wasn't quite as expensive as it looks. The one comment I did receive was from my wife, who pointed out that she was wearing the trousers....
Freedomforall
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Re: Noticability

Post by Freedomforall »

Geron that one has captured my eye for some time now. Did you find the sizing to be accurate?
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denimini
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Re: Noticability

Post by denimini »

moonshadow wrote:Red will certainly attract the attention! I have a few red skirts myself...

I think my favorite look was this one: (click for link)

And yes... I literally... stopped traffic....
Just don't wear it in Pamplona around early July.
Anthony, a denim miniskirt wearer in Outback Australia
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Re: Noticability

Post by Freedomforall »

[
Just don't wear it in Pamplona around early July.[/quote]


You must elaborate on this, please.
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