How many is enough to normalise us?

General discussion of skirt and kilt-based fashion for men, and stuff that goes with skirts and kilts.
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weeladdie18
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by weeladdie18 »

dillon wrote:
Dust wrote:
Grok wrote:I think skirt like garments might be slightly easier to popularize than dress like garments. Partly because of kilting, but perhaps also because skirts may be somewhat less jarring. If a man wears a man's shirt with a skirt, he is partly conforming to tradition.
Definitely. A dress is two steps removed from what men are used to. First, it's one tube instead of two. Second, it's one piece top and bottom. If it's sleeveless, or an unusual (to menswear) fabric, that's another step or two.
Kinda goes back to garments tailored to the male body. Unless you have pretty buff arms, shoulders and pectorals, I’d avoid sleeveless dresses. Or shirts for that matter. No reason a dress can’t be tailored like a mans shirt.
This issue of the difference between male and female clothing sizes has had considerable airing....

Some males may be able to successfully wear some female clothing sizes but not others...The various free sizing and
elasticated waists are gaining popularity with the male....The basic male is a different shape to the sizing of the female.

The only way round this is to discover where the male can try on and buy female garments off the peg...
Doing four charity shops in one town in a couple of hours is the cheap and simple answer....

Some female clothes stores have racks of skirts which may be in your style and may fit you....
That is another simple start
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beachlion
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by beachlion »

For the statistics: in Lehigh county are at least 2 male skirt wearers, me and a guy I saw at Best Buy. With two in Philadelphia brings the total to 4 in PA.
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partlyscot
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by partlyscot »

STEVIE wrote:Hi SS,
I reckon that it may be a case of how often just as much as how many to get “Joe Public” accustomed to a guy in a skirt.
Up here, I have been around the city centre on a regular enough basis that I have just become another part of the background.
I have also visited enough shops, pubs and other establishments that any other skirted guy would likely be less than a novelty.
The only flaw in this is that Aberdeen has still got a village mentality for the size of the place.
Steve,
I live in Calgary, a city of over a million. I don't wear pants, unless it's seriously below freezing, and then only for the commute by train or bus. I haven't been seen in pants at work for over 2 years. I often spend time reading at local book stores, sitting with a coffee usually. Of late, I've had people say to me "you live down near...." or "you work at...don't you?" because they've recognized me in my skirts. On the one hand, I am happy that it has caused me no issues, on the other, my only successes in convincing others....I gave one skirt to a friend, and he has worn it out at least once to a "plaid ride" and a couple of guys have worn kilts to work a few times. On one occasion, a wife, and then her husband asked me where I got my skirt because they thought the style was suitable. (neither realized the other planned to ask me) I know of one guy who wears Arab or Indian style robes, and have seen a few others in utillikilts, or kilts, one of which was a very interesting tweed kilt or skirt suit. It's not a desert, but I would like to see more.

My girl friends nephew saw his grandmother a while back in a dress, and was somewhat surprised, asking her what it was and why she was wearing it. He seemed quite taken with it and asked if he could have one, and he was told yes. His mother said, "guess we're going dress shopping tomorrow" and was fine with the idea, but then he never brought the subject up again. He's seen me in skirts numerous times, and has never so much as blinked.

I don't want to push skirt wearing on anyone, but I do feel if a few more guys did it, there are a fairly noticeable % would love to try it. What surprised me was that **I** was the one around here who had the nerve first, and it didn't cause any problems.
weeladdie18
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by weeladdie18 »

beachlion wrote:For the statistics: in Lehigh county are at least 2 male skirt wearers, me and a guy I saw at Best Buy. With two in Philadelphia brings the total to 4 in PA.
Thank you Beach Lion....This statistic is a clear indication of how few Men in Skirts there are likely to be in one region.
Perhaps folks do not have time to chill out and consider skirt wearing as a life style
pelmut
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by pelmut »

dillon wrote: Being gay, of course, doesn’t imply an interest in wearing skirts ...
A friend once pointed out to me that if a 'gay' man (in the modern sense of the word) wants to attract a man who prefers a relationship with another man, why on earth would he dress in a way that might be mistaken for a woman?
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by dillon »

pelmut wrote:
dillon wrote: Being gay, of course, doesn’t imply an interest in wearing skirts ...
A friend once pointed out to me that if a 'gay' man (in the modern sense of the word) wants to attract a man who prefers a relationship with another man, why on earth would he dress in a way that might be mistaken for a woman?
Exactly. We often equate gay with effeminacy and affected mannerisms but that’s just a stereotype. Men who are attracted to men look for masculine character just as women do. Not that this gives me comfort. It just means as a skirted man I may not be attractive to either women or men. I suddenly feel lonely...
As a matter of fact, the sun DOES shine out of my ...
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by moonshadow »

pelmut wrote:
dillon wrote: Being gay, of course, doesn’t imply an interest in wearing skirts ...
A friend once pointed out to me that if a 'gay' man (in the modern sense of the word) wants to attract a man who prefers a relationship with another man, why on earth would he dress in a way that might be mistaken for a woman?
That's a double edged sword though...

I think part of the angst against skirt wearing men from other non skirt wearing men is a few of them might be ever so slightly turned on by us, and that makes them question their own sexual orientation. Understand these type of men despise the very idea of being the list bit sexually attracted to someone of the same sex.

I know it happens, because it's happened to me. I recall bending over to help my neighbor work on his car back in Damascus. An RV repair man was passing through looking for the landlord, as I was bent over under the hood, all he could see was my legs (which are rather "feminine" shaped) sticking out from under a skirt. His "heeeeyyy" was somewhat flirty... that is until I leaned up, turned around, and approached him to find out what he wanted. I turned that grin right upside down the closer I got... I could tell he was embarrassed. :lol: And he couldn't deny to himself that for a moment there.... he got turned on by a GUY.... :twisted:
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by Dust »

pelmut wrote:
dillon wrote: Being gay, of course, doesn’t imply an interest in wearing skirts ...
A friend once pointed out to me that if a 'gay' man (in the modern sense of the word) wants to attract a man who prefers a relationship with another man, why on earth would he dress in a way that might be mistaken for a woman?
I remember watching a video (I believe it was linked here in the news and advocacy forum) about a guy who would wear heels to work. He got a lot of support from female coworkers. Towards the end of the video, he made a comment about negative reactions from gay friends. I got the impression he was gay but scoring no points with other gay guys from his choice of footwear. If anything, he was attacked for it.
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by Grok »

Dust wrote: Definitely. A dress is two steps removed from what men are used to. First, it's one tube instead of two. Second, it's one piece top and bottom. If it's sleeveless, or an unusual (to menswear) fabric, that's another step or two.
One possibility is to get inspiration-in a very general way-from Middle East garb. Consider the thobe, or perhaps a jellaba if you want a hooded garment. Could you get ideas that might work in a Western context?
Last edited by Grok on Tue Feb 05, 2019 12:26 am, edited 6 times in total.
weeladdie18
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by weeladdie18 »

Some of the Male caftan styles go back nearly 50 years ...many of the Asian Male caftans are very colourful

At present I prefer Male upper garments with a skirt
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by crfriend »

Grok wrote:The one dress like garment that I can see gaining-during my lifetime-a small measure of acceptance is the Caftan.
Keep saying, "No", and your echo-chamber will continue to tell you, "No."

Try thinking outside the box.
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Grok
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by Grok »

Inspiration, yes. But the details can look wildly different. Consider the image of a Chinese dragon robe....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robe
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by crfriend »

Grok wrote:Inspiration, yes. But the details can look wildly different. Consider the image of a Chinese dragon robe....
I've been after something like that for decades but the cost is prohibitive for anything reasonably authentic -- and sized for a large westerner.
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by dillon »

partlyscot wrote:I don't want to push skirt wearing on anyone, but I do feel if a few more guys did it, there are a fairly noticeable % would love to try it. What surprised me was that **I** was the one around here who had the nerve first, and it didn't cause any problems.
Or at least admirable men in the public eye. Celebs or polits. And preferably not ones as bat-**** crazy as Kanye.
As a matter of fact, the sun DOES shine out of my ...
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Re: How many is enough to normalise us?

Post by Pdxfashionpioneer »

OMG!

Read the posts of the people who are out in the open with their skirt, or in my case dress, wearing … it just takes one per locality.

Just so long as he's comfortable and confident while doing it.

I buy dresses all the time "off the peg."

If there isn't a men's fitting room in plain sight, I ask a sales associate where I can try on my find; it's often the women's fitting room. In one Ross Dress for Less, the fitting room monitor practically insisted on it!

It does get me attention, but as my recent post says, "Of the Best Kind." Almost no one's been mean to me and no one's taken a shot at me.
Last edited by Pdxfashionpioneer on Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
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