Going up stairs

General discussion of skirt and kilt-based fashion for men, and stuff that goes with skirts and kilts.
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Derek Plattis
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Going up stairs

Post by Derek Plattis »

Hello all,
Ive been wearing skirts, on and off, for a long time now. I love the feel of a skirt around my legs so I always wear long skirts - usually ankle length. I have never mastered a good way of walking upstairs in a long skirt, especially when carrying things - shopping bags or whatever. I can't walk in high heels ( and I have size 10.5 (UK) feet.) Does anybody have any tips on not tripping over and not adopting an extremely ungainly gait?
Thanks in advance,

Derek
trainspotter48
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Re: Going up stairs

Post by trainspotter48 »

Generally the trick when wearing a long garment is to use one hand to lightly 'bunch' the fabric at thigh level, thereby raising and pulling forward the hem clear of the feet, which can then ascend the staircase unrestricted.
(As observed from my wife teaching 'young ladies' how to wear a period costume for theatrical productions)
Derek Plattis
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Re: Going up stairs

Post by Derek Plattis »

Yes, thanks for that Trainspotter. That's pretty much what I do but it's still awkward when both hands are full like in shops or railway stations!
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Jim
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Re: Going up stairs

Post by Jim »

It may not look chic, but the good old-fashioned "gird up your loins" works for me for stairs or when I want a longer stride than is possible with a skirt with a shorter hem diameter. Pull some of the top section of your skirt lapping under a belt making the skirt temporarily shorter. An ankle-length skirt can turn into a knee-length skirt quickly and temporarily.
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Fred in Skirts
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Re: Going up stairs

Post by Fred in Skirts »

You could do what the Japanese Samori did, They grabbed the back hem and pulled it between their legs and tucked it into the front waist band.
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Derek Plattis
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Re: Going up stairs

Post by Derek Plattis »

:lol: I don't think I'll try that.......but thanks for the suggestion.
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Kirbstone
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Re: Going up stairs

Post by Kirbstone »

Derek,

Instruct your Manservant to carry all the bulky items for you, leaving your dainty little hands free to manage your raiment so you can ascend any stair with great elegance.

Tom
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Re: Going up stairs

Post by pelmut »

If the skirt is only just long enough to pose a tripping hazard, walking on tip-toe will prevent tripping.  Walking up stairs sideways can sometimes work. Kicking the front hem forwards seems to work if there is just a single step, but it doesn't work on a staircase.
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Derek Plattis
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Re: Going up stairs

Post by Derek Plattis »

Kirbstone wrote: Fri Feb 11, 2022 10:39 pm Derek,

Instruct your Manservant to carry all the bulky items for you, leaving your dainty little hands free to manage your raiment so you can ascend any stair with great elegance.

Tom
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Myopic Bookworm
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Re: Going up stairs

Post by Myopic Bookworm »

As a church chorister I have often had to go up and down stairs (often quite narrow or uneven ones) in a full-length cassock. Lifting the front edge with one hand is undoubtedly the best approach. If you have both hands full, it is usually possible to go up one step at a time, using the raising of the knee to flick the front hem up, but you have to be quite deliberate about it.
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Kirbstone
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Re: Going up stairs

Post by Kirbstone »

Swop churches, MB. I croak back-row tenor for our local St Brigid's Cathedral choir and we assemble in cassocks by the West Door and process up the length of the Nave (flat) to the choir stalls and back again at the end.

I once attended 'Elevenses' at Sandringham and noted that the organist was got up in full length ecclesiastical regalia, not so myself as I ascend a narrow spiral stair leading to the organ loft of our local church where for years I have filled in for the regular lady and jazz the hymns up a bit for the punters. Fun!

Tom
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Myopic Bookworm
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Re: Going up stairs

Post by Myopic Bookworm »

I was once winched up to second tenor for a choir with a desperate shortage, but you wouldn't get me up there now, and my early experience as a substitute organist is also unlikely to be repeated.

One choir trip did find me wearing a plain tweed kilt under my cassock in the choir stalls of a medieval cathedral. In those days I was experimenting with what I believe is called "going regimental", and having mistimed my return from a walk, had to stay that way for the service, braving the chilly draught striking up from the very cold stone floor...
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Re: Going up stairs

Post by Dust »

The tip I received for going up steps in a cassock was simple:

"Don't look down."

The idea here is that if you bend forward to look at your feet, the front of the hem will go down, causing you to trip.

But a cassock is not a floor sweeper, so your milage may vary, but good posture may help. If the skirt is long enough, you may still need to lift the hem. But even just a few inches off the ground makes a world of difference. Also, skirts and fitted dresses are less prone to the hem dropping as you look down than loose dresses, which include most cheap cassocks. Still, if you work on your posture, it can't hurt.
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Re: Going up stairs

Post by crfriend »

Dust wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 12:39 amBut a cassock is not a floor sweeper, so your milage may vary, but good posture may help. If the skirt is long enough, you may still need to lift the hem. But even just a few inches off the ground makes a world of difference. Also, skirts and fitted dresses are less prone to the hem dropping as you look down than loose dresses, which include most cheap cassocks. Still, if you work on your posture, it can't hurt.
Good posture does more than add confidence to one's stance -- it also improves the odds that one won't develop back problems in later life. If only I'd learnt that earlier on in life...
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