skirtcafe.org

Spotted this article on men's make-up. It starts with that but ventures into the reasons men don't wear make-up, which sound like they probably apply to clothing choices too. Not sure make-up for guys will catch on before skirts do (not mentioned in the article), but it's a quick read.

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/201902 ... mainstream

Thank you Dust. It's the sort of article MOH should read as what applies to make up also applies to clothes. But I suspect that even if she were to read it, and I will try to get her to, it wouldn't change her stance on my skirts. The sad part is that were she to accompany me out while I was wearing a skirt she would see the lack of reaction.

“Today, Harwood lends his face to gender-free and vegan make-up brand Jecca Blac. But if men aren’t quite ready for rouge, they’re definitely up for a bit of spit and polish. The male-grooming business, valued at $57.7billion (£44.6billion) in 2017, is growing exponentially. According to Research and Markets, the market is set to reach a quite staggering $78.6billion (£60.6billion) by 2023.”

Hi guys and here we have it. If the man skirt business was considered to have a fraction of this potential, then we’d see a leap forward. Until then?
Steve,

One thing that occurred to me. In the article it shows a picture of 3 men all tastefully and well made up. But that's the point - it was all professionally done! Let's face it there are women that can put on the war paint and look absolutely fabulous but I posit that they are in the minority. Most women can handle make up to a creditable standard after years of practice from being a toddler. And once they have learnt "a look" with eyeshadow, mascara, foundation, lipstick and son they use the same look time and again, without change. Some women just haven't learnt the skills and as such look, well ....

Can you really see men being any better? Boys aren't brought up the same way and judging by the way they choose their clothes they get stuck in the same drab rut. I don't use make up for two reasons the main one being that I am just too lazy to learn the techniques needed to make the best of make up. And I suspect that most other men will be the same and either do make up badly or not at all. Thoughts?

What you do is start off gradually. Find a lipstick color that is relatively inconspicuous. And then get an eyeshadow unit with several colors and brushes to apply the eyeshadow. Then there's mascara. Something I have not mastered is eyeliner. I don't feel I need to mess around with foundation and rouge as I am blessed with a clear ruddy complexion with no beard shadow (my whiskers are grey so they don't stand out).

I think the models use makeup excessively; the idea in my opinion is to enhance the appearance without making the makeup too obvious. One person who really violates this idea is New York's "wonderful" Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with her garish red lipstick.

John

I was told by an instructor of hairdressing and make up application that it should come into the category of "less is more". In other words ideally it should look as if you aren't wearing any make up. The make up should enhance the good points in the face and hide the blemishes. I hear what you say, John, but I ask again, how many men would have the patience in this "I want it now" environment? You obviously have the time and patience and that's good. And at my time of life I just don't have the time to learn and have better things to do with that time.

Most men who are clean-shaven have to shave. My makeup regimen takes no more time than it takes to get a decent close shave. However I don't have a beard shadow so I don't need foundation.

My feeling is if a man has a prominent beard shadow then he ought to simply have a beard. I think Richard Nixon with his beard shadow would have looked much better with a beard.

I read somewhere at one time both genders used makeup. And the comes along dear old Queen Victoria, who declared makeup was ostentatious and sinful, so both men and women quit using makeup. Women had the courage to resume the use of makeup upon the passing of Queen Victoria but men with their neurotic male anxiety did not do so.

JohnH wrote: I read somewhere at one time both genders used makeup. And the comes along dear old Queen Victoria, who declared makeup was ostentatious and sinful, so both men and women quit using makeup. Women had the courage to resume the use of makeup upon the passing of Queen Victoria but men with their neurotic male anxiety did not do so.

My understanding is that this is roughly what happened to male skirt wearing. I read it was the French Revolution instead of a queen, and it killed basically all colorful clothing as well as skirt wearing, but same idea.

JohnH wrote:What you do is start off gradually. Find a lipstick color that is relatively inconspicuous. And then get an eyeshadow unit with several colors and brushes to apply the eyeshadow. Then there's mascara. Something I have not mastered is eyeliner. I don't feel I need to mess around with foundation and rouge as I am blessed with a clear ruddy complexion with no beard shadow (my whiskers are grey so they don't stand out).

I think the models use makeup excessively; the idea in my opinion is to enhance the appearance without making the makeup too obvious. One person who really violates this idea is New York's "wonderful" Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with her garish red lipstick.

John

This is where I think skirt wearing is having trouble. How does one gradually start wearing a skirt? It's either one tube or two. This may be why fashion designers keep sticking male models in both pants and a skirt. I suppose a long shirt and skinny pants could gradually evolve into a dress and tights, but pants to a skirt is always a bit of a step change, and always noticable

JohnH wrote: My feeling is if a man has a prominent beard shadow then he ought to simply have a beard.

I always figured if you can grow a decent beard, you should. I'm encouraged that they seem to be coming back into style, at least in the circles I run in, here in America.

Dust wrote:I always figured if you can grow a decent beard, you should.

Personally, I concur. I also happen to think that long hair is more becoming to both sexes than short or, worse, shaven.

Dust wrote:

JohnH wrote: My feeling is if a man has a prominent beard shadow then he ought to simply have a beard.

I always figured if you can grow a decent beard, you should. I'm encouraged that they seem to be coming back into style, at least in the circles I run in, here in America.

With my chest mounds and bra size of 40DD, wide hips, and long hair I would look mighty strange with a beard. On the other hand I do have a deep bass voice so it is a shock for people when they expect to hear a feminine voice, they hear me speak with a voice sort of like Johnny Cash.

John

JohnH wrote:

Dust wrote:

JohnH wrote: My feeling is if a man has a prominent beard shadow then he ought to simply have a beard.

I always figured if you can grow a decent beard, you should. I'm encouraged that they seem to be coming back into style, at least in the circles I run in, here in America.

With my chest mounds and bra size of 40DD, wide hips, and long hair I would look mighty strange with a beard. On the other hand I do have a deep bass voice so it is a shock for people when they expect to hear a feminine voice, they hear me speak with a voice sort of like Johnny Cash.

John

Which comes to mind:
I don't know if it was Johnny Cash or some other singer - "A Boy Named Sue" ? lyrics in the song or something like that.

I have been reflecting a bit more on this and it was the beard and cosmetics which led me away from the cross-dressing scene and heralded my arrival at the café.
I never felt that I ever achieved a passably femme appearance facially and I did not have the luxury of tuition either.
My ambition had always been to sport a beard but that also created a mental paradox with regard to my fashion choices. Bear in mind that I also smoked a pipe for the whole duration too.
At the outset of the beard, I virtually abandoned the skirts but found that unsustainable in the long run. That led to my first mental health diagnosis, counselling and the Skirt Café. The rest is history and I have managed to retain both to a fair degree of satisfaction.
There is one irony, I probably spend more now on male grooming products than I did on the cosmetics.
It would be very interesting to see if anyone came up with ideas as to how a beard and make-up could be combined at some practical level?
Steve,

I read somewhere that foundation and facial hair are incompatible. But with facial hair I can't see any reason not to wear lipstick or eye makeup.