Colour me pleasantly surprised...

If you're new to the Cafe, please grab a seat by the potted palm, settle down with a nice big latte, and tell us a little bit about yourself. Please also look here for forum principles and rules.
Post Reply
RobAlta
Junior Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2020 9:04 pm

Colour me pleasantly surprised...

Post by RobAlta »

Hello Skirt Cafe'ers, my introduction...

I'm a 73 year old Western Canadian who has worn skirts about the house for years (having been blessed with a very agreeable wife who'd rather I was happy than conventional). Sadly she passed earlier this year and I am now "on my own" for the first time in almost 50 years.

We always spent time on Vancouver Island and I am currently continuing the tradition albeit solo. This has presented an excellent opportunity to test out the central premise of this group, that being as I understand it "Wear what you like, where you like, and everything will be just fine, really!"

It's absolutely true! I brought a number of skirts on the trip and have worn them to a local cafe/bakery, the grocery store, walks around a quite heavily trafficked resort, on nature trails, skirt shopping (more on that), dealt twice with my landlady while skirted both times, etc, etc.. So far the most common reaction is absolutely no reaction, the negative reaction counter is still at zero, the shock and awe counter is at 1 (a double take with no hint of dislike at what she was seeing), and several reactions have been really positive.

The skirt shopping was a pleasure. It was a consignment womens' shop but the first comment as I entered (in an ankle length blue wrap skirt) was "Looking for a skirt?". This was followed by much digging around and querying me as to what exactly I had in mind, and referring me to a sister shop nearby. Couldn't have been treated better!

So, if you are reading these posts as a fellow newbie and wondering if it really is as simple as it is made to be here... it is, at least on Vancouver Island.
User avatar
Sinned
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 5804
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2012 5:28 pm
Location: York, England

Re: Colour me pleasantly surprised...

Post by Sinned »

Welcome, RA. You have just proved that people just don't care what you wear. They may think that you're a bit eccentric at your age but hey, you've worn skirts for a long time so you should be used to them by now. You were lucky to have an accepting wife though I am sorry for your loss. 50 years is a long time together and you should be congratulated for that.

MOH isn't quite so accepting though tonight she was gardening and I was attempting to coax some jigsaw pieces to get together in party sizes greater than 6 when MOH wanted me in the garden to cut some high branches. I said that I was in a skirt and went out so attired to perform the deeds. She hasn't said anything - yet.
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.
User avatar
denimini
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 3224
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:50 am
Location: Outback Australia

Re: Colour me pleasantly surprised...

Post by denimini »

Welcome. A great first post which will encourage those who are agonising over wearing skirts in public.
Anthony, a denim miniskirt wearer in Outback Australia
Faldaguy
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 1122
Joined: Sun Feb 02, 2020 5:09 am
Location: Costa Rica

Re: Colour me pleasantly surprised...

Post by Faldaguy »

Welcome aboard. Though relatively limited at that time, my skirt wearing days started in B.C. I hate to admit how far back, but still some of the hippy era outlook may have helped; but Okanogan, Kootenay, the lower mainland, our home on Bowen Is or visiting Vancouver Is -- it made no difference; and of course Wreak beach one was over-dressed! So, enjoy your own being, and others will to. And enjoy slipping around this site -- lots of helpful insights.
User avatar
Chirp
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 218
Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2019 4:02 am
Location: Ont Canada

Re: Colour me pleasantly surprised...

Post by Chirp »

Hi and welcome,

2 years ago i was in gibsons on the sunshine coast.
I was wearing kilts and skirts the whole time I was there,

No one said anything to me.
No one mess's with a big guy in kilt
User avatar
Rokje
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 168
Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2017 6:40 am
Location: Noresund, Norway

Re: Colour me pleasantly surprised...

Post by Rokje »

RobAlta wrote: Thu Oct 01, 2020 4:37 pm Hello Skirt Cafe'ers, my introduction...

I'm a 73 year old Western Canadian who has worn skirts about the house for years (having been blessed with a very agreeable wife who'd rather I was happy than conventional). Sadly she passed earlier this year and I am now "on my own" for the first time in almost 50 years.

We always spent time on Vancouver Island and I am currently continuing the tradition albeit solo. This has presented an excellent opportunity to test out the central premise of this group, that being as I understand it "Wear what you like, where you like, and everything will be just fine, really!"

It's absolutely true! I brought a number of skirts on the trip and have worn them to a local cafe/bakery, the grocery store, walks around a quite heavily trafficked resort, on nature trails, skirt shopping (more on that), dealt twice with my landlady while skirted both times, etc, etc.. So far the most common reaction is absolutely no reaction, the negative reaction counter is still at zero, the shock and awe counter is at 1 (a double take with no hint of dislike at what she was seeing), and several reactions have been really positive.

The skirt shopping was a pleasure. It was a consignment womens' shop but the first comment as I entered (in an ankle length blue wrap skirt) was "Looking for a skirt?". This was followed by much digging around and querying me as to what exactly I had in mind, and referring me to a sister shop nearby. Couldn't have been treated better!

So, if you are reading these posts as a fellow newbie and wondering if it really is as simple as it is made to be here... it is, at least on Vancouver Island.
We where visiting Vancouver a couple of years ago right after our Alaska trip. I brought my skirts with me, and wear them all the time. I'm a transwoman now, but then I was still the man in skirt .
Be proud to wear a skirt or dress, they are just clothes. Yes , they are for men too
I'm Marica, I'm a 59 year old girl.
Learning Norwegian: Jeg er Marica.

8)
Spirou003
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue May 12, 2020 6:58 pm
Location: Belgium, Charleroi

Re: Colour me pleasantly surprised...

Post by Spirou003 »

Welcome RobAlta :)

Sad that your wife did passed :( It's life but... nyeh, not good anyway.
This has presented an excellent opportunity to test out the central premise of this group, that being as I understand it "Wear what you like, where you like, and everything will be just fine, really!"

It's absolutely true!
I completely agree! I actually did wear skirts publicly only 4 times (always something to do when weather is OK or going to brother's home with his nervous dog, and waiting for response from my hierarchy to wear it at work thus not a lot of opportunities) but each time it was the same: I was feeling good, in somewhere I know at least a bit and I'm confident with, and everything was fine, even if I met some people one could consider as "not frequentable".
But it is important to have both (I refer here to the place we like), otherwise it could become much more complicated and prevented me a lot of times from going skirted near from home in certain streets, despite I had passed an entire day skirted previously at Bruxelles with nearly no difficulties!

About shopping to look after skirt, I didn't had such good welcome when I did it skirted but had good discussion about limited choice in the stores with employees of C&A, and the whole shopping session was much more enjoyable than usually when I was in pant. Because of a feeling like "come on man, you're in a pant, what are you doing here? That's not your place!". I will definitely do it again when I'll have an occasion for it, especially because I would want to have new skirts of some length and colors
Post Reply