Skirted men in novels!

[DALederle]

I had recently cleaned out my crawl space and found two old copies of books I had been saving that I hadn't read in years. Both were by my second cousin, Robert A. Heinlein. And both feature a future world (they are sci-fi of course) were men wear kilts or dresses.
One is Mathusala's Children, were kilts are commonly worn by men.
The other one is Beyond This Horizon and depicts men going out to diner in dresses and skirts with chamise tops.
They are a real slice of imaginative fiction.
Beyond This Horizon was one of the first sci-fi novels I ever read and gave me the idea that I could wear whatever I wanted to someday in the future.
Sadly, while some of our cultures backwardness has improve not nearly enough for people to see men in dresses going out to dinner on a casual night out.
Too bad those elements of both these books hadn't happened yet.
But, maybe it gives us a hope for the future.

Here's a question!
If you and your wife could go out to dinner wearing dresses, would you want to?

Dennis A. Lederle

[sapphire]

Carl and I just returned from dinner out. He was wearing a skirt. He almost always wears a skirt when we go out.

[Inertia]

Seems to me I remember another Heinlein novel, "Time Enough for Love" -- and the Lazarus Long whom you quote in your sig line, Sapphire, was pretty much addicted to kilts, if I recall correctly.

Cheers,

Inertia

[alexthebird]

I wouldn't go out to dinner in a dress, because I can't get a dress to fit right. On the other hand, I go out to restaurants in skirts all the time. NBD.

[imadube]

A dress?
If we can find me one that fits right. So far even the Jean dresses are shaped for ladies too much.
However, I would like to go out to a Logins in this:
http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/Albu ... =159823134

Hope the link works.

[Skirt Chaser]

While I'd wear pants myself for the occasion I'd be pleased to see my husband in a dress for dining out anyday. He's got a great looking long sleeveless dress in dark blue that is ideal for a man because it allows his upper arms to show with their unmistakable look of male muscles. I'd even wear a skirt to make him smile if he'd prefer and maybe he'd return the favor with a new book for our bookshelf. I like the sound of Beyond This Horizon. I love science fiction, particularly Frank Herbert stuff, but have never read anything by Heinlein. About time I fixed that.

Hey guys, it looks like you increase your odds of getting a skirt-friendly girl by looking for dates in the science fiction section of the bookstore. I don't know what proportion of SF readers are women these days but my guess is that it is still perceived as a predominantly male activity. Women who are comfortable doing what may be thought of as guy things are probably more open than the average woman to a non-traditional man.

[sapphire]

Hmmm.....

I went to the bookstore this afternoon and did not see any guys perusing the science fiction section (skirted or otherwise). Note, this is just an observation, I am NOT looking for anyone.

I've been a sci-fi/fantasy fan since before I started school. One of my favorites is Dragon's Egg by Dr. Robert Forward. It came out many years ago. I don't know if it is still in print, but it would appeal to those with an interest in physics.

[Since1982]

Funny how things change. When I was young, I read books all the time about skirted men, it was very commonplace and everyone read them. I think people still read lots of similar books but with new heroes. The ones I read were all starring Conan the Barbarian and had him doing all kinds of derring do and leaping around in a kilt/skirt or animal skin. He was heavily muscled (think early Ahhnold) with a rough prince valiant haircut and tanned. He swung an 8 foot long broadsword bigger than the movie one of Braveheart and cleared baddies out of his way with impunity. We know what he looked like thanks to paintings trasnferred to covers painted by Frank Ferreta, creator of "Painting with Fire". Ferreta was known as the king of mythical hero depictions, did all the Conan covers and several other same time authors' books heroes.

[sapphire]

Regarding sci-fi artwork: I was pretty partial to Kelly Freas myself

[DALederle]

Okay:
There have been men in skirts in action adventure novels and in movies. As in Conan and Gladitor and Troy. There have also been skirts and even dresses mentioned in novels. But, they are background to the story. Not really important and so readers or viewers of movies don't get a point of of "Wow! That's a a man in a dress or skirt!" It just doesn't let anyone react that way.
I personally think that if one of the guys in "The Office" began wearing skirt suits as his office wear and the office was forced to accept that as his "norm" it would go a really long way to make men in skirts acceptable.
Maybe we should start a write in campaign to get a show like "The Office" to put a character like that in their show. And "equal rights" character. Skirt suits, panthose and heels on one man everyweek would go a long way to bring about fashion freedom.
Even a man in a kilt every week as a main character would put out kilts as acceptable everyday wear for men.
Whether it's full fashion freedom or just skirts or kilts, an everyday image is needed to break the ice in the publics way of thinking.
That's how women got their "right" to wear whatever they want. They started wearing just pants, stayed dressed completely "fem" normal for the rest of their clothes, wearing their underwear under the pants or work shirts they wore and NOT pretending to be men.
It's the key of NOT PRENTENDING to be what you aren't that puts it over as being acceptable.
Now those who would criticize me for wanting to get every man involved I can only say that I have worn skirts and kilts out and about in public for years now.
But even after all this time I've never seen another man in a skirts or kilt in public, going about his business normally. I've spotted quite a few TV or CD out and about, especially later in the evening, but never just a man being a man in a skirt, except for myself.
It's what people see and remember.
A tunic in Gladiator or a kilt in Braveheart doesn't matter to the public since it's historical and not relevent to today.
A single character in every day dress going about his business as normal would go further then all the action films ever made.
Cary Grant almost did it in "I Was A Male War Bride" were he dressed for almost the whole movies as an Army WAC complete with skirts, stocking and shoes.
Dennis A. Lederle