Above the knee or below the knee!

Discussion of fashion elements and looks that are traditionally considered somewhat "femme" but are presented in a masculine context. This is NOT about transvestism or crossdressing.
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DALederle
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Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by DALederle »

What does bother me about skirt fahions is the question of how long do you wear your skirts or kilts. I know that kilts are basically knee length. But I'v always found that length to be a little on the short side. When I sit down they tend to rise up beyond my knees and I'm almost always sitting very carefully trying not to expose to muc of my "personality."
I prefer below the knee and even mid-calf styles since they allow a more modest approach in normal, daily wearing situations. Less exposure.
But this might point out the reason so many woman have gone to pants, slacks or trousers. they were tired of being exposed to prying (mostly male) eyes all the time. With slacks or pants they don't have to cross their legs just right so as not to expose too much. Maybe this helps to explain some of the current trend of women wearing pants so much of the time. Ease of comfort in how they have to behave when in pants as compared to skirts.
But it also could serve to explain why skirts and kilts for men haven't caught on.
After men spend most of their lives looking at women they know how exposed they might become in a skirt and want to quash any concept that that is okay.
Anyway, I prefer below the knee length skirt and the longest kilts I can find!
Does anyone else agree or disagree!
There is no "right" answer to this.
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crfriend
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by crfriend »

[...] I prefer below the knee length skirt and the longest kilts I can find!
Does anyone else agree or disagree!
There is no "right" answer to this.
Well, I wear both above the knee and below the knee skirts (but never at the knee; I think the look somewhat dowdy on me).

My short skirts are mostly for around the house and yard, although I am getting a bit more "out there" in my minis now that it's getting warmer -- the result of better confidence in not giving the world "too much information". In fact, one of them got some public mileage on May 2 as it was warm enough to do so without being uncomfortably chilly.

My long ones range from mid-calf to ankle length, and I've been wearing those in public for years. The main "issues" with those is not getting one's legs tangled up in them, and that can be facilitated by intelligent choices of "skirt-aware" undergarments (e.g. "underskirts").

"Respectable women" have always known how to comport themselves so they don't get into compromising positions. It's a learned skill, and men can -- and should -- learn it, especially if they're going to "go short". Britney Spears and other assorted starlets may get away with "lapses of decorum", but we most certainly will not.
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Kilted_John
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Kilted_John »

I'm typically somewhere between mini and knee-length, skirt-wise. I don't wear straight skirts, so there's usually enough fabric to fall between the legs when sitting. Kilts, of course, are between upper kneecap or the middle.

-J
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Wonderful Electric
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Wonderful Electric »

for me, i think below the knee is a safer choice. when my skirts are too short, they make my shoulders look massively wide and my waist very tiny and the skirt even tinier. so it's a matter of proportions to me.
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by straightfairy »

I currently prefer below the knee, for comfort and because shorter ones tend to rise up and expose a little too much...
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JRMILLER
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by JRMILLER »

Straightfairy,
We got to hear about that name.....there has to be a story here....
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Jack Williams
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Jack Williams »

Definitely below the knee for me, and, i guess other non pants wearers. Got a couple of these wonderful dresses recently. Can't get enough of them! Jack.
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straightfairy
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by straightfairy »

JRMILLER wrote:Straightfairy,
We got to hear about that name.....there has to be a story here....
umm not really - I'm a straight acting fairy :lol:
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Since1982
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Since1982 »

straight fairy wrote:
umm not really - I'm a straight acting fairy
Fairy like in Tinkerbell from "Hook" with Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman?? :alien:
I had to remove this signature as it was being used on Twitter. This is my OPINION, you NEEDN'T AGREE.

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Inertia
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Inertia »

Uck -- I hope not! Not crazy about that actress... and she'd make a lousy gay guy! :-)

Cheers,

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tooslowprius
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by tooslowprius »

DALederle wrote:I prefer below the knee and even mid-calf styles since they allow a more modest approach in normal, daily wearing situations. Less exposure.
But this might point out the reason so many woman have gone to pants, slacks or trousers. they were tired of being exposed to prying (mostly male) eyes all the time. With slacks or pants ten I wear pants or shorts I just come in and sit down, I really don't pay much attention to how I sit. I do feel thought that it all still come back to how we are brought up! Boys are brought up to be tough and rugged while girls (for the most part) are brought up to be soft and dainty! So with that being said that is why I think it is hard for skirts for men to catch on because most guy's would not be caught dead being soft! I mean if some thinks your soft what happens they torture you with out no mercy! Until you stand up for your self and give them an attitude check! By showing them and saying "Look just because I choice to wear a skirt or kilt and be different from you does not make me any less of a man than You! See subject is what get's me going because it's ok for women to be able to be hard and kick ass, but still be soft at the same time! If I guy does that or act's like that look out the first thing people do is start questioning weather he's gay or not. Jhey don't have to cross their legs just right so as not to expose too much. Maybe this helps to explain some of the current trend of women wearing pants so much of the time. Ease of comfort in how they have to behave when in pants as compared to skirts. But it also could serve to explain why skirts and kilts for men haven't caught on. After men spend most of their lives looking at women they know how exposed they might become in a skirt and want to quash any concept that that is okay.
You know DA you are right I think on this one. I mean how many guys that you know will come into some place and pay attention to how they sit down? Not very many that I know of! I mean I know just because I choose to be different than you does not make me gay. Like I told my partner one day when he was messing with me about wearing hose I said this "Well, I have to work with what I was given! I wasn't given big strong upper body muscle's. I was given a nice butt and nice legs so I guess I have to work with what I have!" Me personally I wear skirts that fall at the knee or just below. I do have one that is above the knee and I don't wear that one often just mainly cause I'm not comfortable with the length of it out in public!
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by miniskirt07 »

I only wear mini skirt mostly that above the knee (skirt between 11" to 14")
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Since1982
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Since1982 »

Enertia said: Uck -- I hope not! Not crazy about that actress
You don't like Julia Roberts? I loved her in "Sleeping with the Enemy" with "Enemy Patrick Bergin" She points the revolver at her bad husband and says into the phone to the Police: "I live at such and such and I've just shot an intruder". To which Bergin's character just looks and walks towards her. BANG! BANG BANG! If he'd just kept his mouth shut and not said the famous line, "Laura, I can't live without you, and I won't let you live without me!" Didn't give her much choice did he?
tooslowprius said..Me personally I wear skirts that fall at the knee or just below.
Fall to where? The word "at" infers that they are already "at" the knee and are falling to some other length. Just semantics I didn't understand. :alien: :mrgreen: :alien:
I had to remove this signature as it was being used on Twitter. This is my OPINION, you NEEDN'T AGREE.

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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by straightfairy »

Having given my previous post above, currently wearing an LA Gear sports skirt that is only 16", but it's quite slim fit and stretchy.
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Milfmog
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Milfmog »

I have skirts that range in length from 42" to 14"; all of them are worn out and about without problems.

As for taking care when sitting, it is simply a habit that has to be learned; wear shorter skirts for a while and you will learn it (though there may be a few red-faced moments on the way). Having said that, the shortest skirt I would wear to the pub or anywhere else where I expect to have to sit down is around 19" and that requires real care. The 22" cargo skirt is far easier to manage, but even that would leave too much on display if worn carelessly.

In the end the appropriate length for a skirt depends on many factors; including the event, weather, setting, personal taste and comfort of the wearer. No rule will ever be able to cover all the variables and if a rule could be formulated I'd want to break it :D .

Have fun,


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