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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skirtyscot
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by skirtyscot »

I wore my heavy ankle-length skirt to my choir practice yesterday. We rehearse in a church which is heated by pipes which run up either side of the aisle under a grating in the floor. We don't sit in the pews, we use chairs, and I happened to be over the heat. (Not my choice, I was told to sit there!) While everyone else kept their coats on, I was in my shirt sleeves, and when we stood up, I started to get too hot. Ah, the joys of a long skirt!
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crfriend
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by crfriend »

skirtyscot wrote:While everyone else kept their coats on, I was in my shirt sleeves, and when we stood up, I started to get too hot. Ah, the joys of a long skirt!
I offer two thumbs up on that, and wholehearted agreement on long skirts!

Even without a heat source from below long skirts are warmer than trousers. I wish I'd known that decades ago; it would have saved me more than a few very cold uncomfortable mornings on exposed platforms waiting for the morning train.
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Derek Plattis »

Zorba wrote:Below the knee for me!

Well below the knee, at least down to upper-mid calf, but mid to lower calf - or even ankle/floor length preferred.

Why?

Easier to be modest, LOTS more fun to swirl, warmer in cold weather, and I think they look better.

But to each his own!
I agree completely - I wear nothing shorter than ankle length. The breeze between the legs is very much still there and the whole is a sensation of heavenly freedom

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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Joshinaskirt »

I enjoy longer skirts and dresses. They're very comfortable and have most of the aspects of skirt wearing that I enjoy. I have to admit, though, that skorts are a nice short way of having the very same comfort while having skirt style. I love wearing skorts especially while working out or bike riding. I have great legs, though, and do still enjoy wearing skirts all the way up to a mini. I admit, though, keeping everything hidden is a chore. Guess I just don't mind paying that price for the attention a mini can get me.
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Big and Bashful »

Well, this weekend my ankle length denim skirt was just a bit breezy, not as warm as the jeans I had but it is a thinner denim. It did the job in Sheffield and during my train journeys down and back. Pit about a dose of chafing, I must lose weight!
Not a single comment anywhere, didn't see any second glances either. Which was nice!
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skirtyscot
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by skirtyscot »

Knee or above, or shoe length. But not between the knee and the ankles! Have tried mid-calf before, and it's a bit "old lady". Today I bought a 27" skirt, which goes to a wee bit below the knee, 'cause I thought it would be good to add a new length of skirt to my wardrobe. But it just doesn't work.

Most so-called knee length skirts are only about 21", which is OK, but not down to my knees. 24" would be better but there are remarkably few of the in the shops. Does anyone else notice this or am I just looking in the wrong shops?
Keep on skirting,

Alastair
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by STEVIE »

I'd kind of agree with the "old lady" look of the mid calf length but it can work.
I've done midi and mini at work, and if anything has won, it's mostly midi.
Simply, in a longer skirt, you can afford to be "casual", sitting and bending etc.
I can handle a short skirt but a casual remark gave me pause to reflect.
It had been a long day and I "sat", no thought, no arrangement, maybe a slight display, nothing unmentionable.
The conversation was about "modesty" in general and I was reminded of that lapse with high good humour.
Apparently, some of my colleagues had been watching for it.
Humour aside, I will wear a mini at work again but I will be careful and the "midi" could be the winner.
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by couyalair »

skirtyscot wrote: 24" would be better but there are remarkably few of the in the shops. Does anyone else notice this or am I just looking in the wrong shops?
I've not looked in many shops, but in my charity shop I see skirts of every length imaginable. As we all know, women can wear whatever they want to. Most skirts seem to fall into one of three styles, buttock covers, knee covers or ankle covers. The largest number are well below the knee, which does not suit me, but over the years, I have acquired a few that are just above the knee.

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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Caultron »

skirtyscot wrote:Most so-called knee length skirts are only about 21", which is OK, but not down to my knees. 24" would be better but there are remarkably few of the in the shops. Does anyone else notice this or am I just looking in the wrong shops?
I, too, have trouble finding the styles I like in lengths over 20".

Mostly that includes denim, cargo, or other outdoorsey skirts, preferably with usable belt loops and pockets.

Skirts shorter than 20" are just too difficult to sit in, especially if they have front slits.
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Kilted_John »

skirtyscot wrote:Knee or above, or shoe length. But not between the knee and the ankles! Have tried mid-calf before, and it's a bit "old lady". Today I bought a 27" skirt, which goes to a wee bit below the knee, 'cause I thought it would be good to add a new length of skirt to my wardrobe. But it just doesn't work.

Most so-called knee length skirts are only about 21", which is OK, but not down to my knees. 24" would be better but there are remarkably few of the in the shops. Does anyone else notice this or am I just looking in the wrong shops?
Got the opposite problem. Whenever I buy a "knee-length" skirt off eBay, it invariably will need to be hemmed up to actually be knee-length, since it always seems that the measurement is 24-25" long. Granted, I'm only 5'7", so knee-length on me is about 19-21", depending on how high I wear the waistband, and how much knee I want showing.

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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Sinned »

Having checked I have 75 skirts with lengths ranging from 11" to 36" with most being in the 12.5" to 19" range. I'm 5'8" tall ( don't go in for these fancy metrics outside the laboratory ). I don't plan on buying any more and have a skirt for just about anything else in my wardrobe including suit jackets, all I need is the agreement to wear some of the combinations. All different colours as befits my personality, materials ( although predominently cotton ) and styles. I plan on trying to wear them all at some time during the year. I also have 3 dresses which I am not sure about wearing. Maybe with a pullover and a wide belt. So I guess that the answer is mostly above the knee but with some flexibility. The really short skirts I wouldn't wear outside the house. Maybe on holiday if I can get MOH to relax a bit. I'm not that brave. Not sure if we'll have a holiday this year. Depends upon the employment situation. Hearing about the thousands of people losing their jobs does sort of knock one's hopes just a little even if the job losses aren't all in one's area. Applying for the sort of jobs I really want to do but no offers as yet. Not desperate enough to start applying to the MacD's of this world yet. 3 out of the 4 of my children have worked at MacD's so amd not really keen on the place either as an employer or as a consumer.
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.
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skirtyscot
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by skirtyscot »

Those micro-minis are pretty damn short on teenage girls. How far down does a 11" skirt end on a man? Somehow I doubt that Mr Churchill would have thought it covered the essentials!
Keep on skirting,

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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Dottie »

Definitely ankle length today , gales & blizzards, Brrrrrrrr
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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by Milfmog »

Dottie wrote:Definitely ankle length today , gales & blizzards, Brrrrrrrr
If you are out in it that sounds like (whisper it) trouser weather to me. An ankle length skirt with enough fabric to allow a full stride becomes one enormous sail in strong winds and I have to confess that I find lots of material flapping wildly around my legs is very tiresome. Sometimes skirts are just not the right choice.

Have fun,


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Re: Above the knee or below the knee!

Post by skirtingtoday »

For me it is always at knee-length at the longest - for cold weather, I use thick long socks or tights. That is about 24" and just touches the top of the kneecap. My shortest one is 13 1/2" (denim) for those few warm sunny days.

Personally not keen on long or full length skirts.
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