Advancing our cause.

[STEVIE]

I'm going to start with a question. In wearing a skirt, how do you see yourself as advancing the cause for fashion freedom for men?
My answer would be that I do it. Alhough I do not believe in a spurious "normality", I am trying to normalise a guy in skirts in my own small world.
That means working and going about the mundane actions of life while exercising my own choices. No fanfare, no announcements and especially no pantomime. I'm only trying to make people think twice and their second thought would be "nothing".
Over to anyone who wants to comment, I'm open to ideas.
Steve.

[Sinned]

I don't know if I feel that I am advancing the cause as you put it but I feel that I am setting an example for this site and repaying for some of the support that I've received. I don't feel any awkwardness about telling folk that I wear a skirt although with MOH's stance I probably talk more about wearing a skirt than actually wearing one, particularly out of the house. Should I have a free day and MOH is not around then I have no hesitation in going out in a skirt and don't feel any embarrassment about it. I don't feel that I want to be noticed but if someone sees me and it encourages someone thinking about wearing a skirt then I would feel satisfied. I wear a skirt mainly because I ENJOY wearing a skirt, it's comfortable and I think that I look good in one.

As for the issue of "normality" I'm realising that there is no such concept. I have my own style in terms of colours, materials and clothing and consider that that is what is normal for me. Others have theirs and I often think that their concept is so different that they are from a different planet but I certainly wouldn't creticise them for it. ( The word started out as a spelling mistoke but then it seemed appropriate so I left it. )

I also would be interested in others' opinions.

Dnns

[Departed Member]

As for the issue of "normality" I'm realising that there is no such concept. I have my own style in terms of colours, materials and clothing and consider that that is what is normal for me. Others have theirs and I often think that their concept is so different that they are from a different planet but I certainly wouldn't creticise them for it. ( The word started out as a spelling mistoke but then it seemed appropriate so I left it. )

Yep, normality, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. There are trends or patterns, to be sure, where groups of individuals think, act, look, or behave alike, some of these groups more in number than others, but with individuality there is no such thing as "normal" because it implies that one individual or group of individuals is better than the other, and I don't believe that, for the most part. I believe there is such a thing as right and wrong, truth and falsehood, and that such can be discovered by logic and reason, but I don't believe there is such a thing as normal and abnormal. Perfection and imperfection, perhaps, but not normal/abnormal. I kinda wish the damn word would be scrubbed from the English language since it denotes negativity in that the "abnormal" should be feared, shunned, and/or eradicated completely.

As for how I see myself advancing the "cause," I think I'm just being an example of harmless possibilities of representation of myself as an individual in my own sphere (family, friends, people I meet or people who see me), a possibility that other may also like to emulate or try out according to their own individual likes. I just want people to see it's not as taboo, weird, or harmful as they think, and to stop judging those who do wear skirts or other forms of fashion. So I guess I do see myself as trying to advance a cause, but not necessarily by open preaching but thru doing and example. Make sense?

[Caultron]

I doubt that I've convinced even one man to wear a skirt by appearing myself in one. However, anyone who's noticed me, thought WTF, decided oh well, and gone about their business (which is the reaction 99.9% of the time) is going to be a little less surprised next time, and I guess that's progress.

[Tor]

... However, anyone who's noticed me, thought WTF, decided oh well, and gone about their business (which is the reaction 99.9% of the time) is going to be a little less surprised next time, and I guess that's progress.

That is indeed progress. I recall that in marketing the rule of thumb is that prospective customers need to hear about a product five or six times before they will purchase it. While it may be that more repetitions are required for skirts on men, at some point they will have seen it enough times that the idea becomes a possibility. Seems you've had someone ask where you got the kilt you were wearing. An indication that you may have been the last required sighting for that person to make the first step themselves.

[Caultron]

Seems you've had someone ask where you got the kilt you were wearing. An indication that you may have been the last required sighting for that person to make the first step themselves.

Yes, just within the last week a young guy confronted me, said he liked my kilt, and said he'd just ordered one from SportKilt.

I asked where he planned to wear it, and at that point he became a little vague, but if he wears it anywhere that's progress.

[crfriend]

[...] if he wears it anywhere that's progress.

This is how the future happens. Well done.

[STEVIE]

Heck,
I really do not know who I'm encouraging.
Serious conversation at work today with several female colleagues and they were all echoing each other, "we must wear skirts more often", "boot/skirt combinations wasted sitting in wardrobes", "too much choices, skirt trousers, don't know",
My boss, lady, was actually in a skirt today, a first, since I wore my skirts.
Ironic that today was so windy here that I reckon trousers may actually have been preferable.
Nah! Straight skirt was fun.
Steve

[DonaldG]

Yes, if wearing a skirt encourages women to get their skirts out of the wardrobe and wear them, then great - the more people of both sexes wearing skirts the better.

I really feel it's a shame so few women wear skirts any more - missing out on such a simple, comfortable garment.

Looks like it's up to us men to reawaken an appreciation of skirts for all of us.

[JohnH]

I might also add to this, dresses. Dresses are even more comfortable than skirts since there is no binding around the waist.

John

[skirtingtheissue]

That means working and going about the mundane actions of life while exercising my own choices. No fanfare, no announcements and especially no pantomime. I'm only trying to make people think twice and their second thought would be "nothing".

Of course that is advancing our cause. It's strength in numbers. If you wear a skirt to run errands and 20 people notice you are doing so, that increases the number of global "sightings" by 20. Every sighting counts! That's why "going about the mundane actions of life" in a skirt is a positive good. This is what I love doing (in warmer weather than now).. just doing normal things in a skirt, and certainly not mentioning the skirt to anyone unless asked. The more WE ALL create sightings, the better. Get out there and be seen!

To use the earring analogy… remember seeing a man with two earrings for the first time? It was decidedly unusual, and even notable. That was many years ago for me. Now it's not that unusual — seen in only a small minority of men for sure, but becoming mainstream. That's how skirting WILL eventually evolve… becoming "not that unusual". The more we wear skirts, the faster that day will come.

[DonaldG]

...and like tattoos. When I was a kid, the only people who had tattoos were seamen, now probably the majority of us have at least one somewhere - I have 3 (and 3 piercings).

Looking forward to the summer when I can go out doing ordinary things wearing lightweight skirts and bare legs.

[TheSkirtedMan]

Advancing our cause or simply a continuation of society evolving. Has not all aspects of society evolved over the last 50 years, 100 years or even the millenia. There is nothing traditional or conforming to society labels in 2014 that were present in 1850, except men in trousers, suits and ties which started in the early 1830's.

Men in skirts is just one of many many aspects of society that could be changing, and should be for those men who prefer skirts just like women taking to trousers and now all male style clothing.

I personally feel that all men in skirts choose to wear skirts for personal reasons, and majority will all agree with some of them like comfort, personality, freedom etc. However, when anyone does anything within society that is different or tries to change expectations then it is really a campaign, a cause and really advancing the cause.

For me at home, friends and among the accepting members of family it's personal, its me, it's my choice. When I go out in public it is a cause because I am challenging society labels and stereotyping and I do not expect to change men from trousers to skirts. In fact I do not have that intention, but my "cause" out in public is to let other men who would like to wear skirts say to themselves, yes it can be done and let them move in that direction of their own free will, time and pace without any pressure, direct or indirect.

[Caultron]

...When I go out in public it is a cause because I am challenging society labels and stereotyping and I do not expect to change men from trousers to skirts. In fact I do not have that intention, but my "cause" out in public is to let other men who would like to wear skirts say to themselves, yes it can be done and let them move in that direction of their own free will, time and pace without any pressure, direct or indirect.

Every time someone sees one of us in a skirt and then, next time, is a little less surprised, that's progress.

However, as an interesting exercise, the next time someone comments on your skirt, try tell ingthem, "Yeah, they're great. You should try one," and see what happens.if nothing else, it puts them on the defensive.

[Reaper_Man]

I might also add to this, dresses. Dresses are even more comfortable than skirts since there is no binding around the waist.

John

Couldn't agree more, i have several dresses and a good few skirts too, i love the skirts but i definitely think that dresses are even more comfortable