New Years Resolution

[Caultron]

...When you have worn skirts for a while and become used to them, the trousered days will feel like the 'odd' ones.

Yes, I've notIced that too. When, for example, my wife insists I wear trousers, I still find myself reaching back to arrange my pleats before I sit down. I also find myself getting into cars butt-first all the time now.

[skirtyscot]

I also find myself getting into cars butt-first all the time now.

I caught myself doing that, while betrousered, a few weeks ago. Actually, my technique isn't bum first. Left leg in first, quite far. (Remember I get in from the right.) Then swing my body in so I land in the right position on the seat. Right foot in, and as I close the door I lift my weight up off the seat and pull my skirt to the left.

[STEVIE]

Foo ye dae'in Alastair,
Min, wid a' be sae coorse?
Cafe friens ,ye mon noo spier, or "Google"!
That's over, this is not a resolution, more of an optimistic hope.
That is to bring the whole of my family round by the Ides of March,2015.
Steve.

[Caultron]

I caught myself doing that, while betrousered, a few weeks ago. Actually, my technique isn't bum first. Left leg in first, quite far. (Remember I get in from the right.) Then swing my body in so I land in the right position on the seat. Right foot in, and as I close the door I lift my weight up off the seat and pull my skirt to the left.

That's how I got in for many years, although reversing left and right. But with a kilt I find myself slowing a lot of leg that way, and it's harder to keep the pleats from bunching up beneath me.

[crfriend]

Actually, my technique isn't bum first. Left leg in first, quite far. (Remember I get in from the right.) Then swing my body in so I land in the right position on the seat. Right foot in, and as I close the door I lift my weight up off the seat and pull my skirt to the left.

Arse-first is really only practical if you have slippery seats in the car and can pivot nicely and have everything stay in place. So, being a Yank, I do the mirror of what you do, and that's right leg in quite a ways, park the backside, pull the other leg in, and then rearrange everything -- and then before closing the door make darned sure my hem isn't going to get caught in it!

Getting into my sportster arse-first for "the twist" was easier than the one I have now, but the one I have now is otherwise easier to get into and out of as a whole as well as being easier on my back. To be perfectly honest, I still haven't mastered the technique and tend to wind up with a whole lot of skirt under one side of me which leaves the other side taught. More effort is required.

As far as the notion of "showing one heck of a lot of leg" goes, that's what the door is for -- use it as a shade as you enter and leave the vehicle. You may think (and feel) you're flashing the world, but since the door is in the way you really aren't.

[Caultron]

Arse-first is really only practical if you have slippery seats in the car and can pivot nicely and have everything stay in place...

I guess I do, then. Also, the car is an SUV, and therefore higher off the gound, and that may be helping.

[Kilted_John]

I do it how skirtyscot suggests, except, that, of course, like Carl, it's reversed. Since I've all but stopped wearing tartan kilts, I no longer wind up with all the pleats hanging off the outer edge of the driver's seat.

I suspect that, even if I was driving an open-air Jeep, with, how full my skirts usually are, it probably would be hard to show a whole lot of leg while getting in. So, using the door as a shield isn't 100% a requirement. Now, driving said vehicle while wearing one, requires some creative tucking, essentially turning said full skirt into a pencil skirt. Easier to do with a lightweight floaty skirt, than one that's heavier, like a Utilikilt. Did see a woman so attired driving a Jeep CJ-7 without doors, about 11 years ago. She hopped in, then tucked her skirt underneath her legs, so it became a knee-length pencil skirt. No chance of thigh flash, even though she did have to operate the clutch.

-J

[skirtingtoday]

A happy New Year to you all!!

I won't be making any resolutions regarding skirts as MOH is quite negative about it. But my ambition is to try and discuss it sensibly at sometime in the future. As for how often I would like to wear skirts, it would be (say) 67% as I work the other 33% but that is very unlikely to happen. I may only achieve 5-10% and that when I am on my own and 0% with MOH.

What would help is more shop windows to display the outfit below (saw this on the HEJ website from 15th Dec 2014):- (HEJ - hommes en jupe ie men in skirts)

Hommes en jupe window display.jpg

[STEVIE]

Happy New Year ST,
Good to hear from you. I presume that window is in Paris or another major French city. The male skirt looks O.K. but those trousers on the other mannekin are fairly awful. I don't really see how anyone could criticise the skirt with that as a comparison.
As for resolutions, I'd be about the same family wise. I have had so much support from outside that it rankles a bit. On the plus side my son and his girlfriend have seen me skirted and no problem whatsoever. However, that could also cause a split and I'll not be responsible for that.
We can only hope for the best in 2015.
Steve.

[Sinned]

Well day 5 and I have still kept to my resolution. I was at the dentist this morning and I had warned her previously that I would be wearing a skirt and I did. Just a knee-length denim and thick black tights. MOH was at work and she had left before me so I was able to do this without her knowing. She ( the dentist ) was most supportive and her first comment was, "If I had legs as good as yours I'd wear a skirt more often too." That did a world of good for my confidence. LOL. On the way back home I called in at the chemist to pick up some insulin and order a repeat prescription, again skirted. Looking after the grandchildren today as they don't go back to school until tomorrow so, since I was at their house, I feel obliged to wear jeans so I changed out of my skirt but I will change back into it when I get home.

Recently I have been able to have some conversations with women customers at work about skirts and I have indicated that I know how comfortable they are and wear them sometimes and I have not had one negative comment. Can't remember in every case how the conversation came about with this topic but it was not initiated by me but in response to something said by the customer. Possibly following on from some comment about the cold and keeping warm. As Stv, said it is frustrating that I can get so much support from outside that the opposition from MOH contrasts so severely. I sometimes wish that I could pick MOH up and shake some sense into her. I'm of a mind soon to say to her "OK, let's go out shopping to ASDA ( or somewhere like that ) with me skirted and then you can see what ( non- )reaction we get from the great General Pubic. Then decide if you are still so opposed." As has been said I think that she assumes support from her female friends ( due to the "shame" of me wearing skirts I can't actually see her discussing this with them ) and she says that she gets moaned at from our daughter and her girls yet when I ask them outright about my skirts they are non-committal.

[skirtingtoday]

Happy New Year ST,
Good to hear from you. I presume that window is in Paris or another major French city. The male skirt looks O.K. but those trousers on the other mannekin are fairly awful. I don't really see how anyone could criticise the skirt with that as a comparison.
As for resolutions, I'd be about the same family wise. I have had so much support from outside that it rankles a bit. On the plus side my son and his girlfriend have seen me skirted and no problem whatsoever. However, that could also cause a split and I'll not be responsible for that.
We can only hope for the best in 2015.
Steve.

Steve,
Happy New year to you too! Hope all went well for you

I actually found the pic on the HEJ facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/asso.hej ) and the picture was in a shop called " Peau d'Âne " and it was actually in Brussels (not France at all)

And I agree wholeheartedly about the "breeks"

[Milfmog]

I sometimes wish that I could pick MOH up and shake some sense into her. I'm of a mind soon to say to her "OK, let's go out shopping to ASDA ( or somewhere like that ) with me skirted and then you can see what ( non- )reaction we get from the great General Pubic. Then decide if you are still so opposed."

In some ways that is what I did to move Carole on to accepting me in a skirt, as opposed to a kilt or sarong. However I did not need to shake her; I simply got her so used to seeing me in skirts at home that when we nipped out "on the spur of the moment" she did not even notice I was still in a skirt. When we got back in the car I just quietly observed that no one had noticed the skirt, or that if they had noticed they had not made a comment. Carole looked thoughtful and then shrugged. However, the next time I went out skirted with her she looked at the skirt, seemed to be about to say something then just gritted her teeth as we left. Each time since then it has got easier with just an occasional pushback against the skirts when she has been unhappy about something else.

I should point out, however, that Carole was never as determinedly anti-guy-in-a-skirt as your nearest and dearest seems to be.

Patience worked for me; it may well work for others too, but you will need to push the boundaries a little every now and then in order to know.

Have fun,


Ian.

[STEVIE]

Hi Ian,
Thanks for that, it's real good to think that we are not unique or alone in our experiences.
That can only give some hope for the future.
Mrs. K, Rona, to give her a proper name, once called me out by saying "If you think it's so normal, why not do it in public"? That has well and truly been surpassed now. She has "conveniently" forgotten that particular statement.
Only time will tell.
As I said elsewhere, the Ides of March are very significant for me ,not just Julius Caesar.
Steve.

[Brad]

I'm making a New Years resolution to wear skirts when I want to and not feel intimidated by society. And I'm starting on New Years eve. I'm 57 and I've earned the right to do what I want so long as it's legal and moral. Does anyone else have a similar resolution?

I wanted to revisit this thread. Although I didn't wear a skirt on New Year's Eve, I have worn skirts several times this year. I still don't wear them as much as I would like to, but at least I've worn them enough to consider this resolution successful. But I'm not completely skirted. I can't wear them to work, and I still am concerned about the neighbors seeing me. So I'm not all of the way there yet.

[Caultron]

Brad, best of success on your journey.

Just remember, it's amazing what you can "get away with" with just a bit of courage and a smile.