Kilts.

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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beachlion
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Re: Kilts.

Post by beachlion »

Two years ago my wife asked me how a kilt would fit me. I'm still not sure it was because the movie Braveheart or pictures of kilted men with swords and being topless. I wore skirts before when I was hiking but the kilt was my first step. I made a few kilts after that introduction. After some time I made a skirt that looked like a kilt but without the pleats. She called it a kilt. Than I made a real skirt in the form of my kilt and she still did not object but called it as before a kilt.
Without the kilt I don't believe I could have introduced my skirt wearing to her. It was a stepping stone towards skirts.
All progress takes place outside the comfort zone - M J Bobak
skirtingtheissue
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Re: Kilts.

Post by skirtingtheissue »

I see kilts as a "gateway garment" for new skirters two ways. First, for someone hesitant to go out in public skirted, kilts are a way to wear an unbifurcated garment legitimately, since traditional kilts and modern kilts are made for men. After seeing how comfortable and fun to wear they are, and getting used to the feeling, he can progress onward to wearing plain skirts made for women, more feminine skirts, dresses, or wherever that path may lead. Second, kilts are a way to introduce friends and family to your preferred clothing choice; they are great for "breaking the ice" . For example you can show up at a party in a kilt; your friends will ask you about it, you can say how great it is to wear, etc.; and then after they see you in a kilt a few times, you can progress onward to wearing a plain skirt, more feminine skirt, etc. It will be far more successful that way than if you show up out of the blue in a pretty floral skirt or dress!

I was never hesitant to go out skirted, but for being around friends and family my Elkommando kilt was the ideal icebreaker, the perfect gateway to plain hiking skirts and then more feminine ones.

----- Henry
When I heard about skirting, I jumped in with both feet!
Grok
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Re: Kilts.

Post by Grok »

I hope that the sight of kilted men...will acclimate the public to the idea of men wearing one pipe rather than two.
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Pdxfashionpioneer
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Re: Kilts.

Post by Pdxfashionpioneer »

Recently, I have been wearing black dresses and hose almost exclusively as the traditional sign of mourning for my mother's recent death.

When I went to my Fred Meyers (It's a regional "superstore.") this evening I was wearing a black sweater dress with white and blue vertical and horizontal stripes in a semi-random pattern reminiscent of a late Mondrian painting. I accessorized it with a color coordinated scarf. The cashier greeted me with a cheerful, "You look really nice today!" It was the same dress and scarf I had worn to church, to drop my sister off at the airport and to the meeting of my church's board with our district superintendent.

My sister had flown out from Omaha, Nebraska to participate in the traditional Methodist memorial service we were holding in Portland for my mother. My brother and I had put on a very Californian (free-form) memorial service for Mom, or at least as free-form as it gets at an assisted living center in Orange County, CA (for our international friends let me just say it's probably the most Republican county in California and probably one of the most in the US). For that I had worn grey dress slacks, black dress shirt and a silver tie.

Getting back to Portland, on the suggestion of a good friend of mine I had warned my sister that I would be wearing a dress to Mom's service. She had emailed back to say she really didn't care what I wore, what did I think she should wear? Later, I found out she had converted to Republicanism awhile ago and had voted for the current President.

Nonetheless, she was as good as her word. She barely noticed the dress I wore to pick her up at the airport and the only thing she had to say about the black Liz Claiborne sheath I wore to the service was, 'Where did I get it?' and that she had met someone who actually knew Liz. That, and she thought it looked nice.

In fact, the only thing she wasn't able to wrap her brain around was why I voluntarily wear heels. She wore high-heeled (actually mid-heeled, but they looked very nice) pumps for the occasion but changed to ballet slippers as quickly as she felt she could get away with it.

What I'm trying to say is, if you like to wear kilts, then do that. One's own taste is one's own taste and who can object? If you need to start with a kilt to ease your spouse into the concept, by all means do it. But don't think you need to start with a kilt or anything else in particular as a gateway item to get the general public in your vicinity acclimated, because it just ain't so. The vast majority of people today are accepting and tolerant of all kinds of things, including men wearing skirts. So start with whatever you like

As we've seen over and over again, family is often the exception that proves the rule. But otherwise, if your inclination is to wear a skirt, then wear the skirt! And wear it with pride!
David, the PDX Fashion Pioneer

Social norms aren't changed by Congress or Parliament; they're changed by a sufficient number of people ignoring the existing ones and publicly practicing new ones.
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Sinned
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Re: Kilts.

Post by Sinned »

Dave, why did you put in the nits about being Republican. As a Brit I don't really have any concept of what Democrat or Republican is all about and I particularly don't care what she is/was. Too much detail. To me it just brought in politics again to something that didn't warrant it. Apart from that it was a good post.
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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