Wearing a Dress in Public Today

[skirtyscot]

A "Pretty Young Thing " can get away with wearing clunky boots etc with a delicate dress. And if as sinned says the idea is to draw attention to the conflict that's great.

But... as a man wearing a skirt and even more so for a man wearing a dress you are already breaking with convention . If you are going to wear these items without the proper accessories you are compounding the transgression.

Agreed. While a woman would be read as deliberately choosing unconventional footwear as a personal style, a man would be read as clueless.

[Happy-N-Skirts]

When I am out for the day with my cameras I wear a skirt with hiking boots. If I am going to be in an area where there a lot of stickers that collect in my socks, I wear knee high stockings over my socks to keep stickers out of my socks. I must look pretty weird to anyone who sees me but if someone asks I explain why I dress the way I do. I get compliments about "what a good idea." Once I was bitten by an insect that had crawled inside my sock and bit me, which became infected. After the affected area became worse I had to have surgery to cut out the infected flash and repair it with a skin graft. The knee high nylons prevent that from happening. One man was very curious about my nylons, but never seemed to notice my skirt, or didn't aak.

[Sinned]

OS, I would still say to wear whatever footwear you feel comfortable in with your dress. I must admit that I can't see me wearing a dress with DM's either. As you say we are breaking the rules anyway so one more isn't going to do any more damage. If you are more comfortable with your Mary Janes then go with them. No-one here's going to criticise you for doing so.

[Kilted_John]

So, in other words, to wear a dress, you kinda need to try to pass with all the accessories, etc? Hmmm, that's what I'm reading. I know it's not the intention of people here, but, I think you guys may want to rethink things a bit. Yes, a "pretty young thing" can get away with a lot of things. As can quite a few "pretty senior things". I also wouldn't call the two women I mentioned people who someone would consider "hot". One's a hippie, the other is former military (served in the Oregon National Guard before deciding she wanted to move to Canada).

Personally, I don't mind if some of you guys want to do the whole nine yards, just don't force others to do the same. My motive all along has been about being comfortable. I don't expect to be working at a job while in a skirt or a dress, even though I've worn one in the past while doing freelance computer repair work (usually something denim or a Utilikilt). So, I'm probably unlikely to be in a situation where I'd need to wear heels or mary jane shoes with some skirt suit or a dress with a jacket. If I'm lucky enough to find a job where the dress code is relaxed enough that I can be skirted, I probably will be working at a company where most people will be in a t-shirt and jeans. Could be Micro$oft, or another tech company. In which case, I should be able to stick with whatever footwear is comfortable for me, instead of having to inflict pain just to conform to a rule.

With respect to being clueless and committing transgressions by wearing footwear that normally doesn't go with the rest of the clothing being worn, in less than four years (02/14/2022), I will have been wearing skirts publicly for 20 years, all over Western Washington, parts of Oregon, parts of Eastern Washington, and the VanBC area. With athletic shoes, hiking boots, doc martens boots, and sometimes with men's sandals. I think I even a couple times wore a skirt or a kilt with a pair of sheepskin-lined Sorel-style snow boots.

Dresses are not much different when you have an open cardigan or buttondown shirt on over them, or if you happen to be wearing one as a skirt with a closed shirt, etc, over the bodice. I've had a couple people lately still think I was in a kilt when I was wearing a ruffled dress with an open shirt, so the bodice was visible. I've also had people who should've known better (teenage girls) tell me that the ruffled miniskirt I was wearing on a certain day was a "kick ass kilt". Another example that most people are still going to think we're eccentric men in a kilt, getting in touch with sometimes non-existent Scottish heritage, even if we're wearing a full-on skirt or dress. Some will think we're in drag, and others may get a clue and realize that guys do wear normal skirts and dresses without wearing makeup, wigs, etc.

A dress alone, yes, people would (and will) notice that we're different, as it has been when I've worn tube tops with skirts while visiting various places. Most of the people I've run into don't mind and understand fully as to why I'm attired that way, instead of spreading rumors about a "bearded woman".

Dan, I know you've been most vocal in my pics and looks thread about trying to get me to toe the line when it comes to legwear and footwear with skirts and dresses, but, I'm going to stick with what works for me. Which is what I'd expect you to do, if I was doing the same.

[oldsalt1]

Sorry John I didn't mean to try to impose my ideas on you. I guess there are 2 kinds of comfort . The first is being comfortable in the cloths that we are wearing. and the second is being comfortable in the level of acceptance that we are reaching with our clothing .
By your post I can see that you have recached an extremely high level satisfaction in both of these areas.

The rest of us especially those who are relatively new at wearing these things are still fighting an uphill battle to gain what is for us a satisfactory level of acceptance .
What I choose to wear around the house or yard is one thing .

I am an accountant and I have to deal with clients. Part of the requirement to deal successfully with a client is to dress appropriately for the situation. The norms of acceptance are set by the world that you are trying to work within. And comfort isn't always the primary concern.

Most of my business life I was required to wear suits and along with those suits I had to wear the proper accessories shoe, ties etc.

Now for lack of a better term I have decided to dress as the distaff side of the business world. Yes this is a departure from the norm, and in order to mitigate the effects of this departure , I have to compliment my clothing choices with the proper accessories shoes nylons etc.

Just as it in not acceptable to wear sneakers or boots with a 3 piece business suit. In the business world it is not acceptable to wear these same items with a skirt, skirt suit or dress

[Freedomforall]

I'm going to stick with what works for me. Which is what I'd expect you to do, if I was doing the same.

My hat is tipped to you! This is the way it should be for everyone!

[mishawakaskirt]

What we have to remember is we are already breaking the rules, there is no normal look for men in skirts and dresses. We are carving out that path.
So trying to coordinate is somewhat in vain. If we try to copy the women too much, we are just seen as wanting to be Women. I'm just here for the skirts and kilts. I find Womens wear, expensive, but cheaply made, thin, flimsy, and often times impractical. The only thing I care to adopt Is the skirt. I'm not going to try to impress anyone or attract anyone while dressed in a skirt. I'd just as soon be invisible, like I am while dressed in trousers. I'm most comfortable in a T-shirt, denim skirt or kilt and work boots or flip flops.

[oldsalt1]

I am by no means trying to force my dress codes on anyone. and I understand the we are breaking the rules and also there are no set rules for men in skirts and dresses.

That being said there are certain dressing standards. and it doesn't matter if we are dressing in pants or skirts and dresses you should at least make some attempt to conform to the normal for that item

And don't tell me that you only dress in what is comfortable and don't have any standards.

If you are a church goer. maybe you dress a little more casual in the summer , but I would assume that you don't go to church in cut offs flip flops and ripped t shirts. you would wear what is proper and if you choose to wear a skirt you would wear what is proper for that skirt for church.

The same goes if you are going to a formal affair. wearing a dress or say a skirt suit to that affair maybe a big step from what's normal for a man. But if you are choosing to wear the unusual you are sure as hell going to try to wear that outfit in a proper manor.

What you wear lounging around the house is one thing. But if you are going out in public , a different set of rules should apply.

[Fred in Skirts]

Rules Rules Rules....
I do not follow rules when it comes to clothes I wear what is "comfortable" period.
If my clothes do not match what someone else thinks they should then thats their problem.
If I want to wear skirts and a "T" shirt to church then that is what I will wear, I have a tendency to wear flip flops most of the time summer and winter and also wear them to church. My God does not require any dress code to wear to church.
I do not attend very many "Formal" activities, but I would still wear what I am comfortable in.

[weeladdie18]

I would agree with Fred that there is no formal dress code for the type of smart skirt which should be worn to church.

The guideline a man in skirts should follow is to wear casual summer skirts for casual occasions and a more formal skirt for a more formal
occasion, .......The male skirt wearer is the only person who can decide what type of skirt will be suitable for the event he is choosing to attend.
..............weeladdie.......

[crfriend]

The guideline a man in skirts should follow is to wear casual summer skirts for casual occasions and a more formal skirt for a more formal
occasion, .......The male skirt wearer is the only person who can decide what type of skirt will be suitable for the event he is choosing to attend.

The fundamental problem in this regard is that the borders between casual and formal are getting blurry as happening with casual and grunge. I can't count the number of times I've seen guys in denim at formal/semi-formal events or the gals in flip-flops in the same setting; to my thinking both of those are entirely unacceptable happenings -- but, then again, I'm a bit of a throwback.

For a guy, an all-up kilt rig is formal and will pass muster pretty much anywhere -- so that's easy.

What's not so easy is skirts. Long used to be considered formal -- until the modern "maxi" dumbed it down where bare feet are acceptable underneath. Short, in a formal or semi-formal setting was considered trashy -- but today seems perfectly normal. I'm not sure that "rules" even exist any more in practise and remain only in the fossilised brains of old farts.

The above having been said, if hard-pressed and invited to a formal event, I'd go with my long pleated maxi, my black waistcoat with velvet trim, and one of my frilly shirts (which resemble the very dressy stuff seen with all-up kilt rigs. The shoes don't much matter because they're usually not visible, but I'd probably wear my court shoes.

[Kirbstone]

For me, dresses are a total no-no. As to appearing in public, because of my family situation any skirt wearing has to be alone and on my way to a far-flung location, where I will not be known in the street. Hence the opportunities presented by a solo drive to Kerry, or a train trip, recently done.

Tom

[mishawakaskirt]

....

And don't tell me that you only dress in what is comfortable and don't have any standards.

If you are a church goer. maybe you dress a little more casual in the summer , but I would assume that you don't go to church in cut offs flip flops and ripped t shirts. you would wear what is proper and if you choose to wear a skirt you would wear what is proper for that skirt for church.

The same goes if you are going to a formal affair. wearing a dress or say a skirt suit to that affair maybe a big step from what's normal for a man. But if you are choosing to wear the unusual you are sure as hell going to try to wear that outfit in a proper manor.

What you wear lounging around the house is one thing. But if you are going out in public , a different set of rules should apply.

While I do have a few nice skirts, most of mine are casual, worn for comfort. I doubt the nicest ones will get worn publicly. I doubt I will ever go any where formal in a skirt. Unless I get invited to a wedding or such event and the one inviting me specifically says wear a skirt or kilt. None of my skirts will ever see any formal action.
While I am a church goer, i will not probably ever be able to wear a skirt there. while they might be pollite and not say anything, I feel it would be very awkward for them and me.
And then there is the wife that barely tolerates me in a kilt, she probably wouldn't speak to me for a month, not would she step foot out the door with me in a skirt.
A formal skirt might be seen as more feminine by others.

[Caultron]

A formal skirt might be seen as more feminine by others.

That depends on what you mean by formal.

If you're thinking of a long strapless sequined evening gown, I'd agree.

If you thinking of something that'd be suitable for skirt-wearers in an office, not so much.

[Kilty]

I tried one (Blue Dress thread last year) but it was a feet of engineering and contortion to get into the damn thing, and my upper body just doesn't suit the look I think the pic is gone as I looked terrible in it, I deleted it. Being kilted / skirted will do for me, one zip at the back or front if a jean skirt, a few straps if a kilt, and I'm good to go. Dresses are trying too hard, some pull it off and go the whole nine yards with lipstick, heels and earrings, but I just prefer a guy's shirt, smart skirt, stockings if cooler, kilt hose if in a kilt. Each to their own, but dresses just don't suit me at all...