Can a skirt ever look masculine

[WesleyN]

15. No pockets - everyday essential items carried in a clutch or cross body bag * exemption for utility skirts.

I don't know where I would be without my pockets, I put them in every skirt I make and add them to every charity shop skirt I buy.  If they are located just below the hip and not over-filled, they are fairly unobtrusive on any but the shortest skirts.

My jeansskirts and one a line skirt have pockets. But I don't like put something in my pockets. I always have a bag. A manbag and a backpack.

[Dottie]

So few men wear skirts that there are really no men-in-skirts rules.

Nature abhors a vacuum.

Trite truisms are truly tempting at times. Alliteration is always abit annoying.

Since there are no men-in-skirts rules yet, I feel empowered to make some. Moses-style.

1. No microminiskirts.
2. No coveting thy female fellows' curves.
3. No slits up to the mid-thigh or higher (unless salsa dancing).
4. No see-through (wear a slip at least, you tramp).
5. No thigh-holsters under pencil skirts.
6. No hobble skirts on construction sites.
7. No hairy legs under sheer leggings.
8. No stupid prints.
9. No fake zippers.
10. No climbing ladders in short skirts with petticoats.

ADD:
11. addendum to rule #1 - skirt hem length must be longer than fingertips arms at side.
12. Display your own curves with random abandon - flaunt it if you have it.
13. Bright Contrasting colors must be worn on the outside of the clothing not as undergear.
14. Footwear should compliment skirted wear - no boots made just for the runway.
15. No pockets - everyday essential items carried in a clutch or cross body bag * exemption for utility skirts.
16. addendum to rule #6 - no high heels on construction site.
17. Tops should be either totally tucked in (onesie) or free at the waist - no half ass mix & match.
18. Complimentary colors OK - beware of sheer pastels and back lighting.
19. Zippers if any should be of the hidden type - creating that how did you get into that outfit ?
20. Be careful bending over and reaching - your limits will or maybe on display.

None of these taken seriously - HOWEVER - the People of Wal*Mart are always looking for recruits !

Rule 21. There are no rules

[Dick Ackerman]

Now that is a great looking outfit worn with the right amount of attitude. Nothing Femme about it at all.

Fred

Thanks Fred:

A woman ahead of me in the checkout line at the market yesterday though so too. We had a very pleasant conversation about it and the Maine coast.

Dick

[KellyRain]

I really wanted to chime in on this one.

The answer is a 100% definitive YES!!

What makes a skirt feminine? 1. Cut and shape. 2. How tightly it fits. 3. Length. 4. Color can be important. 5. Type of pleats. 6. Type of slits or cuts.

I think a good masculine skirt is about a few things.

1. Fabric and texture: I think fine wool, rough wool, canvas, interesting cotton blends are all great. They range from casual to formal and can be made to look like working men's fabrics from the 1920s that has a rough finish and looks lived in. That makes for a great foundation.

Problem is only high fashion makers are doing vintage type fabrics so far. But you can find women's kilts and skirts done in these fabrics if you look hard enough. Especially heavy cottons or linens for summer.

2. Shape: I stay away from basic A frame, body con, tight pencil skirts and loose pleats because they tend to look feminine unless they are made of a manly fabric. Which is rare. I think shape really defines whether a skirt can look masculine or not. So I look for shapes that tie back to ancient and old men's skirts.

a. Kilt - No brainer
b. Long straight skirts, not too tight, not too A shape. Just a simple line. Not in a shiny fabric. Stretchy is ok but needs to have structure. Low slit for walking or a folded pleat to allow the skirt to stretch. No deep slits
c. Knee length pencil skirt. Not tight. Straight simple. Folds or 1-2 pleats instead of a slit so you can walk.
d. Over the knee pleated skirt or simple box skirts can be manly if they are the right material. This gets back to Greek, Roman and other old styles. Simple and manly. Not too high waist so they accent your manly waist.
e. Long flowing. This is tricky. Has to be a skirt with heavy pleats, lots of very tight small pleats or slow widening at the bottom. Floor length. This gets back to ethnic designs from all over the world. But in an elegant fabric it will be very manly.

3. Color
Grey, black, brown, more black, navy, dark earth tones. I avoid anything even vaguely pink or pastel, light colors (I just don't like them much) or colors that look very feminine. I tend to go for darker heavy colors in winter and simple summer neutral shades in summer.


But it isn't just the skirt that makes an outfit manly or not. The upper is critical. I see young Japanese guys trying to wear the same uppers that girls do here and so they lose the masculine lines and look. My wife comments that some of the guys look like their Moms, though unintentionally.

To make an outfit masculine you need to care about the uppers. Your usual manly shirts are fine. Add a vintage vest, a shorter (not too short) length blazer that is the same color or a good matching color to the skirt. It looks masculine and it can be a very good way to assure it looks manly.

Shoes. Working man's boots. Trickers from the UK, Dr. Martins, Monkey Boots are look great with the shorter skirts. If you like taller boots Dr. Martins or logger boots are great. Especially in winter. For dressy long skirts or dressy kilts go with a nice dress shoe. Over the ankle is better. I avoid high heels or flats.

Creepers or monkey boots instantly make a skirt look manly.

Finally, your attitude.

I'm not the most many guy. But when I wear a skirt I want to be no less manly than I always am. So I try to keep my body language and behavior very ordinary and guy like. Though I do make sure to be aware of my skirt and not flash anyone by accident. Being guy like in a skirt helps.

Those are my thoughts.

[Jim]

As KellyRain has added a number of non-skirt factors, another helpful one is facial hair. Keep some and you've made it clear you are not trying to look feminine.

[moonshadow]

On "masculine" skirted looks, though it's technically not a skirt, but appears as more of a tunic, whilst watching a VHS tape "Joan of Arc" I must admit, I was taken by this particular style:



Interestingly, she's the only female character wearing such an outfit, probably because she's the only female character engaged in active combat. All the same, the style strikes me as mighty cool! And sent me on the google hunt to see where I might find something similar to sport out amongst the wolves later on....

Pardon the graininess of the image... VHS's don't pause as clearly as DVD's do it seems....

[STEVIE]

Hi Moon,
Re Joan of Arc, could that be two pieces that she is wearing?
The top could be described as a doublet and the skirt is just that in a matching fabric.
I like that look too but I certainly don't get too hung up on the "masculine".
Steve.

[Fred in Skirts]

OMG! I thought I was the only one left using VHS tapes. I must have about 1000 or more old movies and home made tapes that I will once in a while watch on one of my 8 VHS machines. I have 3 DVD machines as well and about 250 DVDs.

So Moon now I don't feel so bad. Thank You!!

[Grok]

But I wouldn't say it's masculine. Also, understand that many of us here are writing our own rules as to what's masculine or not. But if you want my honest opinion, I don't think it looks masculine at all. I wouldn't say it's over the top "feminine" either, it's just somewhere in the middle. But let's just face it... how many men do you see wearing such an outfit (or similar)? How many women?

If he is inclined to create an outfit "in the middle", perhaps he should be fine with that. After all, members are inclined to push boundaries.

[moonshadow]

If he is inclined to create an outfit "in the middle", perhaps he should be fine with that. After all, members are inclined to push boundaries.

He can wear whatever he wants, and I also realize that what defines "masculine" is a matter of arbitrary opinion, however based on my understanding of western societal norms with regards to this type of thing, I believe most would agree that the outfit doesn't fit the bill of "masculine".

Perhaps it time it will be, as what defines "masculine" and "feminine" are moving targets. But today, I just don't see it.

And that's okay. We're allowed to wear whatever we want. I took the OP as a call for opinions, and I simply delivered mine. No malice was intended.

To further my opinion, I believe when we restrict ourselves to what we perceive as "masculine" then I believe we are missing out on the essence of male skirt wearing. To me anyway, a big part of the fun is to buck back societal expectations that we stay within our prescribed genderfied clothing and gender roles. If I were really gung-ho about maintaining a "masculine" skirted look, i.e. it meant that much to me, then again, I'd just wear a kilt.

But that's just me...

[moonshadow]

OMG! I thought I was the only one left using VHS tapes. I must have about 1000 or more old movies and home made tapes that I will once in a while watch on one of my 8 VHS machines. I have 3 DVD machines as well and about 250 DVDs.

So Moon now I don't feel so bad. Thank You!!

Glad I could help! And for what it's worth, I've got VHS tapes that are coming up on 30 years old and still play for the most part. Meanwhile DVD's that are under 5 years old are shot, skip, and are generally unplayable. At least when a VHS tape gets a bad spot in it, it typically only effects that segment of tape, which may only amount to about 10 seconds of video.

[moonshadow]

Re Joan of Arc, could that be two pieces that she is wearing?

No, I finished watching the movie tonight, and saw it from the back without the belt, it's definitely a tunic.

Although ironically, the church seemed to grill her pretty bad over wearing "men's clothes", so perhaps the tunic was actually made for a man? I dunno... but the church was sure put off by it...

[Caultron]

...Although ironically, the church seemed to grill her pretty bad over wearing "men's clothes", so perhaps the tunic was actually made for a man? I dunno... but the church was sure put off by it...

They couldn't have been that put off. They eventually proclaimed her a saint.

[moonshadow]

...Although ironically, the church seemed to grill her pretty bad over wearing "men's clothes", so perhaps the tunic was actually made for a man? I dunno... but the church was sure put off by it...

They couldn't have been that put off. They eventually proclaimed her a saint.

...after they burned her at the stake...

[STEVIE]

Ah Hollywood?
Another thought, the "tunic" could actually be a representation of a boy's garment.
Perhaps, younger fashions will actually be the route that will lead to us being accepted as masculine in a skirt.
Steve.

ps Just google Medieval Tunic and get loads that are similar to Joan's. Oddly most are being modelled by guys.
Chain mail tights really would be fun to wear too.