Out and About -- In the World at Large

[couyalair]

Interesting post, WyoP.
Yes, I'm sure small-town life must be quite different from life in the big and fairly anonymous communiites where most people live these days.

Personally, I've reached an age where it no longer matters what other people think of me. I'm not looking for a partner or for a job, so i can afford to be odd.

What strikes me most from reading here and elsewhere on the subject of non-standard clothing, is the number of men that have discovered the comfort of skirts, yet dare not be seen in one. I feel it is much healthier to be open about ones choices than to harbour dark secrets behind closed doors, but, as said above, it does depend on wherre you live and what you have to do.

Martin

[WyoProspector]

I don't know Martin. I think it is how we were raised. Heck, most of what we think is based on how we were raised. The French, many anyway, have no problem with topless women. My former wife was French and it was nothing uncommon when we were in her country to see her parade through the house topless no matter who was there. Others didn't even seem to notice... except me. I was not happy about it. As time passed I realized it's all about the "culture". What is forbidden here in the US is commonplace in much of the rest of the world and vice versa.

Even though I have travelled the world and realize that we live in a "puritan, prudish" society, I have always had a hard time overcoming the fear of being labeled a fairy. And yes, I am a homophobe, have always been and always will be. I've had too many experiences with guys hitting on me and making proposals that it unnerved me. I'm not here to discuss that but it establishes a base for my concerns.

I've always said, you could put me naked in a stadium full of women and I would be in heaven but, add 1 guy and I'm outta there. Now that I'm older and not the trim stud I used to be, I'll pass on the stadium full of women too!

I too am reaching the age where I really don't care ether. That is why I am striking out now at age 54 to do what I want. It is made even more difficult by the fact that my wife does not approve of me wearing feminine clothing. She laughs at me when I talk about wearing a skirt at home and she is against me wearing a skirt in public. She doesn’t want people to think she is married to "a man who likes other men".

As you can see the odds are stacked against me but I've gotten her accustomed to me in ankle length skirts at home and in the car (as long as I don't get out). I'm going to push for shorter skirts this summer. I have a couple I made last summer and wore them while she and the kids were on vacation and I LOVED it. Waaayyy cool! Way comfortable, almost like wearing nothing. I think it's worth fighting for (maybe struggling for .

Thanks for the reply.

[couyalair]

The French, many anyway, have no problem with topless women.

On the beach and in films, certainly, but they are expected to put a top on swimming in a public pool. Haven't come across any topless women at home, as you described -- perhaps it's for the younger generation.

It is made even more difficult by the fact that my wife does not approve of me wearing feminine [!!!] clothing.

There must be a place somewhere that you could buy a skirt labeled "made for men" -- Scots kilt, for example -- so that you can tell her a skirt is not "feminine".

She doesn’t want people to think she is married to "a man who likes other men".

Understandable, perhaps. Personally, I have yet to meet any gay men that regularly wear skirts (not that that proves anything, but I'm quite sure the common public notion that ksirts and homosexuality go togther is quite erroneous). Several that I work with would never give up their leg tubes, and some are almost contemptuous of my choice of clothes.

" I've gotten her accustomed to me in ankle length skirts at home and in the car"

You're halfway there!

" I think it's worth fighting for ."

Definitely!

Martin

[WyoProspector]

Yes, I do have an "in". I was showing my wife the Elkomando hiking kilt and one of the reviews had a lower body shot of a guy with the kilt, hiking boots, gaiters and a walking stick stepping from a stream and she thought that looked ok. In fact, she agreed to let me order one. You can bet your hemline I'm going to.

Interestingly, having read MANY of the comments here on this site, I've evaluated my fear of being discovered and have decided to belive in what I want to do. If I believe in it, I'm a ballsy guy in most respects and I know I can back down pretty much any heckler and perhaps convince them to go home and try it.

I've been reading a lot on other websites about the "controversy" and have come to agree... there IS NO controversy. It's only clothes and we should be able to have more than pants to choose from day to day. I'm getting pumped! Maybe you'll see me on television promoting men's freedom to choose. (Not likely but a fun idea)

[Big and Bashful]

I went for a walk through my village last night in my long Midas cargo skirt, big coat and boots. It works quite well in the howling gale and rain we had. Certainly felt drier than I would have done in jeans. Definitely more entertaining!

[Big and Bashful]

Today I had to take my car into Glasgow to have some diagnostic work done. The work was supposed to take about 4 hours. I decided to go skirted, so, wearing my ankle length denim cargo Midas, skirt and long coat (The weather was foul), I headed off, dropped my car at the garage, walked to the station, took the train to the city centre then the underground to get some electrical bits. Then, the full return journey because the garage phoned and said they had to get a part for the gearbox. Hardly a glance, no comments, one sort of quizzical grin from a student. Basically no reaction to a big bearded man in an ankle length denim skirt.
Now, a mug of tea, then change into a pair of jeans (Spit!) because I will be clambering up and down ladders to my boat to sort out some electrics, Falling off a boat can be nasty, also jeans are less likely to catch and tear when in the bowels of a boat, then again, maybe try out a Macabi. Hmmm, there's a thought!

[crfriend]

I went into the "Big City" to my east yesterday to meet up with a couple of old pals who I haven't seen since last year's "Holiday Season" and, like most other times I've been to Boston in recent memory wore one of my skirts. These guys have long since gotten used to my skirts and don't even bother commenting about them now. The bartender, of course, gave me some grief, but that's to be expected and was all in good humour.

I got a small bit of guff from one of them about the bag I was carrying, but once it was clear that I was not going to take the bait that died off pretty quick, too. The bag is useful for when I have to carry the pager/"smart-phone" for work as it lets me carry the device (which is a wee bit too heavy for a pocket), my reading glasses (which allow me to interact with the device), and my regular mobile and wallet in one place. It's a bit flashy (shiny black facets), but Sapphire hasn't finished off the one that she's been making for me, but is just about the perfect size, and with the shoulder strap I can carry it and the bag doesn't show under a jacket. Win.

[Big and Bashful]

I like my cargo Midases because they have 6 decent pockets. I reckon a bag would be too easy to leave behind if you aren't used to it! after a few pints I can be a forgetful muppet!

[Kirbstone]

I don't need to have a few pints on board to make me forgetful, so it's big deep pockets and no baggage for me all the time.
Tom K

[crfriend]

I usually do OK even with a few pints in me and find that the key is to keep one's wits about one, keep your own stuff either tethered to you or in your field of vision at all times.

I was more worried about my car; the Red Sox (Boston's baseball team -- the one who stole my grandmother's youth and took 86 years to make good on it, the bums) were playing^W working so the place I usually put my car (at the far end of one of the transit lines) was completely full up causing me to have to drive a stop closer to the city and park in an unfamiliar location. I am fortunate that I do not suffer from early-onset Alzheimer's or fogged brains from Guinness; without resort to any of the notes I took, I got off at the right stop, located my car from memory, and then dead-reckoned my way on the (unfamiliar) roads to the big motorway that would take me home.

To crib a line from Monty Python, "I'm not dead yet."

[johnb]

The following was written as potential post some three weeks ago and then forgotten, however having found it again I thought that it might still be worth posting.

With the weather warming up I've been wearing a kilt or skirt more frequently away from home. A few days ago I set off to visit a friend wearing a black utility (or work) kilt.

On the way I stopped at a local newsagent to buy a paper, the girl behind the counter was slightly wide eyed, but I have been in there before in the kilt. Having visited my friend I called in at a garden centre on the way home. As I walk to the store I saw an acquaintance drive out, and returned his wave. I will have to see if I get any comments from him in the future.

Later I went over to my allotment, where I have been seen kilted or skirted before. I chatted with one girl who always wears a skirt, and as usual there was no comment or strange looks from her, or a couple of men who were working a little further away.

Yesterday afternoon I wore a wrap around skirt whilst working in the flower bed at the front of the house. A wheelie bin washing firm turned up, and after washing ours the chap came over to collect some money. Whilst he didn't make any comment or stare whilst I paid him, he must have said something to his mate when he got back to the van, as the latter purposefully looked in my direction.

Since then I been out again several times locally in the utility kilt, and yesterday I wore the wrap around skirt (pictured below) for a trip to the allotment, and a walk in the evening along the local stream.



For "security" though, I used a safety pin to hold the sides together about halfway up the split. That position seemed to work well both in terms of not affecting the look and line of the skirt much whilst standing, or causing distortions whilst sitting down.

John

[Kilted_John]

Last weekend, I went to a camera show/swap meet skirted. Those who commented thought I was kilted, the rest didn't say anything, and treated me as a prospective customer, not as a "freak in a skirt". So, no problems here.

-J

[crfriend]

2011-04-27 Worcester, MA -- Finally, finally, spring is really starting to show her face and things weather-wise are starting to get nice. It was warm and breezy today, and that -- to the skirt-wearing guy -- can only mean one thing: it's time to start getting out the lightweight bits and begin to put the heavies into the closet.

Personally, my heavyweight skirts are still out and ready for service because the weather here can turn on a dime and make matters nasty of one isn't prepared. But, this afternoon was a delight, and a skirt that I haven't worn in about seven months got some mileage today to places it had not seen before.

A good friend of mine rides a motorcycle when the weather's good, and since the weather is getting better he needed to take it in for service. Why he lives in Boston and takes it to a dealership in Worcester is beyond me, but I offered to chase him to the place and drop him at the train-station for his journey back to Boston -- after the obligatory pint (or two, or three....). Clearly he had a bad case of "Spring Fever" and managed to miss the motorway exit that would have taken him to the dealership -- he made it a good way to Connecticut before realising that he'd botched it, and left me sitting the dealership's parking-lot waiting for him to show up.

To get back on-topic, I hauled out my very delightful mid-calf length tiered skirt this morning knowing^W hoping that the weather would cooperate, and it did. The skirt is actually a reasonably unremarkable one -- a "Walmart special" -- but it's one of the early tiered skirts I'd bought (read, "had Sapphire buy") and it remains one of my favourites. It's insanely comfortable, and it 's perfect for this time of year.

I feel for the average bloke who's never worn anything other than trousers -- it's the breeze, lads, it's the breeze. Wind gets places in skirts that it never does with trousers, and you don't know what you're missing in a gentle springtime zephyr.

[WyoProspector]

I feel for the average bloke who's never worn anything other than trousers

Indeed, if every man would at least TRY a skirt on a spring day, I'd bet on over 50% making a practice of wearing one regularly at least at home. It is addicting!

So many times I don't go do things I need to from home because I don't want to change into pants. When I do, I immediately change back into a skirt when I get back. I wish I had the audacity to wear them in public but alas, I'd be the ONLY guy in our town to do so. I'm a true non-conformist but not always the first to step up for criticism.

[JohnH]

Lots of times when I go to the store or go for a walk I am the only PERSON wearing a skirt.

Don't worry about wearing a skirt publicly - I stupidly went for a walk wearing a dress after having too much to drink, and I was busted for public intoxication, and had to spend the night in jail. At traffic court no mention was made of my unorthodox attire.

John