Kilted_John's unbifurcated progression...

[Kilted_John]

Decided I should probably start my own thread, instead of posting on Martin's thread...

1978-79: mother put me into a dress that was a hand-me-down from my sister. She and my sister laughed at the incongruous look with me in a frock with tree trunks and brown boots sticking out from underneath, which caused me to want to get out of the outfit, supposedly. If she hadn't laughed, I might've stayed in it and been happy. Who knows.

1991: tried on a skirt that was laying on top of the dryer in the laundry room. Liked it a lot, but knew that there'd be he-double hockey sticks to pay for if I decided to wear it publicly or in front of family.

2001: bought an ex-MOD MacKenzie tartan kilt, thinking I could lose weight and wear it (HA!).

2002: starting in February of that year, decided to try skirts again. Bought a few of various lengths off eBay. Got in deep doo-doo with the family, so skirts became a public-only thing when they weren't around. Also discovered that knee-length was the most comfortable length. Couple months later, discovered leg shaving. Also started hitting thrift stores. In August, got my first properly fitting tartan kilt, one in the Ancient Lennox District tartan. In December, took delivery of another MacKenzie, this time, proper size and lighter weight wool (previous one was 22 ounce, this one is 18 ounce).

2003: wore mainly kilts, with lightweight skirts being used as a kilt liner. Stopped leg shaving. Kept wearing skirts alone for sleeping. Added a third tartan kilt, one in Armstrong Modern.

2004: Continued kilting, but, somewhere in March of that year, started shaving again. That summer, started wearing trouser socks and sheer knee-highs with kilts, mostly getting positive comments, except from mexicans. Family discovered my skirting while sleeping. Sorta became ok with it. In September, picked up my first Utilikilt. Tan standard model that was a few inches too small, so it had to be worn on the hips.

2005: Bought a tan survival in April or May. Started working for UK in June. That continued on through October of that year.

2006-07: Continued wearing tartan kilts and Utilikilts. Sold off a bunch of Utilikilts, and kept one. Finally retired that one after it became almost completely shredded (fabric issue). Also continued to wear a miniskirt around the house, since it was usually too warm in my room for anything else.

2008: returned to full-time tartan kilt wearing, except when I needed to wear pants or shorts. At home skirting became ok with family. Started doing skirted bike riding until I discovered my helmet was past due for replacement, and didn't have the cash to get one to replace it. (still need to do so, then get drivetrain rebuilt on said bike)

2009: Went back to school for spring quarter. Weather got really hot around mid-May. In early June, decided to go back to publicly wearing skirts. Just was more comfortable. Usually wore denim or black pleated skirts, since they would more easily be considered kilts by the unwashed masses. Continued skirting into the winter, since I discovered I could be just as warm as I was in a wool kilt, if I layered two or three regular skirts. Started posting photos on the flickr wardrobe_remix group in late October of that year. Discovered I was a little too large for the MacKenzie as well.

2010: Wore pants for the last time, for my sister's divorce trial. Next day, donated them to charity. Wore tartan kilts about three or four times that year. Rest of the time, when I was alone in public, or at home, wore skirts. Public with family, typically did either a kilt or a pair of soccer shorts, which are loose enough to wear over skirts.

2011: Mainly skirted publicly or @ home. Shorts when needed, wore a kilt on a roadtrip east of the Cascade Mountains in the summer. Started being sent on errands without people saying I needed to wear shorts.

2012: Now skirted all the time, except when working on cars or dealing with my sister's ex. Sister has seen me skirted publicly twice, first time, didn't register, second time, got a bit upset, but got over it fairly quickly. Parents, only the second time, but seem to be non-commital about it. Don't seem to care either way.

[GerdG]

Interesting development. Would you say, that had your mother not put you into that dress you shouldn't have been wearing skirts today?

[skirted_in_SF]

It would take someone who is aware of the geopolitics of the state of Washington to understand your 2011 entry. The common perception is east of the Cascades is Rush Limbaugh country.
Although I have lived in San Francisco almost continuously since 1978 (except for a 3+ year lapse of judgement when I lived in Seattle), I went to high school and college in Eastern Washington and then spent the first three years of my working life in Northern Idaho.
Even so, I have spent some time skirted in Eastern Washington. The first time was in 2010 while visiting my oldest friends who moved to the far northeast of the state after retiring from careers in Seattle. And again last year when I dawned a skirt at my brother's home (he had gone to work), drove five hours to my friends home, spent a couple of days with them and then drove back to my brother's. Three days of no trousers. Plus my brother has now been exposed to his older brother in a skirt. I plan on going up to see him again in July, and with a bit of luck spend a week skirted. It will be nice to be able to wear someplace where I don't have to worry about freezing body parts off.

[Kilted_John]

^ What makes matters even stranger is that I'm a devout RL listener. Been so for ~20 years or so. I find that there's more intolerance with the liberals on the left side of the state than I do with the conservatives on the right side of the state.

In any case, with respect to the dress when I was little, I don't think it would've had an effect on me either way. I barely remember the episode. Remember people laughing and wondering why, but that's about it.

-J

[skirted_in_SF]

K_J, I'm more of an NPR type person, but I have to agree that the a fair number of lefties can be quite intolerant.

[Mugs-n-such]

^ What makes matters even stranger is that I'm a devout RL listener. Been so for ~20 years or so. I find that there's more intolerance with the liberals on the left side of the state than I do with the conservatives on the right side of the state.

In any case, with respect to the dress when I was little, I don't think it would've had an effect on me either way. I barely remember the episode. Remember people laughing and wondering why, but that's about it.

-J

That is really fascinating, Kilted John, about the liberals being more intolerant. I also like RL, and Glenn Beck. I suppose I might catch flak for saying so, but it makes sense from a party (Liberal) that seem to know how to live your life for you better than you do.
I wore a kilt yesterday to my dad's graveyard, pretty much kilted all day except for about 4 hours, including church service. Pretty much now, Sunday and Monday are the only days I wear pants. (Monday because I go out with my friend to watch a movie.) I really prefer skirts to kilts, but usually wear kilts in public because they seem more acceptable. I like skirts better not only because imo are they easier to put on, and many of them feel nicer, but also many of them have pockets. Of course, I do have my bag I use with my kilt...until I get a proper sporran.

[crfriend]

^ What makes matters even stranger is that I'm a devout RL listener. Been so for ~20 years or so. I find that there's more intolerance with the liberals on the left side of the state than I do with the conservatives on the right side of the state.

Editorial note: I am going to sail very close to the wind with this post, and if I offend anybody please rest assured there is nothing personal in it.

It is always worth recalling that when one is listening to "mass media" there is inevitably "editorial slant" to what's being put across, and NO outlet is immune. This is why it's critically important to grab snippets from many different sources and then integrate the lot -- only then will one get a glimpse of what might be fact (and we can leave "truth" out of the equation).

I'll not make any bones about the fact that I detest Rush Limbaugh and his fleet of clones (Hi, Glenn Beck), mainly based on some really horriffic commentary that came across the airwaves from him in 2003 or so effectively calling for the legalisation of torture of suspects. However, he serves as a decent foil for other outlets, and he's a good listen when it comes to how easy it is to pervert the "common sense" (as if there was such a thing) argument to truly evil ends (softening up the public regarding physical torture, for instance). The same thing holds true for most of the "conservative" (When, precisely, did that term come to mean "fascist"?) media.

I will also make no bones about being torqued off with the so-called "liberal" (When, precisely, did that term become a slur?) media and their unanimous praise of the current head of state -- who truly deserves much condemnation for abject failures to right the wrongs that were perpetrated by prior administrations. (Can you say, "Patriot Act" or "Gitmo"? I thought so.) The current Executive has quite a lot to answer for, and I doubt that anybody's actually going to work out how those answers should be put. Everybody should be asking those questions -- and demanding answers; not to do so is unpatriotic.

With the absolute polarisation of things today the only possible way to get any idea whatsoever of what's factual or not is to assume that everybody's lying and then to average out the lies. One won't get truth from that, but one may approach fact.

In any case, with respect to the dress when I was little, I don't think it would've had an effect on me either way. I barely remember the episode. Remember people laughing and wondering why, but that's about it.

That's actually a healthy way to look at the matter. The past is long gone, everyone has moved on, and the new day has brought with it new possibilities. Two decades ago, even though I'd contemplated swapping two tubes for one, I'd not have had the courage to venture forth so attired. One decade ago I was actively toying with the idea, and today I have fully embraced it, and have yet to hear one cogent argument played against me. I get the occasional snide comment, usually about backlighting, but those are easily deflected by informing the commenter that he (or she) did not see what he (or she) thought they did.

[Since1982]

Carl said:I'll not make any bones about the fact that I detest Rush Limbaugh

In 1989 I punched Good Ole' Boy Rush in the belly as we were passing each other in a radio station in Key West. I made a big thing about what an accident it was and how sooooooory I was, and walked away giggling for about an hour. He probably still thinks it was an accident...It wasn't...

[Mugs-n-such]

With the absolute polarisation of things today the only possible way to get any idea whatsoever of what's factual or not is to assume that everybody's lying and then to average out the lies. One won't get truth from that, but one may approach fact.

I imagine you're right about that. I think what makes it hard is most people (myself included somewhat, although I try to be objective) end up believing what they want to believe..."my mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts", ha ha. Although I guess it's not a laughing matter...

[Kilted_John]

Carl,

I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree with respect to politics and talk radio, etc. This is usually why I tend not to discuss political issues with friends. Most of my friends are from the other side, and I value their friendship too much to get into a mudslinging match. With respect to my experience, yes, conservatives tend to be more tolerant than liberals. They may question something, but, once you've answered their question, they let the issue drop, whereas, I find that left-leaning people will try to change me after I answer their question, be it political, or otherwise.

I recommend we bury the hatchet and get back on-topic.

-J

[crfriend]

I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree with respect to politics and talk radio, etc.

I concur, and that's a hallmark of polite society, which, I believe, we have a little slice of of here.

I recommend we bury the hatchet and get back on-topic.

What hatchet? I certainly bear no grudges or ill will!

By the by, thanks for that tip from a couple of years back about knee-highs; that solved quite a few issues.

[Kilted_John]

Ah, ok.

Cool. Glad it worked out for ya.

-J

[skirted_in_SF]

I apologize for starting this thread down the political path. But I think it is interesting to learn that alternative dressing men cover the political spectrum.

[crfriend]

I apologize for starting this thread down the political path. But I think it is interesting to learn that alternative dressing men cover the political spectrum.

I don't think there are any worries on that count, and what could have become a tempest in a teapot has already blown over due to the primary participants being respectful adults.

As with anything else, I suspect that skirts on guys cuts across a broad spectrum of society and that if one looks hard enough one will find examples of every "type" in the mix. The key is to not let prejudices get in the way of things.

[Mugs-n-such]

In reply to the first post in this thread, the only time I remember wearing a skirt/dress as a child was when I was very young...I don't even remember for sure my age, but I'm going to guess 6 or 7...and my parents had me wear a skirt while we were visiting friends of theirs, and dance a bit. That's all I remember...I think it was a knee-length, brown, A-line skirt, but it's so long ago sometimes I wonder whether I didn't imagine the whole thing. However, somehow I'm pretty sure it did happen. Maybe I associated skirt wearing with getting attention, but I've always had a liking for skirts/kilts since then.