Out and About -- In the World at Large

[skirtyscot]

Being with other people helps to "normalise" your attire. If your companions are OK with it, and ignoring it, that sends a message to any onlooker.

[Man in a skirt]

I flew commercial air from Sea-Tac to Mississippi through my home town airport (IAH- Houston, TX) skirted, and then changed once I touched down, since I was being picked up in a marked company vehicle and wanted to appear "professional" (it's hard to be a professional helicopter technician in a skirt... rotorwash!). Apparently Sea-Tac TSA regs require a pat down of anyone in a skirt... the 10 year old girl in front of me got the same treatment at security that I did, except the called over a male to check me...

[crfriend]

[...]it's hard to be a professional helicopter technician in a skirt... rotorwash!

I have two observations:

1) That's a gig I think I'd like and
2) the argument of rotorwash only applies when the beasties are "spun up".

Lead weights at the hem might help in that regard, and I'm given to understand there there's precedence there in the French Gendarmes' old uniform cape (which given the swing could pack quite a wallop).

Apparently Sea-Tac TSA regs require a pat down of anyone in a skirt... the 10 year old girl in front of me got the same treatment at security that I did, except the called over a male to check me...

I do see the humour in that, even if the whole thing smacks of "security theatre".

Really. Patting down a 10-year-old. I can see putting an adult male through the wringer, but a little girl?

[Man in a skirt]

that and there's the perspective of being a Army Contractor... in a skirt... I'm still in-processing, and I think it will be a LOOOONNGGG time before I'm "ballsy" enough to wear skirts to work. (AND there's the working on top of the birds, under them, upside down, etc. Since I go regimental folks might get a show...)

General public seeing me in a skirt? no problem. Friends, family and associates... different story...

[crfriend]

AND there's the working on top of the birds, under them, upside down, etc.

Point taken. Sometimes wearing a skirt just doesn't make sense.

General public seeing me in a skirt? no problem. Friends, family and associates... different story...

The only advice I'd offer here is to be straight with your friends and your family. Your pals will give you grief about it for a while and then it'll cool off; but it's most important not to hide from your family -- even if they're initially aghast at the notion -- because sooner or later they will find out, and it's better to be in control of the situation rather than having it swirl around you uncontrolled.

[Man in a skirt]

My immediate family, as in wife and kids, not a problem. My Mom, Dad, and sister? absolutely not! When I was in my teens, my sister caught me in my mothers dress, and THAT incident led to years of forced counseling, lots of distrust in the family, (where I was blamed for everything slightly out of place, even after all the bedroom doors were locked...) and divides that still exist today...

[crfriend]

My immediate family, as in wife and kids, not a problem.

Excellent, as those are the ones that really matter and can be toughest to get "on-side".

My Mom, Dad, and sister? absolutely not! When I was in my teens, my sister caught me in my mothers dress, and THAT incident led to years of forced counseling, lots of distrust in the family, (where I was blamed for everything slightly out of place, even after all the bedroom doors were locked...) and divides that still exist today...

This is going to come across as being crass, but it is not intended that way: "Does that really matter, especially given the history?" After all, if it's been a lingering problem leading to distrust and dysfunction for all these years it should be reasonably easy to simply accept that the situation is not going to get any better and just say, "The heck with it." In short, your parents and your sister need to grow up a bit and understand that you are the master of your destiny not them.

[Man in a skirt]

I see your point, but I don't think I'll ever be 100% pants free. To save my beloved parents the stress, and myself from my sister's preaching, family events will be a "pants by choice" occasion...

[skirtyscot]

Whose choice, exactly? Not really yours, I'd say.

My in-laws don't like my skirts. Any time we are going to see any of them, Mrs SS asks me ever so nicely to wear trousers. Usually I do it, for an easy life. But they will continue to see me skirted at home. Why should I pretend, for their benefit?

[crfriend]

I see your point, but I don't think I'll ever be 100% pants free.

On a forum that advocates skirts and skirt-like garments on guys this is going to sound heretical, but I have never contemplated giving up trousers altogether -- not even once. What is important to this writer is the choice. "Do I wear trousers today or do I wear a skirt?" It's the option to make a choice that's key.

Personally, I prefer skirts to trousers; however, I also recognise the utility of trousers, and I also know that falling back to trousers for some things and in some situations makes perfect sense. If I know I'll be up ladders during a day's work I'll likely opt for duo-tubes; however, this does not keep me from going up the occasional ladder if I've opted for "one pipe instead of two", and I just keep my surroundings in mind. If I know I'm going to be trying to make a point and my appearance may detract from making that point I'll opt for trousers unless I'm in a crowd of forward-thinkers.

To save my beloved parents the stress, and myself from my sister's preaching, family events will be a "pants by choice" occasion...

Again, at risk of sounding crass, your sister has no grounds to criticise your choice of attire and can be told to "shove off" at any time and for any reason. One never has to listen to siblings, especially if they "preach" (Note: this is coming from an "only child"). Parents may be a different matter, but at some point one has to leave childhood behind and forge ahead using one's own vision; sometimes this really infuriates one's parents, but it's their responsibility to recall that once their child has reached adulthood it's his (or hers) destiny and choice, not theirs.

I still recall the moment when I turned on my heels and walked away from my grandfather for a bit of abuse that he heaped on me one too many times. I have long hair, and have had so since I reched the age where I was allowed to make my own decisions. This never sat well with him, and once the Alzheimer's set in his behaviour grew progressively more abusive. This wasn't physical as I could have "taken" him in a heartbeat with me in my early prime and he in his early decline, but rather psychological. He didn't try "preaching" to me about it, but instead repeatedly called my sexuality into question -- a schoolyard tactic at best -- and eventually I had enough of it, told him to "sod off", turned on my heel, and walked away. The next time I saw him he was in a box ready to be shipped off to a cemetary to be buried (which is a separate and disgusting story in its own right). Do I regret what was essentially a snap decision? Sometimes yes and sometimes no, but on balance, NO.

Parents of adult children should bring joy, insight, and inspiration -- not heckling, guilt, shame, or conflict.

[skirtingseattle]

I took a 5-day trip to New York City (NYC) in early July and wore a kilt most of the time, including the flights. My wife and I started our nonstop flight from the Seattle/Tacoma airport to JFK airport just outside NYC just after the 4th of July and experienced no problems with security. I walked through a standard metal detector and did not get a pat down. The same was true of the return flight. People on the flight noticed, but no comments.

Once we arrived at JFK, we took mass transit into the city via the airport elevated rail and the Long Island Railroad (about 40 minutes total). Standing on the platform at Jamaica station waiting for the Long Island Railroad in 93 degrees heat, I was thankful to be wearing a kilt. Once at Penn Station, we walked the 7-8 blocks to our hotel in stiffling heat, and this is when I heard my first and only vocal comment about my kilt during the trip. It was from a Black American gentleman standing in a door way of a business who said, "Wow, a man in a kilt. I can't believe I am seeing a man in a kilt."

We spent one day at a friend's house in Harlam where we were celebrating the birthday of a dear friend we met while living in Africa many years back, and that is where my wife heard a comment about my kilt (which she later recounted to me) from another friend, "What's the getup Chris is wearing?" I don't think she meant it to be mean, because I did talk to her for some time later after the comment was made (unknown to me at the time). My wife explained to her that it was a sport kilt, and that seemed to satisfy her. She never brought it up during our conversation.

The rest of the time we saw the city: Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the 9/11 Memorial, Times Square, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and we walked everywhere through many neigborhoods, including the relatively new High Line Park on the lower west side. I brought three different kilts for the trip, and wore them all. The weather was quite warm, and it was just great to be able to wear what I wanted to wear. In fact, I did wear a pair of shorts on one of the days, and that was OK too. It just happened to be the day we visited the 9/11 Memorial where I saw a young man in his 30s wearing a Utilikilt. As crfriend has said, it is all about choice.

On a side note, this past week, since I did not have any customer facing meetings, and didn't have to go into the main office, I wore kilts out and about every day. I am quite sure that most of the people in the stores I frequent in Bellevue and Issaquah know me well now. In fact this morning, when I was at the Issaquah "Trader Joe's" grocery store, a woman customer commented that my hot pink polo shirt coordinated very well with my dark, navy blue kilt (I was also wearing black dress shoes with black knee-high socks - no jacket). Everyone nearby took note of the conversation we struck up about kilts for men.

PS None of the kilts that I wear are Scottish Tartan kilts. The kilts are what most would call sports kilts. I do own one Utilikilt from the company of the same name here in Seattle, but it is so heavy that I prefer non-tartan kilts from other manufacturers that are not so big and bulky. I wear my sport kilts about 3 inches about the knee (20 inch drop) with a 36 inch waist.

Cheers

[Milfmog]

I have spent the last ten months working in the North east of England, about 300 miles from home. After several attempts to persuade her to come up far a weekend Carole eventually joined me for the long weekend last week. While she was up we visited the Beamish Museum ("The Living Museum of the North") a 300 acre site with a variety of settings, including a mining village, a Georgian Manor and an Edwardian High Street all staffed by folks in period costume (and the important bits, the pub and sweet shop, are open for business, though (sadly) not at period prices).

I wore a tan Utilikilt Survivor with a dark t shirt. Carole never batted an eye and it was only later that she realised that neither had anyone else. A win.

I wore the same outfit the following day (with a fresh t shirt you'll be glad to learn) when we visited the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. Here I proved that I do not understand modern art (or pretentious twaddle as most of it was) although I thoroughly enjoyed the audio exhibit by Janet Cardiff. While out on the observation platform on the fourth floor Carole took this picture of me with the Gateshead Millennium Bridge and the Tyne Bridge in the background.


Apologies for the umbrella hanging from the clip at my waist; it had been a typical drizzly bank holiday earlier.

I had a few compliments on the kilt at the art centre and again later when we went out for dinner at the restaurant on the top floor of the Baltic and then over the bridge to the Pitcher and Piano bar for a cocktail or two afterwards. Neither Carole nor I detected any negative reactions at all.

The following evening we went to an Indian restaurant that had a buffet on. I wore the long Svenjoyment skirt (I must get a picture of that) and given that I had to get up to go to the buffet several times it can not have gone unnoticed but Carole said she did not even see anyone looking at me. I think I'm finally beginning to win the battle as she realises that nobody else really cares how I dress so there is no need for her to worry. In all a great and successful (if expensive) weekend.

Have fun,


Ian.

[couyalair]

A good weekend it seems, Ian.
And an exceptionally sharp photo showing the kilt and the town.
Carole should be proud to go out with you.

Martin

[Big and Bashful]

Looks like you had a great time, it's good that that Svenjoyment skirt is getting some use as well.

Good on ya! (As they say somewhere, probably!)

[Man in a skirt]

just looked up Svenjoyment skirts... and hey!! that's what I meant by a "long kilt" I'ts PERFECT!