Out and About -- In the World at Large

[crfriend]

I've recently had two nights "out and about", both having to do with my wife's 45 high-school reunion -- where I was expected to wear skirts. There'd apparently been a bit of communication with former classmates on the matter so it would have been a letdown if I'd worn trousers like every other guy there.

Friday evening was a "casual get-together" for a happy-hour and I wore pretty much what I wore on the drive down, my black tiered skirt, a pink dress shirt and my red brocade double-breasted waistcoat. I received a couple of compliments and one scowl, which I may have misinterpreted.

Saturday evening I went all out with a white dress shirt, burgundy necktie (they're useful things, in moderation), my black waistcoat, a 120-year-old pocketwatch as the primary timepiece, and a calf-length burgundy silk skirt. That rig drew a few compliments and lots of camera-lenses.

Now, though, I am very happy to be back home. Trip time, more or less door-to-door, from Hamilton, New Jersey to our little abode was about 4 1/2 hours, of which it seems that five were spent in Connecticut. It's been a busy weekend, and I'm off to work again in the morning. ...to sleep, perchance to dream.

[bjones]

Played golf the other day in my Running Kilt. It was a great day.

[bjones]

Went for a hike at Del Valle Regional Park in my Running Kilt yesterday and Monday. I definitely like the running kilt better than hiking shorts. Saw a number of people out there, and as usual, no one seemed to notice the skirt.

[JRMILLER]

My wife and I joined a church about a year ago, I have always attended church in a kilt or sarong. Today was the church hayride and picnic, I wore a new pair of Carhart bib-overalls. Many people commented about them and it's the first time they had ever seen me bifurcated (in so many words). Keep um guessing I say!

[johnb]

I wore a utility style kilt when going for a walk around the local park land yesterday. It was the first the time this year yesterday that I've done so beyond the house and garden. Up until now the weather the weather has frequently been a combination of wet, windy, or cold, which hasn't made it a reasonable choice of dress, but yesterday was sunny and still, if rather cold. It was a pleasure to be out in a kilt once again.

John

[renesm1]

You'll need some tights in the UK today - it'll be snowing quite heavily today in parts!

[Sarongman]

it'll be snowing quite heavily today in parts!

You lucky sods! At 9.15 pm it's still 30 degrees Celsius, which is as near as dammit to 86 Fahrenheit. Sydney broke a record at close to 112 F. and there are out of control bushfires everywhere in the southern states--we are bracing for the worst and hoping for the best. Smoke does make for some spectacular sunsets, but a grey evening with rain would be heaven.
To get back on topic, we went to town to catch the bank yesterday evening (& missed it) so slaked our thirst at Deeny's establishment before going home. I wore a "Billabong" surf skirt and a sleeveless shirt. By the way, Carl, You now have to sing with a very good voice to match Barista Deeny Now I'm heading for a cold bath, before lying on the bed in just the clothes I was born in.

[Sarongman]

I was caught out just a half hour ago. The schools are back as of Tuesday (apart from Warwick east which had a couple of feet of floodwater through it) and the three kids from down the road came in for a lift home with their heavy backpacks. I was wearing just a light beige miniskirt (that's it) and they took it all in their stride. This is obvious, as children aren't any good at obfuscation and show their feelings quite openly. I drove them home as SWMBO had arranged. The eldest has started at the local Christian College, and I hope that it does not inculcate any intolerance. I am wary of such Christian "madrasas".

[Caultron]

OK, but for your sake, be careful around kids, eh?

I realize that there's no correlation between skirt-wearing and child molestation, but not everyone sees that.

caultron

[skirtyscot]

I was caught out just a half hour ago. ... three kids from down the road came in for a lift home with their heavy backpacks. I was wearing just a light beige miniskirt (that's it) and they took it all in their stride.

That's great, Sarongman, three more young minds opened to the idea that a man can wearing a skirt. Or three children doubled up with laughter when they got home.

The eldest has started at the local Christian College, and I hope that it does not inculcate any intolerance.

Don't worry, Bible studies is full of pictures of men wearing skirted garments.

[DenIM]

Yesterday I took my son back to his university in Warrington, Cheshire, an approximate drive of three hours. He isn't yet at the stage where he will venture out in public with me when I'm wearing a skirt so I made my outward journey wearing trousers. On the return leg I stopped off at Knutsford Services to change into a skirt. All day long I was determined that this is what I would do and kept telling myself that I wouldn't allow my nerves to get in the way, thwarting my desire at the last minute as has often happened in the past.

I arrived at about 6.30pm and boldly but nervously, rather like the proverbial swan, all calm on top but thrashing about underneath, I made my way into the services with my knee length denim skirt tucked under my arm. Keen to ignore the quiet yet irritating voice in my head reminding me that it wasn't too late to back out, I continued on but felt myself consciously looking at the faces of the other people there and trying to work out what their reaction to a man in a skirt would be. We've all done it, kind of like: "that man there, he looks rough, I expect he'll come over to me and be violent;" that woman there, "she will look condescending at me, full of her own high morals;" or "that elderly lady, I'm sure she'll approve of what I'm doing, won't she? Etc. It's amazing how quick these thoughts conjure up in our minds and as I tried to ignore them I felt my nervous excitement building and no sooner had I closed the cubicle door of the gents toilets I found the solitude of that tiny compartment rebuilding my confidence.

Quickly I replaced my trousers with the flowing light denim of the skirt and went through my trouser pockets removing the coinage so that it wouldn't fall out when I rolled them up; as if wearing the skirt wasn't a big enough beacon to those around me, to have the coins clatter on the floor, possibly as I reached the centre of the services on the way out, most definitely would have been disastrous! To my surprise I found a scrunched-up £5 note lurking deep inside a pocket clearly loitering without intent, yea!

My skirt felt great and so with renewed vigour I left the cubicle to find, surprisingly, no one else was in the gents. I ventured to the door that stood between me and the outside world and opened it, the point of no return. Remembering the advice so often given on this site, 'to be confident when walking skirted in public' I stepped forward, passing three ladies who clearly were members of the staff discussing an issue of the services and not a hint of a desire to scream for, "Security!". A couple of men who looked like sales reps, coffee in hand, making their way to a table. Lorry drivers and such like. Not one of them appeared to show the slightest bit of interest in the 'weirdo in the skirt!'

My confidence became so strong that instead of turning right to head for the exit, I turned left straight to the Costa coffee bar where I walked in direct sight of the female attendant and ordered a hot chocolate from her and paid for it with the now not so scrunched-up £5 note. She gave me the drink, my change and bid me a safe journey and with that I proudly walked through the services to my car. It felt great to be out and about unbifurcated and the driving experience homeward was enhanced by the comfort of the skirt. It was a great end to a thoroughly pleasant day and I most heartedly concur that confidence exudes confidence.

[crfriend]

My confidence became so strong that instead of turning right to head for the exit, I turned left straight to the Costa coffee bar where I walked in direct sight of the female attendant and ordered a hot chocolate from her and paid for it with the now not so scrunched-up £5 note. She gave me the drink, my change and bid me a safe journey and with that I proudly walked through the services to my car. It felt great to be out and about unbifurcated and the driving experience homeward was enhanced by the comfort of the skirt. It was a great end to a thoroughly pleasant day and I most heartedly concur that confidence exudes confidence.

Nothing more can be said about the day than,

Welcome to a larger world!

[Milfmog]

Great post DenIM,

Been there, done that and had the same result. Now it is unusual for me to do any long distance driving in trousers unless it is for work and I am travelling with colleagues (I have a new job so am not pushing the envelope until firmly established, although my kilt and skirt habit has been dropped into conversations a couple of times and a couple of colleagues have seen me skirted outside working hours).

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Have fun,


Ian.

[renesm1]

I think it is always a good idea when doing this kind of thing to have this in mind.

"You are wearing a skirt and that is perfectly OK!"

Best not to think about the negative terms, it means having to conceptualise them in your mind and that takes you down the wrong path.

Well done for being confident. It's the first step to complete acceptance by yourself and eventually others!

R

[crfriend]

"You are wearing a skirt and that is perfectly OK!"

An alternate to that is, "Yes, it's a skirt. Why?" Or, more simply, "These are my clothes."

Best not to think about the negative terms, it means having to conceptualise them in your mind and that takes you down the wrong path.

Indeed, and to dwell on the (potential) negatives is self-defeating. It's best to hit the subject square on and not look back.