Sightings "in the wild"

[Sinned]

The past couple of days we have had beautiful spring weather and as I sit now the sky is virtually cloudless and blue. Temperatures still not great but just seeing the sun in itself is a joy. More to come I hope.

[quantum]

Came across a chap in my local B&Q DIY store in a light grey kilt, long socks - certainly looked the part with beard and Tam o'Shanter cap.

[crfriend]

It's been a pretty dry couple of decades since I've seen another bloke in a skirt, save for arranged meets, but today pushed the meter hard against the upper pin.

Context: Sapphire and I trekked into Boston for a Dropkick Murphys concert, and grabbed lunch before the event and then some beer after, mainly as time-fillers to line things up with the train schedule.

At lunch (at "The Landsdowne") there was bloke at the bar in a kilt. OK, that's not a skirt, but that was just one that had "both legs shoved down one pipe".

At the concert proper, there were at least two other guys in outright skirts (yes, they had pleats but were not proper kilts) -- that's double the number that I've seen since the mid 1980s!

Then, at the "Beer Works" afterwards I spied a chap in a Utilkilt.

Total tally on the day, 2 blokes in outright skirts (discounting your humble reporter), 2 in proper kilts (one of whom was a performer in the concert, but I'm given to understand he wears them offstage as well), and one in a Utilkilt.

(For the record, the two blokes in skirts were wearing checked-pattern pleated jobs, but these were pleated all the way 'round and the wrong length for proper kilts. I was wearing a cream-coloured fleece skirt which falls at my lower calf -- a bespoke one from The MouseWorks.)

Win.

But my ears are still ringing. Four hours after the fact...

[dillon]

Sounds like a fine time was had by all. I can hear echoes of "Spicy McHaggis" in my head as I picture the scene. I am going to see the venerable Leon Russell this coming weekend.

[crfriend]

Sounds like a fine time was had by all. I can hear echoes of "Spicy McHaggis" in my head as I picture the scene.

Yes, a good time was had by all, right from the opening strains of Cadence to Arms right through to the final encore.

The first opening band, "Skinny Lister", was an energetic group and a lot of fun; the second opener had about 5 kilowatts too much power and felt like a rehash of 70's angst.

But, it was staggering that the number of blokes in skirts I've seen trebled yesterday from 1 (in the mid 1980s -- a real pioneer -- to 3). Note that I am not counting "proper" kilts, nor the Utilikilt.

I am going to see the venerable Leon Russell this coming weekend.

Enjoy!

[skirtingtoday]

crfriend, Good to see some "real" skirts out there.

Sounds like you had a great day out! Hopefully more take up the option!

Like you, I tend to ignore plaid kilts (being from Scotland) as they are moderately frequently spotted, especially on rugby afternoons. UK's are still quite rare here and deserve a mention - they are almost as rare as skirts on men.

Ross

[skirtingseattle]

Last Sunday my wife and I were driving in downtown Seattle when we saw a guy in a dress walking quite briskly through the crowds around rush hour. Neither of us thought he looked very fashionable. It was a sleeveless summer dress and he seemed to be wearing pants underneath. The rest of his clothing, hair style, facial jewelry and jacket made for an entirely jarring experience. Don't know if he was going for a goth look, but if he was, he missed it by a mile. His effort was not helping the cause. It didn't appear that many people were taking any notice.

Chris

[Milfmog]

His effort was not helping the cause. It didn't appear that many people were taking any notice.

I have a mixed view on this. If the look was too far off centre to be seen as reasonable by the majority, then I would have expected a reaction; so the "It didn't appear that many people were taking any notice" seems contradictory.

Either way, folks who are further "off centre" than I am are helping to make my choice look less far off piste. That won't do me or us any harm. The only issue I see is if someone with very distinct dress style gets noted as a baddy (any definition of that will do) in which case the public consciousness may start to associate the look with a specific bad behaviour.

Have fun,


Ian.

[Caultron]

Last Sunday my wife and I were driving in downtown Seattle when we saw a guy in a dress walking quite briskly through the crowds around rush hour. Neither of us thought he looked very fashionable. It was a sleeveless summer dress and he seemed to be wearing pants underneath. The rest of his clothing, hair style, facial jewelry and jacket made for an entirely jarring experience. Don't know if he was going for a goth look, but if he was, he missed it by a mile. His effort was not helping the cause....

Indeed, even with unusual modes of dress, it's important to have a reasonably well-integrated appearance.

And yes, I acknowledge the contradiction.

...It didn't appear that many people were taking any notice.

Once again, and even if it seems to be my mantra, people really don 't care what you wear. So just be yourself.

[STEVIE]

A while back I saw a guy, a fellow bus passenger, who had the most perfect facial and hand cosmetics I've seen in ages on a male or female.
He was not "en femme", just denim al over.
I doubt that anyone would really say that he was "integrated", but he wasn't trying to be, I'd guess he was being "him".
Fast forward to yesterday, I was out at lunchtime as usual but "spotted" by some college students.
I had on a black skirt/grey jacket combination, conservative and subtle.
However, given their reaction, "integrated", to them, I was not. My hope is that I caused them to think.
We challenge convention by wearing skirts as guys, the reactions will always vary, no matter how carefully we choose the actual outfit.
Fashion or dress sense errors are nothing to get overly anxious over, deal with it, learn and move on.
The only way to never make a mistake is to do nothing at all.
Steve

[crfriend]

The only way to never make a mistake is to do nothing at all.

That one sentence speaks volumes.

Dare to try!

[Caultron]

A while back I saw a guy, a fellow bus passenger, who had the most perfect facial and hand cosmetics I've seen in ages on a male or female.
He was not "en femme", just denim al over.
I doubt that anyone would really say that he was "integrated", but he wasn't trying to be, I'd guess he was being "him...

This is the contradiction I mentioned. In one sense, a man wearing facial cosmetics (or a skirt) can't possible look integrated, at least by current standards. And yet, some approaches to combining those supposedly-incompatible elements fit together better than others.

[JeffB1959]

Last Sunday my wife and I were driving in downtown Seattle when we saw a guy in a dress walking quite briskly through the crowds around rush hour. Neither of us thought he looked very fashionable. It was a sleeveless summer dress and he seemed to be wearing pants underneath. The rest of his clothing, hair style, facial jewelry and jacket made for an entirely jarring experience. Don't know if he was going for a goth look, but if he was, he missed it by a mile. His effort was not helping the cause. It didn't appear that many people were taking any notice.

Considering the outlandish clothes people wear in public these days, from goth kids dressed all in black with purple mohawks to gangsta wannabes with the waistbands of their jeans down to their crotches, why should what that fellow wore elicit any interest from passersby who are either numbed by everything they've seen, or just don't give a damn? Nothing personal, but if HE thought he was fashionable, there was no reason for him to care what you, your wife or anyone else thought. As long as he was comfortable enough in his own skin to wear what he did, that's the important thing.

[pelmut]

I'm not sure if it counts, but last Saturday night at Bath Ceilidh there were two men in kilts and me in a long black skirt. There were about 120 people at the dance, so 1:40 is not a bad ratio.

[Derek Plattis]

I'm not sure if it counts, but last Saturday night at Bath Ceilidh there were two men in kilts and me in a long black skirt. There were about 120 people at the dance, so 1:40 is not a bad ratio.

I assume you mean tartan kilts of Scottish design and appearance. They get everywhere and they are completely recognised and acceptable as a form of menswear. You in a long black skirt - well that's different. Keep up the good work! - the more we are seen wearing our skirts the more "acceptable" they will become.

Derek