Symbols of power!

[Dennis A Lederl]

The biggest single reason pants have taken over our culture as the only garment anyone wears anymore is that pants have been associated for the last thousand years with power.
Pants came into being when the stirrup was invented and allowed heavily armored knights to ride into battle astride their horses, instead of being pulled in chariots. This allowed for new tactics and improved warfare.
It was also the "rights" of the rich and noble. Not for common men (or women) to wear.
So pants became a status symbol.
Whether they are a "better" garment then a skirt, kilt, sarong or dress is questionable and depends on what use we are talking about. Robes, pleated skirts, kilts and other skirted garments were still worn for leisure activities right up until the early Th century. During the last 2 hundred years skirts for men for leisure fell out of use in society. So pants or slacks took over as the only garment for men. And men were seen as the rulers of the world.
That meant that when women decided to advocate for their rights they embraced this symbol of power.
The problem is they embrace it now to almost total exclusion of their former garments.
And they don't want the reminder of the time when they had no power.
The skirt is a symbol in most people's mind of submission.
So when a man wants to wear a skirt, even if there's a really good reason to do so, people look at him as if he were crazy. Why proclaim yourself as submissive or inferior? And it becomes almost impossible to convince people of anything else.
All due to the symbolics of power that a pair of pants represents.
Dennis

[Stu]

There is much truth in what you say, Dennis.

There is an old English expression which goes: "And you know who wears the trousers in that house, don't you?" It means which one of a couple is the dominant partner, and it's often the woman.

Stu

[skirttron]

You are certainly right to say women almost exclude skirts from their everyday wear. Over the Easter break, I was out and about with a group of women in the midst of a couple of hundred other men and women. I may be mistaken, but I could see no other skirt in my field of vision save the one I was wearing.

[Departed Member]

I agree with the thinking in this thread. Ever since I started dressing femme more than six years ago, I've bought considerably more pantyhose than my wife! This is so even though I only dress femme once a week or so at best.

And yes, there's no denying that skirts put physical limits on how the wearer can sit and move. I guess that's one reason I like to wear them along with pantyhose and high heels. It puts me into a different frame of mind.

John

[Departed Member]

Ever since I started dressing femme more than six years ago, I've bought considerably more pantyhose than my wife! This is so even though I only dress femme once a week or so at best. John

So you don't identify with the tens of thousands (at least!) of 'real' blokes such as policemen/dustmen/outdoor manual workers who wear such garments as an extra (insulating) layer in inclement weather, then?

[Dennis A Lederl]

I personally think that the use of pantyhose by men under their clothing for inclement weather isn't all that great.
It may have been, briefly, at one time, back in 1960s, when Joe Namath let it slip that pro Football(American) players wore them out on the field. But they were wearing support hose to avoid muscle strains. Not for warmth.
I have worn them in a an attempt to gain warmth but only found them uncomfortable because they are made to fit women. I've tried male pantyhose and found them not much better.
I have found something at Cabela's outfitters that works fairly well, silk long underwear, tops and bottoms and I wear these at work almost all winter. It is a drafty shipping warehouse and almost as cold inside as outside.
But they are for under pants and shirts and not for wearing with skirts.
Dennis
:cheer:

[Stu]

I know a LOT of police motorcyclists who wear women's tights under their leathers. Presumably that's for warmth.

Stu

[Departed Member]

Hi Merlin,

You're not a magician by any chance, are you? Just kidding...

Seriously though, I wear pantyhose only when I'm wearing a skirt too. I'm not going for warmth or other practical considerations, I'm going for sheer and sleek appearance all the way.

If I want warmth, I wear pants. I'm sure you know the drill.

Cheers, John

[Departed Member]

I personally think that the use of pantyhose by men under their clothing for inclement weather isn't all that great ............... But they were wearing support hose to avoid muscle strains. Not for warmth.

The 'modern' versions with added lycra are probably even more popular (with 'outside' workers) today for the very reason you mention. Why so popular? Less restrictive (& far less bulky!) than 'traditional 'long-johns'! And (according to the wife) certainly common 'warehouse-ware' amongst the blokes, where she works.

Hi Merlin, You're not a magician by any chance, are you? Just kidding...

Well, I certainly do believe in using 'Natural Magic' where appropriate, but a conjurer/illusionist, I am not!

[Sasquatch]

Here in the South we often begin our winter days with temps in the upper 20s to low 30s F, and temperatures may warm into the 50s to 60s F by afternoon. For me, women's "winter weight" tights/p. h. under trousers work very well when working outdoors for morning warmth without roasting me in the afternoon, which synthetic silk longs tend to do. It's a simple matter to layer clothing on the upper body which can be removed as needed, less so for the waist down. Being a large dude, my choice is Just My Size opaque tights.
Sasq

[Darryl]

I tend to agree with the OP.

As for tights/pantyhose - I've worn support hose since 2007 for poor circulation and find it's usually a matter of finding the right manufacturer, style and correct size. Since I live and work in computer rooms for the most part I'm warm enough indoors and out in the winter, perhaps may get a bit warm outdoors in summer but the material seems to wick away the heat. Worn with shorts or skirt - nothing better except bare legs.

[Sinned]

Having worked on a building site for over a year I know that there are a lot of construction workers that wear tights in winter. It gets very cold on an open exposed and windy building site particularly high up fitting roof sheets.

[rick401r]

Pantyhose or tights are perfect for when you're working both indoors and outside as well. My job as a facilities maintenance man included clearing snow and ice from the walkways and other outdoor repairs interspersed with my indoor tasks. So I stayed comfortable in both situations.

[mishawakaskirt]

I am looking at old posts from a few years back and decided to bring this one back. I thought it says a lot about one subtle reason for the cultural resitance to men in skirts. Think of this as a "Throwback Thursday Post". Mishawaka.

The biggest single reason pants have taken over our culture as the only garment anyone wears anymore is that pants have been associated for the last thousand years with power.
Pants came into being when the stirrup was invented and allowed heavily armored knights to ride into battle astride their horses, instead of being pulled in chariots. This allowed for new tactics and improved warfare.
It was also the "rights" of the rich and noble. Not for common men (or women) to wear.
So pants became a status symbol.
Whether they are a "better" garment then a skirt, kilt, sarong or dress is questionable and depends on what use we are talking about. Robes, pleated skirts, kilts and other skirted garments were still worn for leisure activities right up until the early Th century. During the last 2 hundred years skirts for men for leisure fell out of use in society. So pants or slacks took over as the only garment for men. And men were seen as the rulers of the world.
That meant that when women decided to advocate for their rights they embraced this symbol of power.
The problem is they embrace it now to almost total exclusion of their former garments.
And they don't want the reminder of the time when they had no power.
The skirt is a symbol in most people's mind of submission.
So when a man wants to wear a skirt, even if there's a really good reason to do so, people look at him as if he were crazy. Why proclaim yourself as submissive or inferior? And it becomes almost impossible to convince people of anything else.
All due to the symbolics of power that a pair of pants represents.
Dennis

[Sinned]

Yet as women are now considered the seat of power in most homes surely it is now a sign of aligning oneself with that power that should now be associated with the dress or skirt? MOH is away for the day so the cat will play, or at least now done my skirt and go out for the day,