Sightings "in the wild"

General discussion of skirt and kilt-based fashion for men, and stuff that goes with skirts and kilts.
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Caultron
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by Caultron »

weeladdie18 wrote:...Is this a general comment for sighting in the wild or do the sightings of male and female wearing the skirt for leisure vary from region to region ?....
I'm sure it varies by region but I, for one, have been seeing fewer men in skirts or kilts and more women in skirts and dresses. The women are usually either hiking or going to church.

As to drawing attention, the more confident and confidant you are the less attention you will draw, especially negative attention. And after you've been going skirted for a period of months or years, people who've seen you before just think, "Oh yeah, that guy, well, that's what he does," and go about their business.
Courage, conviction, nerve, verve, dash, panache, guts, nuts, balls, gall, élan, stones, whatever. Get some and get skirted.

caultron
weeladdie18
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by weeladdie18 »

Thanks for reply , you may find that retailers like New Look and Next change their stock regularly in the summer and have on going sales of
redundant stock. ....Worth popping in if you are passing their shop.
These days the charity shops are having problems shifting all their stock....sometimes I find new items for only a few pounds.
One of the tricks is to check all sizes ,as sometimes stock is gifted to the charity with the wrong size label fitted.
The policy of the charity shop is to display all stock in the size indicated by the label although the label may be incorrect.
Remember to carry a tape measure and develop your eyes to recognise your size .............. good hunting ...weeladdie
johnb
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by johnb »

Caultron wrote:
weeladdie18 wrote:...Is this a general comment for sighting in the wild or do the sightings of male and female wearing the skirt for leisure vary from region to region ?....
I'm sure it varies by region but I, for one, have been seeing fewer men in skirts or kilts and more women in skirts and dresses. The women are usually either hiking or going to church.

As to drawing attention, the more confident and confidant you are the less attention you will draw, especially negative attention. And after you've been going skirted for a period of months or years, people who've seen you before just think, "Oh yeah, that guy, well, that's what he does," and go about their business.
I can't say I've seen many women hiking in a skirt, but most do seem to wear skirts or dresses to church, which is one of the few that my wife puts on a skirt. I can't say that I'm seeing fewer men in skirts or kilts, as I've never seen many anyway.

I agree with your comment about being confidant, that has been say before and is very true. I recently wore a skirt starting off at a B&B in the morning, then going down to the beach, and afterwards for the long drive home with a couple of stops at fillings station, and another at services for coffee. I never felt uncomfortable, those who served me carried on as normal, and I don't think many people really noticed.

John
weeladdie18
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by weeladdie18 »

johnb wrote:
Caultron wrote:
weeladdie18 wrote:...Is this a general comment for sighting in the wild or do the sightings of male and female wearing the skirt for leisure vary from region to region ?....
I'm sure it varies by region but I, for one, have been seeing fewer men in skirts or kilts and more women in skirts and dresses. The women are usually either hiking or going to church.

As to drawing attention, the more confident and confidant you are the less attention you will draw, especially negative attention. And after you've been going skirted for a period of months or years, people who've seen you before just think, "Oh yeah, that guy, well, that's what he does," and go about their business.
I can't say I've seen many women hiking in a skirt, but most do seem to wear skirts or dresses to church, which is one of the few that my wife puts on a skirt. I can't say that I'm seeing fewer men in skirts or kilts, as I've never seen many anyway.

I agree with your comment about being confidant, that has been say before and is very true. I recently wore a skirt starting off at a B&B in the morning, then going down to the beach, and afterwards for the long drive home with a couple of stops at fillings station, and another at services for coffee. I never felt uncomfortable, those who served me carried on as normal, and I don't think many people really noticed.

John
I do feel that these posts from Arizona and further north in England do show that confident " Men in Skirts " are accepted in both
U.K. and America.....................
Sunny and calm today....Monday......slightly more wind on Thursday.... lovely autumn skirting weather... long may it last............weeladdie
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Pdxfashionpioneer
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by Pdxfashionpioneer »

A few comments on a few of the above observations:

Confidence: As the saying goes, "Attitude is everything." I was at a church conference this weekend and was, of course, in a dress, which, as usual, made me way overdressed, but another man there remarked on how confidently I carried myself and therefore how well it came across.


Strangers notice/ not notice: Of course people notice, but don't make a negative thing of it (with very rare exceptions) because they accept it. I know people notice because I get loads of compliments and store associates remember me, which they rarely did and certainly not in the superstores when I used to wear pants.

End of Season Sales: The only women's stores that don't have end of season clearance sales are the ones that manage their stock to a fair thee well (almost none) or fast fashion stores that churn their styles monthly and even they have sales of their overstock. The trick is to figure out which stores sell a full or half season ahead of the calendar. Basically, the more fashionable the store, the further ahead of the season they are. After all, the clientele they cater to would die before they would be out of fashion let alone out of season. When those stores have clearance sales, you can wear it as quickly as you buy it and still be up to date. I've found that Penney's and Roz & Ali (Dress Barn) have pretty nice styles and put their new things on sale to get them into circulation and then at the end (middle) of the season to make way for the next season.

Women's sizes: We men have been spoiled by clothing sizes that mean what they say and say what they mean. It was a matter of military necessity. Despite all the jokes about "Army fit," the military really does want uniforms to fit so they don't encumber the troops in the field and so men don't spend a whole lot of time trying things on to make sure they fit. Women on the other hand didn't have standardized sizes until WWII when the military commissioned size studies so, you guessed it, women could be quickly and efficiently issued uniforms. Since then we've had vanity sizing: The manufacturer calling say a 12 an 8 so milady feels like that company's clothing is slimming and she can honestly tell her friends she wears an 8! We don't see much of it here in the States, but many European countries have their own sizes so God knows what system was used to size that item you found in your Scottish charity shop. And just to keep us on our toes, recently the manufacturers have come up with a new sizing system that's magically turned 14's into 12's. Ya gotta love that weight reducing plan! And finally, there's the cut. Not to mention, the staff in charity shops aren't necessarily the most diligent so clothes wind up where they don't belong. In off-price stores too, so Weeladdie is absolutely right, when it comes to buying skirts, your tape measure is your friend!
Last edited by Pdxfashionpioneer on Thu Sep 27, 2018 9:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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rivegauche
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by rivegauche »

I do buy some cheaper stuff from stores like New Look but I find that sales in the high end boutiques are much better hunting grounds. The cut of a garment and the quality of the material matter in how something looks on, and you get much, much more for your money in a high end boutique or in a chain like Hobbs or Coast. I have Ghost skirts that cost £20. Sales in dress agencies sometimes yield unbelievable bargains with items cheaper than in charity shops. No one I have come across in these shops has any problem about me trying things on. You can often get amazing service if you wear a skirt to go shopping.
weeladdie18
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by weeladdie18 »

PDX Interesting ,your comments on sizing.....Recently I bought a new T U tartan pencil skirt, made in Turkey ,sold by Sainsburys.
My normal size is 12 possibly 14 as I am putting on a bit of weight . To get the hip size a good fit I had to buy a size 10.
As the garment was acrylic and stretchy, I had plenty of stretch at the waist. Definitely not a small size I would normally buy.
I would agree that sometimes better quality stores sell smaller sizes end of line at very reasonable prices in the UK.
Plenty of time to go skirt hunting produces some exiting bargains.
I do not buy any skirt unless I can walk out of the shop wearing it..........................weeladdie
Kilty
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by Kilty »

rivegauche wrote:I do buy some cheaper stuff from stores like New Look but I find that sales in the high end boutiques are much better hunting grounds. The cut of a garment and the quality of the material matter in how something looks on, and you get much, much more for your money in a high end boutique or in a chain like Hobbs or Coast. I have Ghost skirts that cost £20. Sales in dress agencies sometimes yield unbelievable bargains with items cheaper than in charity shops. No one I have come across in these shops has any problem about me trying things on. You can often get amazing service if you wear a skirt to go shopping.
Warehouse is my fave skirt brand... well cut, snug pencil skirts with generous vents at the back to allow you to walk comfortably and show some leg... quite expensive in the shops but there are bargains second hand. Some of the cheaper Primark stuff is okay, but the material can bobble after a couple of washes, but fine for buying cheap tights and underwear. I have found staff understanding if I go to more premium brands skirted, cheaper shops can be full of exciteable kids with phones which is just annoying :roll:
lazerr
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by lazerr »

Hi all:
I've had 2 sightings this year.
1. I was in a green kilt at the Polo grounds at Newport RI and had a great time. The one interesting thing was, almost 100% positive comments. Many people thought I was in costume somehow (the irish team was against the US team. I saw one other person dressed in a kilt but never got to talk.
2. Hopkinton MA Fun Run. I've done these 5 k walks wearing a kilt for years, but for the first time saw another man wearing one. I got asked by many on the road "what kind of kilt is that?" and I answered "hiking kilt". Most replied "looks comfortable".

I'm thinking that these type of events are perfect for this.
weeladdie18
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by weeladdie18 »

Somewhere I reported seeing a female visitor in her Hiking boots...as usual...but her Hiking skirt was the sort of skirt I could wear for summer hiking.
Green , top of the kneecap hem ...same hight as a kilt ...slight flare.....would possibly have to be made to measure with a fitting. ....
looked a bit like a Skort. .......only saw one lady in that sort of garment all summer.

I am not trying to appear as a woman..... I just liked the cut of this skirt.

I do feel I have got to a way of wearing skirts , where the skirt has to be correct and comfortable, then I forget I am wearing a skirt.
Happy-N-Skirts
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by Happy-N-Skirts »

The skirt you are describing is what all of mine are like. I shop for and buy skirts and then have them shortened to above the knee. They resemble shorts and are the right height to allow more freedom of stride.

Suggestion: Look up Scrub skirts online. I like the ones with elastic waist bands. They are soft, wrinkle free, have nice pockets, and they are not expensive. I have them shortened at a dry cleaner who does alterations. They come in several colors.

As I wear skirts I forget I am wearing one, especially since I don’t have any reaction from other people in public places or on hiking trails.
weeladdie18
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by weeladdie18 »

Happy-N-Skirts wrote:The skirt you are describing is what all of mine are like. I shop for and buy skirts and then have them shortened to above the knee. They resemble shorts and are the right height to allow more freedom of stride.

Suggestion: Look up Scrub skirts online. I like the ones with elastic waist bands. They are soft, wrinkle free, have nice pockets, and they are not expensive. I have them shortened at a dry cleaner who does alterations. They come in several colors.

As I wear skirts I forget I am wearing one, especially since I don’t have any reaction from other people in public places or on hiking trails.
Thanks for useful post. ...I must checkout skirt alteration prices....The last time I checked was in a small Business Market.....£20 for a shortening.
This price is a bit hot as I can usually buy a brand new unworn skirt in a charity shop for £5 ...there again I will pay up to £30 or £40 for a nice new
skirt in the sales in ladies outfitters...speaking of which....I do have the confidence to go into these shops as a "man in a skirt " and have a bit of banter
with the ladies ,as their husbands are not present.
The ladies do say that quite a few men come in to buy skirts for themselves
Perhaps they are allowed to wear a skirt at home under cover of darkness....I do think this is the first way to start waving the flag.
I got into a peculiar way of looking as some of my collection and thinking ;
" I would not be seen out in the wild in that " ......... but I never bother to wear the garment at home, to try and break it in.

I must admit that I do not dress in the same way that many of my friends here...... There again we as a group are never likely to be seen together.

Perhaps for a bit of sport I will join the local T.V. social group and try out some of my extreme fashions.
There are some who enjoy a good laugh , get into some serious drinking and talk motor cycles whilst wearing their grandmothers jewellery.

Perhaps if one could chat to a good accountant at one might be able to enjoy a business transaction .................................
to transfer the whole cost of a skirt collection to the expense account.....

I remember going to a wild party back in the swinging sixties where things got a bit out of hand......
The hostess took me up to her bedroom and fitted me out in a rig borrowed from her sixteen year old daughters wardrobe.
I remember doing a drag strip. .....
The hostess left the house before dawn to go naked bareback horse riding with her boyfriend into the sunrise, down on the beach.........weeladdie
weeladdie18
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by weeladdie18 »

I do apologise for going off the thread, but that is what skirts are made of.....thread..................

I note the design of a hiking skirt with an elasticated waist was mentioned.....A couple of my pencil skirts have elasticated waist bands above hip.
I buy the skirt to the hip measurement and the waist band will stretch to my male waist. ...My serious problem at the moment is controlling
my 32 inch waist.....I was considering putting a dart into the waistband to elasticate the waistband above the hip...Perhaps a coloured dart
in the same weight of material as the original skirt would be acceptable.

I usually start my sizing with my 34 inch hip. I like to keep this pencil skirt style close fitting on my hip like my Kilts....the Kilt is another story.
The dart would only need to be an inch on each if my two hips.

There is another problem with moth holes on one or two of my badly treated skirts...Does anyone have any ideas regarding covering up
moth holes with little cloth badges or patchwork hexagons ?.....I understand invisible mending can be expensive...........weeladdie
Bikerkilt
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by Bikerkilt »

Wear the skirts with the moth hole in them and call it a new style UNLESS the holes are in a place that shouldn't show.
Happy-N-Skirts
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Re: Sightings "in the wild"

Post by Happy-N-Skirts »

I have no problem having women measure me and shorten my skirts. They actually enjoy it and we exchange small talk. I tell them how I want the skirts to look, they measure me, I return a few days later to pick them up. I pay $16 for the alteration, which can be as much or more than I paid for the skirt, but I get exactly what I want. The place is a dry cleaner and I also have clothes cleaned there.

The ladies like to see me and there is one lady who likes to give me a hug, except when my wife is with me.
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