Swim skirts: Crossing a line?

General discussion of skirt and kilt-based fashion for men, and stuff that goes with skirts and kilts.
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floatingmetal
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Re: Swim skirts: Crossing a line?

Post by floatingmetal »

I have a couple of swimdresses from https://www.ambrosewilson.com/shop/wome ... wimdresses and have worn them to sessions in a private part of the local public swimming pool. They’ve been organised by TAGS - Trans And Gender non-binary Swimming, who back when swimming was allowed had sessions running in a few places, mostly in London I think.

The swimdress itself does tend to billow on getting in the water, so I tend to tuck the bottom of the dress part in to the swimsuit part. Other than that it’s comfortable and as easy to swim in as anything else for me.
nzfreestyler
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Re: Swim skirts: Crossing a line?

Post by nzfreestyler »

those swimdresses look quite cute !
I surf a little now - used to surf a lot 15 years or so ago - so I wear fitted rash guards over a bikini or a summersuit cause the water is mostly colder here.

I have an Oneill 3mm summersuit that I wear a lot - front zip - arms and legs out - g bottom - which is minimal but not too high leg so its still padding my hip bones. good on my core for cold and support when surfing or wake boarding.

I also have a rip curl g-bomb surfsuit with long sleeves and regular cut bottom in a nice pink floral!

As for bikinis - I have to wear a bikini top regardless of my bottoms - so most often I will just wear a bikini or a 1 piece , sometimes a bikini with a rash guard over for safety if playing around on the boats.

A string bikini top is not a comfortable top on my back/shoulder blades and it offers next to no protection on its own in the water, the number of times I have to rearrange... I have a few one pieces - one I quite like with longer sleeves and a full upper back. I don't enjoy scoop back one pieces unless they have a cross over top back - or a strap up high to keep my shoulders on because it feels like it will come off me forwards sometimes - mostly when wet.

I must admit though a bikini is damn good in summer because they dry so quickly.

Lastly though is tan lines - who likes a bikini string tan line on your back? I vary my tops and coverage to avoid tan lines because they limit how other regular clothes look later. And yes I know we shouldn't be tanning but in summer even being careful you do slowly build up some tan

cheers
NZF
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phathack
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Re: Swim skirts: Crossing a line?

Post by phathack »

I always wear a Bike Short type of bottom, some with attached Skirt.
I have to wear a top as I'm fair skinned and will burn easily in the sun.
Tops are:
  • Racer back Tankini Top
  • Racer back Bikini Top
  • Racer back Onepeice
  • Rash guard with Arms.
Raakone
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Re: Swim skirts: Crossing a line?

Post by Raakone »

A couple of times I've gone swimming in sarongs, was nice. If you keep moving, then it's not really a big deal, although it does feel funny with...non-conventional drag. I read that in Samoa they used to swim in their ie lavalava, at least as late as the 70's (probably later in more remote villages), despite them "billowing out immodestly"

I also once swam in a nightshirt as a joke, in a lake.
Faldaguy
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Re: Swim skirts: Crossing a line?

Post by Faldaguy »

Raakone wrote: I read that in Samoa they used to swim in their ie lavalava,
When we were in Tonga, almost a decade ago, many of the locals (especially the ladies) would swim in their street wear -- very modest for a Pacific Island. I got 'wolf whistled' by one of these gals in a group of 5 women with a couple little kids -- merely for stripping off my short wrap skirt to swim in a bikini. In fact, they seemed to get such a kick of out it the "whistler" came out in the water to pose with me for a picture -- I think the water was still above my waist, so I don't know what the kick was, but a pleasant encounter despite the initial startling whistle.

Another aspect of Tonga of interest to MIS is the fakaleiti (a custom once from the practice whereby a woman with too many sons and not enough daughters for the 'women's' work, would raise one of the boys to assist in the traditionally female branch of the work, and that usually included behavioral, grooming and attire in concordance with the role. Many today still practice, or choose to be fakaleti as it is pretty universally accepted, and many are admired for their sense of style, character and adventure. Just a little further across the pond on Fiji, you will find those big burly guys in quite a flashy skirt for their daily police uniform.
Raakone
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Re: Swim skirts: Crossing a line?

Post by Raakone »

That probably was something VERY unusual to them, to elicit the whistle! At least sounds like they and you took it in great fun/stride.

The "Fakaleiti" literally means "in the manner/style/way of a lady", they took the English word there. In Samoa it's called Fa'afafine (literally "in the way of a woman") and in Tahiti it's called a mahu. It's accepted. Strangely enough, in Samoa, nowadays fa'afafines have a tendency to emulate a more "palagi" (supposedly "foreigner" but typically "white" or even more specifically "Anglo") style in terms of dress and makeup. They have fa'afafine contests and some of them become quite well known in Samoa.

Yes, in Fiji, a form of sulu (sarong) with a serrated hem is worn by military officers and cops. In Samoa, the police uniform was, until recently, ie lavalava (sarong), jacket, and Bobby helmet, but now this is just kept for special occasions, and their marching band.
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