Turn up skirted for the first time

General discussion of skirt and kilt-based fashion for men, and stuff that goes with skirts and kilts.
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Pdxfashionpioneer
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by Pdxfashionpioneer »

You raise a good question Robert. By and large the best thing to do is be as completely normal, natural and comfortable in your skirted garment as you can manage and most people will just go with your flow. This is what I do and it works incredibly well.

But we should be prepared for that rare individual who doesn't quite know what to make of your presentation and has even less idea how to broach the subject. I think your instinct to try to make the other person comfortable is spot-on. Perhaps you could say, "You look kind of uncomfortable, what's troubling you?"

The other person will probably say, "Oh ... nothing."

To which you could reply, "I'm surprised, because you certainly looked uncomfortable. I hope it's not the way, I'm dressed because (and fill in with why you love your outfit, such as: "It's new," "really comfortable," "colorful," whatever). Be prepared for, "So why do you dress that way," or a confession that "Well, yes seeing you in dress threw me off." Own that it is unconventional and quickly move along to what you're there for.

Thankfully, you'll probably find those occasions to be few and far between.
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JeffB1959
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by JeffB1959 »

To add my two cents worth (with inflation factored in), I guess it all depends upon the person and his/her level of understanding when it comes to fashion freestyling. In all the years I've interacted with people who work retail in stores and whatnot, I've never gotten anything in the way of puzzled/odd/confused looks, I was simply accepted for my appearance because I work hard to look nice when in public.

One case in particular, two years ago, I went to Sears for an eye exam wearing boring men's clothes, last year, I went back to the same store for an exam dressed in a low cut camisole, a mid length floral skirt and four inch heeled wedge sandals and didn't get anything in the way of a reaction from either the doctor of her staff. An inportant thing is to dress appropriately for the environment you're in and behave normally as if what you're wearing is no bid deal, because....IT ISN'T. It's just clothes, nothing more, nothing less.
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by tnwheels »

I wear skirts out quite often. A skirt on a guy is like the 800 lb gorilla in the room. I will often say something like "Man it is great skirt weather today!" or "Its so nice out I decided to rock a skirt today" A general comment seems to put the person at ease and we can get on with our conversation without focusing on the skirt. I have noticed that people like to also call everything a kilt and stay away from skirt sometimes. I am okay with that. I do wear kilts occasionally also but I don't purposely try to sugarcoat it and call a skirt a kilt. Oh and I was referring people who I see when I am wearing a skirt. Half the time if someone makes a comment about it they will say I like your kilt! Lol!
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denimini
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by denimini »

tnwheels wrote: Tue Aug 18, 2020 9:18 pm A skirt on a guy is like the 800 lb gorilla in the room.
I have never thought of myself like that.
I wouldn't mind having that aura when confronted by some intractable bureaucrat.
tnwheels wrote: Tue Aug 18, 2020 9:18 pm Half the time if someone makes a comment about it they will say I like your kilt! Lol!
I think that is quite common and seems to be the only way some people's brain can process the visual input.
Anthony, a denim miniskirt wearer in Outback Australia
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Chirp
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by Chirp »

I'm not 800lbs But no one every said anything to me,
Most time i wear long skirt but there times when i have short one on.
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by crfriend »

Pdxfashionpioneer wrote: Mon Aug 17, 2020 7:40 amBy and large the best thing to do is be as completely normal, natural and comfortable in your skirted garment as you can manage and most people will just go with your flow. This is what I do and it works incredibly well.
That's my approach as well, and it's only very seldom failed. Just make it look natural and correct and folks will regard things as pretty close to normal. If somebody does quiz you, just be honest about your motives.
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tnwheels
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by tnwheels »

I guess my my reference would be you are someone that everyone is going to notice but may not engage. After I take that first step at conversation I have found that most people are very conversational and positive.
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by floatingmetal »

I’d echo the advice to just treat it as a nonevent and basically be cool with it. You never know when you’re out and about who you might meet unexpectedly so just be ready to style it out. You be you.
I wore a just over the knee black linen skirt to an appointment for an ultrasound exam of my kidneys and surrounds and the operator referred to my shorts, which I didn’t correct but he can’t have not noticed, I figured it was just how he decided to deal with it.
Having resolved not to wear trousers to work again this year (not that I’ll be in the office that often) there are a couple of people I’m slightly nervous about meeting not because I think they’ll react negatively but it’ll still be a big thing for me. But I’m going to do it anyway because having decided to be more my authentic self at work, it wouldn’t be right not to.
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by rode_kater »

tnwheels wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2020 11:21 pm I guess my my reference would be you are someone that everyone is going to notice but may not engage. After I take that first step at conversation I have found that most people are very conversational and positive.
Not sure where I got it from, somewhere in Reddit I think:

Most people won't notice
Most people who notice won't care.
Most people who care won't say anything

The number of people who will actually say anything is vanishingly small in my experience.
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by Stevej180 »

floatingmetal wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 8:32 pm Having resolved not to wear trousers to work again this year (not that I’ll be in the office that often) there are a couple of people I’m slightly nervous about meeting not because I think they’ll react negatively but it’ll still be a big thing for me. But I’m going to do it anyway because having decided to be more my authentic self at work, it wouldn’t be right not to.
Would love to hear how that worked out. Are these colleagues people you’ve know for a while?
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by STEVIE »

I just returned to the office after a whole year of lockdown home working.
My skirts are a given. Some workmates have never seen me wear trousers.
The first time experience for them was my shoulder length locks and that got some comment.
It turns out that I am a guinea pig to allow some folk who have found the home work environment too stressful to be enabled to return to the office.
One week in and I deem it, so far so good.
Steve.
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by floatingmetal »

Stevej180 wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 10:26 am Would love to hear how that worked out. Are these colleagues people you’ve know for a while?
Hasn't happened yet! I can't even remember who I was concerned about when I wrote that.

We're reviewing a possible return to the office again in May/June and indications are we'll be allowing fully flexible remote working (i.e. not insisting people come in for 1-4 days a week even if they work from home the rest, as some places are doing.) This seems to be being driven by senior management who prefer not having to come into the office.
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by STEVIE »

floatingmetal wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 4:15 pm This seems to be being driven by senior management who prefer not having to come into the office.
and it can be used to lower the overhead on office space which is attractive in itself.
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by Coder »

STEVIE wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 4:24 pm
floatingmetal wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 4:15 pm This seems to be being driven by senior management who prefer not having to come into the office.
and it can be used to lower the overhead on office space which is attractive in itself.
Steve.
I'm still skeptical of the continuing work from home at my workplace. It feels like - while the COVID threat isn't over - office capacity could be higher (by my guesstimate it is at 1%). I'm not complaining - I've mostly gotten used to it and am a little anxious about returning. Personally I'd like to be in the office just once or twice a week when things get back to normal.
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Re: Turn up skirted for the first time

Post by STEVIE »

Hi Coder
In my own case, I was caught between physical and mental well being.
Physically safer to some degree but my mental health has been in decline since November and home working has exacerbated that deterioration.
I am the first such case and it may well be that I will eventually develop a hybrid work pattern in the future.
My first impression was strange but also glad to be back too. In the course of the week I probably conversed with more people than I have done in the year so far.
Interesting aside, that a perfect year ago there was no facility in place for someone at my level to even contemplate such a contingency.
The whole process has really been in a state of constant flux over the whole period of the Covid outbreak. I honestly have no idea if we will ever see a return to what we would have regarded as normal eighteen months ago.
Steve.
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