Out and About -- In the World at Large

[marcb14]

Glad to see you here. As planned I went to Brittany for my week of photography. I spent the whole week in a skirt or a kilt. I had taken all my skirts in my van, which are not yet so numerous!
I almost regretted going so unnoticed, whether on my shooting locations which are however very touristy, even if I was there quite early in the morning, whether in town, in shopping centers, a again I did not see disapproving eyes, a few small smiles, mostly accomplices.
I was once taking pictures on a fairly narrow beach staircase and pulled over to let 2 young women pass, one of them stopped and said "Is it a kilt that you wear, it is very nice! "
On the way back I stopped by a friend who had never seen me in a skirt, she liked it.
I joined my wife at her mother's house, there was also my sister-in-law and her daughter. I was in a kilt and I was greeted well, no mouths in corners, my niece even said it was very nice men in kilt.
There you have it, the acceptance of skirts and kilts around me doesn't seem to be a problem.
In 2 weeks, I am exhibiting photos with other photographer friends, I intend to go there in a kilt. I will tell you.

[KenCT]

Apologies for the difficulties with the photo. Even on my own computer the image doesn't always show; I have no idea why. So I will try various methods until I get it right. Here's another try from Dropbox. Let me know if it displays, and thanks in advance.

KenCT resized 2021-09-25.jpg

[Sinned]

Well, it shows on my screen. Nice colour and a bog-standard sleeveless dress.

[KenCT]

Thanks for the feedback, I think I finally have figured out how to include photos.
This one, and the T-shirt dress, are ridiculously comfortable - they don't have contoured seams or darts for shaping, they rely on the stretchy, lightweight knit fabrics to drape around the body, so in my humble opinion they work just as well for a male as a female body.

[greenboots]

A rather belated report on outings last week:

I had to visit the hospital for some respiratory function tests[0]. To avoid a discussion, I set out in my plain black kilt, tights and ankle books, with t-shirt, sweater and rain jacket to account for various weather conditions. Having driven to the station, off came the kilt to reveal bottle green corduroy mini-skirt. The kilt stayed in the car and I caught the train into Edinburgh. Coffee in Starbucks, then a bus to Western General Hospital. In an hour and a half of tests, no comments were made. After getting the all clear, I walked through Stockbridge where I bought a grey denim Monsoon skirt in a charity shop (£6) and coffee and pain au chocolate in a bakery. Quick bus journey back to Waverley station and train to The Pans, all without incident. I managed to stand my phone in its case on top of the car for a photo (which I'll post in pics and looks when I get a bit of time). For good measure, I switched skirts in the car and took another photo, before nipping round to the nearby Co-op for bread and heading home. Again, to avoid discussions over lunch and prior to urgent work, I hid the skirt in a kilt.

Satruday morning, I set out for Tesco in kilt, but switched to skirt in the car and bought the groceries. I then remained in the grey skirt all day, apart form a spell when we both needed to go out. Bearing in mind MOH's visual difficulties, I'm not sure if she realised what I was wearing, though there were a couple of looks that might have constituted "hard stare".

Since then, I've worn one or other skirt most evenings without comment. Who knows?





[0]Turns out there was nothing to worry about. Something must have happened early in 2020 - respiratory infection, asymptomatic COVID, series of stressful events, who knows - that triggered either breathing problems or hyperventilation. For some reason, this became an automatic reaction to physical exertion, including walking. However, cycling, playing trombone and kettle bells had no impact, because they take concentration. Since then, I've hardly had any problems, proving the point!

[Big and Bashful]

I have been of my home turf for a couple of days, down in Barrow in Furness. Last night it was very breezy, I argued with myself for a while after doing my work thing, I won/lost the argument with myself, put on my favourite T shirt, one of my favourite skirts, ankle length, thinnish soft denim sort of fabric and lightish grey. More importantly to my sad little brain, this was not a skirt made for a man, it is a proper female design of skirt, from Style J fashion. I wandered out to a Turkish restaurant I had been told about, then wandered back to the hotel/Wetherspoons pub I was staying, had a couple of pints while sat outside enjoying the breeze, then another pint inside. I didn't spot any looks and not one comment.
Today, same rig and the drive back home, stopping at a couple of service stations on the way, again, didn't see any looks or hear any comments. A total none event, but very comfortable, just as it should be!

[Sinned]

Hey, B&B, I worked in that little cul-de-sac for four years at VSEL, developing a submarine Command Team Trainer for the ( then ) new Vanguard class. I travelled from York to B-in-F on a Monday and returned on a Friday lunch time. Satisfying, as I was working on what was then the latest Sun Sparkstation technology, but was also the most exhausting time of my working life.

[Big and Bashful]

Hey, B&B, I worked in that little cul-de-sac for four years at VSEL, developing a submarine Command Team Trainer for the ( then ) new Vanguard class. I travelled from York to B-in-F on a Monday and returned on a Friday lunch time. Satisfying, as I was working on what was then the latest Sun Sparkstation technology, but was also the most exhausting time of my working life.

Oh yes, I forgot it used to be VSEL, that is where my work took me last week, observing one of their NERO exercises. I have just been looking back at my thread on the Pics & Looks, #178 is the skirt that got some road time, loved the way it moved in the strong breeze channeling around the buildings, if I had taken one of my favourites, a skater skirt, I would have had my hands full trying to keep it under control!

[Sinned]

Yes, B&B, it can get a bit breezy around there. And cold too. Could be because it's located on a sticky-out bit of England and thus exposed to the worst of the western weather. Ideal for maritime activities, I suppose. But isn't "Cell Block H" [0] impressive! Even more so inside - a Vanguard class sub is a large enough lump of metal but they look incredulously small in the vastness of the construction building even with three of them in various stages of construction. Before I left VSEL[1] I went on a guided tour inside DDH [0] just prior to the completed HMS Vanguard being moved outside onto the external lift to be lowered into the water. Subs are not launched in the same way that other boats, sorry, ships are launched. Apart from the impression of how little spare space there is inside a submarine I do remember the minute Captain's cabin and his personal toilet being awkwardly sited upon a large pipe. Most incongruous.

[0] Officially called Devonshire Dock Hall, or DDH, the nickname comes from an Australian TV prisoner soap of the early 1980's called "Prisoner: Cell Block H", And apparently as well guarded.
[1] I had to look up to see that Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited is now called "BAE Systems Land and Armaments. ".... Land ....", funny, I thought subs were designed for water! But later it was renamed "BAE Systems Submarine Solution" in 2007. A much more satisfactory name.

[skirtyscot]

I am out around the Wells and Cheddar area today. Wearing a denim mini skirt and polo shirt. Amazing how no one seem to notice you.

Your outfit must have been less noticeable than mine the day I went to Wells and Cheddar. I hadn't had so many funny looks for a very long time. And this after the same skirt had caused scarcely a ripple of attention in Manchester. I was almost disconcerted!
viewtopic.php?p=229214#p229214

[skirtyscot]

Oh yes, I forgot it used to be VSEL, that is where my work took me last week, observing one of their NERO exercises. I have just been looking back at my thread on the Pics & Looks, #178 is the skirt that got some road time, loved the way it moved in the strong breeze channeling around the buildings, if I had taken one of my favourites, a skater skirt, I would have had my hands full trying to keep it under control!

Doing this purely because I have only just realised how to do it (and it's so easy, duh!)
viewtopic.php?p=129215#p129215
Skirts like that are great on a breezy day. Lots of movement and comfort but no risk of exposure.

[skirtyscot]

.

[Sinned]

B&B, admittedly not the sort of skirts that would go flyaway in a breeze. But very fine ones too.

[Big and Bashful]

Oh yes, I forgot it used to be VSEL, that is where my work took me last week, observing one of their NERO exercises. I have just been looking back at my thread on the Pics & Looks, #178 is the skirt that got some road time, loved the way it moved in the strong breeze channeling around the buildings, if I had taken one of my favourites, a skater skirt, I would have had my hands full trying to keep it under control!

Doing this purely because I have only just realised how to do it (and it's so easy, duh!)
viewtopic.php?p=129215#p129215
Skirts like that are great on a breezy day. Lots of movement and comfort but no risk of exposure.

Ooh well done!

[geron]

....But later it was renamed "BAE Systems Submarine Solution" in 2007. A much more satisfactory name.

They've got a method of dissolving submarines??