Tartan school skirts

[Grok]

Yes, the contrasting pleats are interesting.

[Grok]

When I think about tartan school skirts, THIS immediately comes to mind....Japanese schoolgirls! I don't think even I could pull off that look and be taken seriously, nor would I try either!

Jeff, you have such a flair for clothing that you could make this look good.

Actually, I think men who are less talented in this regard could make it look good.

[STEVIE]

Stepping away from the schoolgirl theme I'd consider a personal attempt to carry any teenage fashion trend absurd at best.
I'd put age appropriate considerations ahead of colour coordination when planning an outfit any day.
My only regret is that I wasn't brave enough to follow my own choices when it would have been hip, fab and oh so funky.
The sad fact is that I am not really sure that the boys of today would feel much differently.
Steve.

[JeffB1959]

When I think about tartan school skirts, THIS immediately comes to mind....Japanese schoolgirls! I don't think even I could pull off that look and be taken seriously, nor would I try either!

Jeff, you have such a flair for clothing that you could make this look good.

Actually, I think men who are less talented in this regard could make it look good.

Hmm! Suddenly, I'm intrigued! And, I'll try just about anything once. Sure, I'll see what I can do with this! It might be fun!

[Sinned]

Now that's where you and I would differ, Steve. Whereas I consider a lot of the teenage fashion puerile at the moment [0] if I did see something in their range worthy of wear I would give it a go. Also I'm not sure what "age appropriate" means. I'm 67 and I'm sure that a lot of what I wear is not age appropriate in that I try to steer clear of what would be considered "old man's wear". I get a fair amount of clothing from my grand-daughter's cast offs. And she goes through good wearable clothing a lot. I try and dress down in age rather than up. As has been said many times on this site - wear what you feel comfortable in and hang what others think!

[0] I have a 17 yo grand-daughter living with us and a 16 yo "goth" grand-daughter living nearby.

[denimini]

There might be other considerations that would disuade me from wearing a pleated, plaid micro skirt in some situations but not being appropriate for my age is not one.

[STEVIE]

Hi Guys
I certainly wasn't trying to knock anyone's freedom to choose what they wear.
I often say that comfort is the prime consideration and that needn't be physical.
There is no doubt that "age appropriate", in my own case at least, arises from my own state of mind.
Oddly, that is not to say that it is based on outside opinion either but if I can't be relaxed in a garment that is a deal breaker to me.
Going back to the very origin of the thread that is why I'd avoid a dress Gordon tartan skirt.
The school association and the fact that it is predominantly green anyway just puts me right off from the get go.
The other thing is that I do kind of go out of my way to be "different". So much so that it may be a miracle that I find new clothes at all.
Steve.

[Paul]

I bought myself a very nice short tartan skirt from Next Retail, I’ve worn a few times going out shopping to my local supermarket and had no problems or negative comments. It’s not a school skirt, just a nice all round pleated tartan skirt and is very comfortable to wear.

[KiltedBigWave]

When I think about tartan school skirts, THIS immediately comes to mind....Japanese schoolgirls! I don't think even I could pull off that look and be taken seriously, nor would I try either!

If the photo was cropped so their heads weren't visible, then they could easily be males - tartan skirts should be seen as what they are, a unisex garment.

I could not agree more with you.

[STEVIE]

When I think about tartan school skirts, THIS immediately comes to mind....Japanese schoolgirls! I don't think even I could pull off that look and be taken seriously, nor would I try either!

If the photo was cropped so their heads weren't visible, then they could easily be males - tartan skirts should be seen as what they are, a unisex garment.

I could not agree more with you.

....and just a tad later Big Wave,
Really not cool at all to be a middle aged guy in the same tartan checked skirt as a neighbourhood school uniform.
Unisex in this case has really to mean that it's for ANY pupil who attends said school and pretty much out of bounds for anyone else.
I have more than one tartan skirt reasonably short which I don't doubt could be school uniform somewhere, but most certainly not local.
This thread is 3 years old, and given the hardening of public attitude, even more likely to invite trouble.
Steve.

[KiltedBigWave]

If the photo was cropped so their heads weren't visible, then they could easily be males - tartan skirts should be seen as what they are, a unisex garment.

I could not agree more with you.

....and just a tad later Big Wave,
Really not cool at all to be a middle aged guy in the same tartan checked skirt as a neighbourhood school uniform.
Unisex in this case has really to mean that it's for ANY pupil who attends said school and pretty much out of bounds for anyone else.
I have more than one tartan skirt reasonably short which I don't doubt could be school uniform somewhere, but most certainly not local.
This thread is 3 years old, and given the hardening of public attitude, even more likely to invite trouble.
Steve.

Sorry, but when did I say, I agree with wearing the same tartan checked skirt as a neighbourhood school uniform? I wear my own family tartan kilts and skirt or ones that I truly enjoy, like Black Watch, Isle of Skye and so on. I am not trying to copy some local school!

Kilted Big Wave

[STEVIE]

I never said you were Big Wave, sorry you took that from what I said.
However, the "unisex" part implied anything goes.
In the original thread, I cited a local guy wearing what was clearly a Robert Gordon's College uniform skirt.
His surname may well have been Gordon and had it been a full man's kilt or just not in this area, perfectly acceptable, but he was risking a backlash!
I did say that my own tartan skirts are probably part of a uniform somewhere, I could run that same risk by setting foot in an area without even realising.
Just another thought, over here a lot of schoolgirls wear gingham dresses in summer, usually in a pink or blue check.
I daresay, in the correct sizes also "unisex", and probably an even worse idea for a guy.
In the wrong time and location, Sir Grayson Perry could well get a hard time, possibly worse!
Steve.

[timemeddler]

So we're suddenly afraid of plaid/tartan skirts because some knucklehead might falsely accuse us of trying to look like a schoolgirl? Those people are going to try to come up with some baseless complaint anyway.

[Modoc]

So we're suddenly afraid of plaid/tartan skirts because some knucklehead might falsely accuse us of trying to look like a schoolgirl? Those people are going to try to come up with some baseless complaint anyway.

The short answer is yes. A major part of the issue for a lot of MIS is what other people might think.

[STEVIE]

A major part of the issue for a lot of MIS is what other people might think.

Except, this isn't about a generalised fear, this is about doing something foolhardy in the wrong time and place.
Older guy in any part of a girls school uniform, especially a specific tartan, would be unlikely to be left minding his own business in the environs of said school.
Liken it to going to a highly homophobic area in a pink mini skirt dressed as a guy.
Is that really worth the risk?
Steve.