Skirt Cafe is an on-line community dedicated to exploring, promoting and advocating skirts and kilts as a fashion choice for men, formerly known as men in skirts. We do this in the context of men's fashion freedom --- an expansion of choices beyond those commonly available for men to include kilts, skirts and other garments. We recognize a diversity of styles our members feel comfortable wearing, and do not exclude any potential choices. Continuing dialog on gender is encouraged in the context of fashion freedom for men. See here for more details.
The other day, I was at the supermarket skirted.
As I piled my food shopping on the belt at the till, a guy passing by to go to another till, said that he really liked my outfit.
I replied that it was nice to receive a compliment.
For the record, I was wearing a similar outfit to the one linked here in my "Pics and Looks" thread.
A pale blue, tweed type A line skirt with nearly black tights (pantyhose) and black block heels together with a black roll neck top and a cross body bag.
I know it's not quite the same as I'm on the guys in skirts side but I was in a pub in Gloucester last month and it looked like they were having a gay night ( sexual gay, not happy gay but to be fair both meanings would have applied ), anyway there was a male couple dancing and having a great time one was dressed completely as a female but his partner wore a knee length close fitting brown knitted ribbed dress (I've similar myself) with tights and masculine boots he also sporting a trim little beard so it was obvious that he was a guy in a dress and I told him that he looked great and rocked the outfit he was wearing.
Have to confess while he was genuinely pleased with the compliment his partner who was obviously used to being centre of attention didn't look quite so pleased, lol.
When life gives you lemons, slice them and put them into your G&T!
Out and about downtown in Victoria, BC last night in a fitted purple plaid shirt and a pale blue ankle length skirt and walked past two guys somewhere around my age, one smiled and said "Nice skirt!". Gave him a thumbs up and a "Thanks, mate" but I'm sure he could tell how much I enjoyed the compliment, I was beaming.
I just wear kilts (tactical and traditional). From my experience it is 60/40 female/male compliment (honestly never encountered negative in the past decade). A lot of times the guys are more conspiratorial ("man, that is cool", "who makes that". "is that comfortable" and of course "I wish I had the guts to wear that"). Women tend to be louder (up to a woman driving by yelling "I love your kilt" to more "I wish my husband would wear one", " "I love your outfit"(that one was today at coffee shop)). I get more comments when wearing a kilt than I have gotten my entire life before wearing one.
And correction, the only negative is from my wife and my mom.....
My work among Joe Public very rarely produces any comments at all but this one really struck me.
For starters not a young man and from a culture where one maybe would not expect tolerance for MIS either.
The country in question is one where a guy would not be able to wear a skirt openly anyway.
The gentleman expressed his appreciation for the floaty linen skirt that I was wearing in the office last week.
However, it went a stage further and showed me a picture of a gift that his wife had sent from his homeland.
No idea of the proper name but sarong covers it. The fabric design was almost identical to my skirt.
I see it as another demonstration of the absurdity that surrounds gender and clothing.
Steve.
I have had my share of compliments wile in a kilt,
I think i have only had 2 or 3 wile in skirt,
For most part people don't notice what other people wear or don't care and go on about there day,
But i have way more compliments from woman thats for sure,
That has been my experience too; if in something 'kilt-like' compliments are more readily given; if clearly in a skirt, then fewer compliments and mostly from women.
I suspect the difference is that since the kilt is an "approved" male garment, men too feel more at ease expressing an appreciation; whereas women seem to more accepting of MIS than the male who probably feels he may be stepping out of his manhood box if he even acknowledges a guy in a skirt.
One more today: At a business meeting, about 20 folks present about half male, half female --(my wife and I were the only ones in skirts) during chit chat upon breakup one chap passed by, kind of pinch flicked my skirt and said "nice skirt" -- but what made it more significant was the public nature of the gesture and comment, neither hidden from the others standing around, and clearly a genuine compliment, not sarcasm.
We went out for a treat meal this evening to a local restaurant that is often busy, but this being low season there were very few patrons. My wife was dressed up a bit, so I wore a very plain, but good quality brown ankle length A line skirt with some pleating so it flowed nicely from Lafayette of NY 148, and simple green long-sleeved dress shirt (Marmot label, so nothing fancy) with the tail untucked and a brown fedora so as not to distract from the lady.
A young (30ish?) couple had been enjoying conversation across the room, but with a direct line of sight to us. Just as we were departing the fellow came hurrying out to catch my attention; saying he just had to say he liked my style. I just said 'thank you' and was ready to move on when he said once again he "really like my style" gesturing to the skirt. Clearly one of those rare compliments from other guys. Nice to get, but I think my wife was just a bit miffed it was directed at me, not her!
As others have said, I've gotten a fair smattering of compliments from men while kilted.
I had assumed it would be the men who would wonder if I had undies on but as a rule it's the women who ask that while the guys either ask if I'm cold or start giving me stories of the old country and their youth growing up in parts of Scotland. Once met and chatted with a guy who ran a kilt-making business. That was certainly a surprise.
It tends to be couples who approach me, and drunken Scotsmen (not an insult, I've smelled the booze on their breath and their unsteadiness rather gives it away), though I've had a goodly amount of till girls tell me they loved my kilt over the years.
I've never been to Scotland but my grandmother was born in lerwick, Shetland so I do have a "legit" claim to wear tartan under the somewhat spurious "kilt rules" even though, on investigation, Shetland doesn't have clan tartans, being made up of scandi roots or interlopers from the land clearances back 500ish years ago. I have a number of generic tartans I've forgotten the names of - except for my big winter 8yd bright red Stewart.
I've only been wearing "women's" skirts for a few weeks in public so haven't really had time to build up any comments either way on them although I did get beeped by a white van man the other day which isn't maybe something a woman would call a compliment but I'm happy to take misgendering as a win for now.
On that note, wearing the outfit I've posted on my little "looks" thread in the pics section yesterday, a lady working the self service tills in one shop called me over as "miss" after a bit of a pause and when we piled into the taxi home the driver asked what "us girls" had been up to today.
I'll break the rules slightly to mention that I've been wearing leggings for years and the other week while I was wearing some of my favourites that have cartoon axolotls all over them, a woman ran up to me and told me she loved them because she also loved axolotls. That was fun and unexpected!
I have a Gothic dress my other half bought me for Christmas that she says suits me but it's "too girly" for her to wrap her head around me wearing in public just yet. Given the mini skirt, striped tights and 2" heel ankle boots I was wearing while out with her yesterday, I think I've blown her argument out the water now!
Hi Lithaborn,
Let us bury a myth right here and now, THERE ARE NO KILT RULES!
Absolutely anyone, regardless of creed, colour, or any other variety of occupant on this planet is free to wear pretty much any kilt in any tartan that takes their fancy. Provided they have the right currency anyway.
I know a lot of Shetlanders and they'd point out, Shetland first and Scotland second. They could not have "clan" tartans as there was never a clan system there in the first place.
There is a "Spirit of Shetland Tartan" registered in 2017. If you have the cash, you can only buy it from Aurora Orkney Ltd, price no idea.
Pretty sure that your ancestors would have shunned it on the Orkney connection alone.
As for the rarity of male compliments, just another example of how bad we are at being supportive of each other.
Steve.
Yeah, when I found out about my family tree and the connection to Shetland, I went down something of a rabbit hole regarding the islands and the history of the kilt so I know the "kilt rules" are nonsense. I wear them as generic legwear and don't claim any clan allegiance, although my dad does - I keep forgetting which one though.
I'd love to visit to trace my roots and stand on the land they stood on and worked. My worry is that I might get lynched for taking a detour to get a photo standing outside Jimmy Perez's house
I was looking after the music and the ales at our local real ale festival yesterday. This time I wore a black utilikilt type contraption, not a genuine utilikilt but a black kilt with decent external pockets I bought years ago which was way too tight to wear. Now it fits well and my traditional tartan kilt is so loose that even with a belt I can't wear it. A few people complemented me on the kilt, I think the black kilt, black kilt hose (like all hose, they will not stay up on my legs!) and black polo shirt were a good uniform for the day! I got a light hearted comment from someone I have known for years who said he liked the tartan, so I said it was Black Watch!
Great day, it would have been better if I could have sampled some of the ales though!
I am the God of Hellfire! and I bring you truffles!
This one may not count coming from a Real Estate Agent that has shown us a few of his listings, but it seemed genuine: "I like your skirts, where do you get them?" It almost sounded like he would be seeking an outlet to buy his own, though I suspect it was merely a polite addendum to avoid any potentially embarrassing rejoinders. Either my style is improving, or the male of the species is softening a bit on MIS.
Faldaguy wrote: ↑Sat Oct 01, 2022 4:31 am
This one may not count coming from a Real Estate Agent that has shown us a few of his listings, but it seemed genuine: "I like your skirts, where do you get them?" It almost sounded like he would be seeking an outlet to buy his own, though I suspect it was merely a polite addendum to avoid any potentially embarrassing rejoinders. Either my style is improving, or the male of the species is softening a bit on MIS.
I think if they just wanted to avoid embarrassment, they’d stop at “I like your outfit” or “looking good”. The fact he mentioned your skirt either means he was not offended nor dismayed by it but was more positive. The kicker of “where did you get it” seems to indicate more than just casual “I like your look”. I wonder if you will have more interactions with this person and if done one on one whether you will get more questions. Most guys are not gonna discuss the possibility of wearing a skirt in front of others. Again, my two cents
), anyway there was a male couple dancing and having a great time one was dressed completely as a female but his partner wore a knee length close fitting brown knitted ribbed dress (I've similar myself) with tights and masculine boots he also sporting a trim little beard so it was obvious that he was a guy in a dress and I told him that he looked great and rocked the outfit he was wearing.
