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 only problem is that a straight man, even with the help of a stylist, does not understand what makes a skirt look good, so he always ends up looking like someone’s peasant nona from the old country.
LOL - there's this one skirt I have that I really like - and any time I've worn it I'm like, "hrmm, it's a bit frumpy".
I think the author is being a bit tongue in cheek to some extent - and also men do not have to follow women in how they style their clothes, they can develop/find their own style that works for them.
Yes, nice article. I have discovered that a midi skirt with "sensible" men's shoes can make me look like my grandma, unless I wear dark socks, in which case I risk looking like a (female) nurse. A miniskirt, on the other hand, is really only a small step from a pair of shorts.
I'm not sure about the need for a mini, or at least a really short mini, but I agree that most of the men in skirts on that page have no idea how to make a skirt look good on a guy.
Women are good communicators. Ask any man who has tried arguing with a woman.
I don't believe the writer of the article is advocating that men should wear skirts. She is telling us; men look bad in their current skirt safe choices and we should wear mini skirts and really feel the breeze. This is said knowing that 99.9% of men today would run a mile from a skirt or better to say being perceived as feminine.
Forget the words used. How did you feel when finishing the article? "yes let's do it" or "oh maybe not"? If the latter is true then the aim was to discourage rather than encourage.
Personally I felt the aggression in the article. I didn't feel encouraged to get out there and push the movement forward.
Last edited by Barleymower on Fri Aug 12, 2022 9:37 am, edited 2 times in total.
I think it is far enough for women to demand that we wear mini-skirts - after all men have been demanding (occasionally insisting in some work areas) that men wear them for years. Women are as entitled to look at our legs as we are at theirs. I have good legs but I will only wear a short skirt with tights, though this includes sheer tights, and this makes it more difficult to feel the breeze. I have been professionally styled dressed as a woman, and I have two recommended lengths - midi (34-36") and short (21") but not mini. I have once gone out in public (as a man in a skirt) in a 15" skirt but with opaque tights. I know women who are reluctant to wear short skirts and I think we guys are as entitled to a bit of reticence here.
rivegauche wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 8:36 am
I think it is fair enough for women to demand that we wear mini-skirts - after all men have been demanding (occasionally insisting in some work areas) that men wear them for years. Women are as entitled to look at our legs as we are at theirs. I have good legs but I will only wear a short skirt with tights, though this includes sheer tights, and this makes it more difficult to feel the breeze. I have been professionally styled dressed as a woman, and I have two recommended lengths - midi (34-36") and short (21") but not mini. I have once gone out in public (as a man in a skirt) in a 15" skirt but with opaque tights. I know women who are reluctant to wear short skirts and I think we guys are as entitled to a bit of reticence here.
Barleymower wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:10 am
Personally I felt the aggression in the article. I didn't feel encouraged to get out there and push the movement forward.
I didn't read it as such - maybe I'll reread it again. However, my impression was what you first said - the current crop of celebs are "playing it safe" with their hem lengths, and if they want to engender discussion they need to be a bit more edgy (I also LOL'd at the thought that the mere fact of a man wearing a skirt isn't edgy anymore). I think they DO need to push boundaries a bit past the peasant look - but if I'm going to advocate for that I have to be willing to wear that short skirt too.
I'll be frank - I wear more conservative lengths because I'm not yet comfortable with a mid-thigh skirt (and frankly, they don't appeal to me that much).
However, I don't think men have to match what women wear or how they style their skirts - we/others can forge our own style and just be ourselves.
I took it as a challenge. Come on if you want to do the same then do the same!
Either way I wanted to say something a little bit new on the subject. Back in April this year after talking to my daughter about her worries with her gender expression I decided to dive in and wear a skirt down to dinner, that was swiftly followed by nipping out to the washing line or bin. Next step was a trip down to Brighton for day out.
After the Brighton trip I said to my next door neighbour L that my DD and I eye are pushing back gender barriers. That statement was greeted with I expect you will be dressing up like bow peep next and 2 months of awkward silence. My other neighbour said nice dress and smirked. Further afield my next neighbour (two co habiting women in a relationship) said she was a radical feminist and walked off. I persevered and now L stands chatting to me in town while I'm wearing a skirt, N (neighbour 4 doors away) tells me she loves my blue skirt and more men should do it. The radical feminist met me and F.my wife at end of our road and talked about the food in town. Him next door still smirks.
The moral is get out there and do it. People although reticent at first, quickly get used to it. I'm sure there will be more challenges but I feel so much better out in the open.