A Formula for Successfully Selling Men's Skirts

[LiuBang]

If Fashion Designers want to normalize men's skirts, why don't they do the following?

1. Take a women's skirt with a simple design, with pockets, a knee length hemline, and gender neutral colors (black, navy blue, grey, dark green, etc) that are already common on men's pants

2. Do nothing stylistically with the skirt except size it up to fit men's body proportions

3. Sell it as a men's skirt. Not as a gender-neutral or unisex skirt, but as a clearly labeled men's skirt.

Because men's skirts are trying too hard to be something. They're either over-the-top masculine (utilikilts) or sold as gender-neutral. If you want men to actually wear skirts en masse, do what men's dress pants designers do. Men's dress pants are very similar to some of the simpler women's dress pants, only difference is men's dress pants are sized up to fit the male body.

[crfriend]

For starters, strike item 1 from the list. Because that dumbs the designs down and reduces attractiveness. There is precisely nothing that categorically states that men cannot wear bright and flashy colours, nor "loud" patterns. Men do not need to blend into the woodwork; we can stand on our own -- or, at least the confident ones can.

"Gender neutral", like "unisex" is not going to go anywhere because men recognise the coding and the language.

Better still -- entirely ditch "gendering" clothing.

[LiuBang]

For starters, strike item 1 from the list. Because that dumbs the designs down and reduces attractiveness. There is precisely nothing that categorically states that men cannot wear bright and flashy colours, nor "loud" patterns. Men do not need to blend into the woodwork; we can stand on our own -- or, at least the confident ones can.

"Gender neutral", like "unisex" is not going to go anywhere because men recognise the coding and the language.

Better still -- entirely ditch "gendering" clothing.

Power to you if you want to wear a bright red or yellow skirt. But first, we just need to first make men's skirts platable to corporate HR dress codes police by choosing traditionally "masculine" colors like black, navy blue, grey or dark green--the kind of colors that already go on men's pants/shorts. It's already enough of a battle to get a black/grey man's skirt in the workplace, to say nothing of a yellow man's skirt. Then once the overton window shifts towards men's skirts we can introduce brighter colors.

[jamie001]

For starters, strike item 1 from the list. Because that dumbs the designs down and reduces attractiveness. There is precisely nothing that categorically states that men cannot wear bright and flashy colours, nor "loud" patterns. Men do not need to blend into the woodwork; we can stand on our own -- or, at least the confident ones can.

"Gender neutral", like "unisex" is not going to go anywhere because men recognise the coding and the language.

Better still -- entirely ditch "gendering" clothing.

Power to you if you want to wear a bright red or yellow skirt. But first, we just need to first make men's skirts platable to corporate HR dress codes police by choosing traditionally "masculine" colors like black, navy blue, grey or dark green--the kind of colors that already go on men's pants/shorts. It's already enough of a battle to get a black/grey man's skirt in the workplace, to say nothing of a yellow man's skirt. Then once the overton window shifts towards men's skirts we can introduce brighter colors.

I completely agree with CR’s post above. It is right-on! The dress code policy that you are referring to does not exist! There is nothing that says that any employees need to wear those drab colors. Many women wear bright colored outfits like red, pink and other bright colors on a daily basis. The incorrect perception of the male coloe palette needs to stop.

Why not make a “Girlfriend’s Skirt” for men, just like women have Boyfeiend pants and other Boyfriend clothing articles?

[Mouse]

I am not sure skirts for men will ever be a good business decision based on pure profit. I could possibly see shorts for men reimagined in a kilt/skirt/skorts as the company 5.11 have done with their tactical kilt. Although I think they make it as a bit of marketing thing.

https://www.511tactical.com/eu-en/kilt

[jamie001]

It is sad that everything for men has to be utilitarian and functional. Why can some of items have the purpose of just being “pretty”? The look of those skirts are also too military.

Why not just have a skirt marketed to men in all different colors simply for the purpose of being comfortable and pretty?

[STEVIE]

Jamie and Liu Ban,
"Real" men don't do "pretty", everyone knows what happens if they do.
Society, as we know it will cease to exist, next stop Mars and Venus or Andromeda for the more adventurous.
There is no proven formula for selling anything except supply and demand.
Retailers have tried on numerous occasions to market skirts to men and mainly failed, some spectacularly.
The high end designer houses have made inroads but it still isn't that significant and certainly nowhere near the mainstream markets.
Fact is that when a guy actually has the initiative to buy a flamboyant skirt, he will get it in the woman's departments.
The retailers know this so they supply that demand knowing perfectly well that there would be little or no gain in speculating any further.
Even the "drab" exists in women's wear so nought doing there either.
The demand is up to men to make it, it's what women do and therefore receive.
Steve.

[LiuBang]

There is no proven formula for selling anything except supply and demand.
Retailers have tried on numerous occasions to market skirts to men and mainly failed, some spectacularly.
The high end designer houses have made inroads but it still isn't that significant and certainly nowhere near the mainstream markets.
Fact is that when a guy actually has the initiative to buy a flamboyant skirt, he will get it in the woman's departments.

Fashion houses have failed in selling men's skirts because they make it over the top. It's already enough of an uphill battle to normalize men in simple skirts in muted colors, don't make it impossible by making the skirt even more flamboyant than what an average woman might wear.

[STEVIE]

Fashion houses have failed in selling men's skirts because they make it over the top. It's already enough of an uphill battle to normalize men in simple skirts in muted colors, don't make it impossible by making the skirt even more flamboyant than what an average woman might wear.

This offering from Thom Browne, simple skirt, muted and over the top expensive!
The reason it didn't sell more is price and the fact that it is boring.

ThomB.jpg

A comparable woman's outfit could be got at a fraction of the price.
As for style and flamboyance, the only limiting factor is the wearer's imagination and budget.
Men make it impossible all by themselves, the retailers don't have to lend a hand at all.
Catwalk creations are art and conceptual designs, never meant for a wide market unless in a highly diluted form.
Steve

[Mouse]

This offering from Thom Browne, simple skirt, muted and over the top expensive!
The reason it didn't sell more is price and the fact that it is boring.

Is it me, or is there a certain similarity to girls school uniform in that picture. Bringing up the issues we are discussing in the tartan school skirts posts.

[LiuBang]

This offering from Thom Browne, simple skirt, muted and over the top expensive!
The reason it didn't sell more is price and the fact that it is boring.

Is it me, or is there a certain similarity to girls school uniform in that picture. Bringing up the issues we are discussing in the tartan school skirts posts.

That's right--looks too schoolgirly.

A good starting point would be to emulate Fiji's Sulu as seen here: https://www.facebook.com/FijiGovernment ... 95/?type=3. Formal menswear there involves skirt suits paired with sandals. Simple, understated, and conservative enough for your average Joe to wear around anytown USA. The sulus even come with pockets. Only modification I'd add is maybe an elastic waist band and a non-wraparound design. I find that the front apron of kilts is a bit cumbersome and imagine the same would be with a sulu.

[STEVIE]

LiuBang,
You should have one made for you just to show what can be done.
Then you could see if you actually start a trend, good luck!
Steve.
Sorry man, but you must realise that much of what you suggest has been tried already and, sadly, come to nothing.

[Coder]

I don't think we should be so dismissive of LiuBang's suggestions - but my honest take on it nowadays is that it will only change when an "event" that shocks the world happens. Be that a movie that captures everyone's hearts, a weird social media trend that catches on - but it's not going to come from manufacturers or clothing retailers. It has to start at a lower level. It'll be a slow and painful process. One way forward is by wearing what we want to wear, and unabashedly being ourselves. Prove to the people around us - maybe not the world - that some of the norms and expectations of certain clothing styles are outdated and should be a bit more expansive.

[jamie001]

Coder is right, however I believe that it will have to come from sports heros. When famous sports athletes started wearing earrings then they became acceptable for the average Joe. I have seen gangsta rappers wearing skirts, but so far no famous sports athletes are wearing them.

IMO, it is the only thing that will give the average Joe permission to wear a skirt because the average man is very insecure and cannot deviate from the herd especially knowing that they might be incorrectly labeled as a homosexual.

[STEVIE]

I don't think we should be so dismissive of LiuBang's suggestions -

Coder is right, however I believe that it will have to come from sports heros.

Coder, pointing out what has happened in the past isn't dismissive and Jamie, David Beckham famously wore a sarong.
The world is in such a bloody, metaphorically and literally, that MIS is pretty much dead in the water for the foreseeable future.
My best advice is carry on doing just as you wish while you still have the opportunity, it may disappear tomorrow!
Steve.

Should add, Mouse.
Most school uniform ensembles are flat bland boring, so yes I get your point.
However, so is a lot of work appropriate clothes making overlaps almost inevitable/predictable.
The exception is a distinctive plaid skirt which merely lends weight to the point I made.