My public journey #2 - London

[CamperGuy]

Hi everone. Last time, I described how I took my first step to skirt-wearing in public, visiting a nature reserve and garden centre in a green miniskirt and tights. It was a big confidence booster.

In the following weeks I added a mid-thigh black denim mini, which is still my favourite skirt. I tried wearing it to some local department stores, cafes and supermarkets. I was still not hugely confident though and was sort of sneaking around a bit feeling self-conscious, although deliberately trying to look confident. I decided I needed to push myself.

I now struggle to believe how much I lacked confidence back then, but I really didn't know what to expect.

So I decided to go to London. This would be a big challenge - taking public transport, being out for hours with no ability to run back to the car, and to cap it, I decided I didn't want to be able to wimp out, so didn't take any change of clothes. Whatever happened, I would have to make the best of it until I got back to my home station.

I wore the new black skirt, opaque beige tights and white plimsoles. To be honest, this was quite an easy combination and quite smart. With a black skirt of this length it could be mistaken for shorts at a glance. But that sort of balanced the extra perceived risk of this bigger journey.

Like before, I didn't hang around when I got to the station carpark on a wet bank holiday morning. There were some nerves as I headed down the platform past the other waiting passengers - I don't know if anyone noticed. On the train I was able to find a pair of seats to myself, so the journey into London was uneventful. At London it meant getting out and joining the crowd heading down the escalators to the underground. More exposed here, but no obvious looks or comments.

On the train I wimped out a bit and kept my backpack on my lap, not quite confident enough to sit on inwards-facing seats in what was obviously a mini skirt.

At Trafalgar Square I helped a pair of elderly female tourists with their bags on the stairs, visited an empty church and went for a coffee. Pretty quiet though, so I headed to Covent Garden - that was much busier, as was Leicester Square and Piccadilly.

I visited the gallery at the Royal Academy of Arts, which meant queuing, interacting with the reception staff, and then standing around looking at paintings. I was more visible here but still no reactions. Although I didn't expect the sort of people who visit art galleries to confront strangers about their dress sense, although it is becoming increasingly clear since then that it seems virtually no-one is willing to confront strangers!

Next, to enter the crowds at Oxford Street, where I visited various large stores and looked at clothes, including Liberty. Now, surrounded by crowds who were clearly not reacting to me, that increased my confidence substantially. Finally in M&S I plucked up courage to look at a few skirts, but didn't buy anything. However, that was mainly because there was nothing I liked. If I found something I had liked, would I have had the confidence to take it to the changing rooms to try on? Probably not at this early stage.

Then back on the train home, which was uneventful - the station was busy, but again, I was ignored.

Again, despite the nerves at the start, I was on a high again from achieving this. Popular locations, people of all ages, but no visible reactions. So my confidence had increased. But I did feel I needed to make my outfits a bit more obvious, since I wasn't entirely sure if I was being ignored because people noticed but tolerated by dress sense, or simply because no-one noticed; and I really wanted it to be the former.

I'll share the my next adventure soon...

Cheers,
Camperguy.

[Stu]

Thanks for sharing. The truth is that, out in public, nobody really cares what you are wearing. Everyone has seen at least one guy in a skirt so the novelty has largely worn off. I'm happy to not be noticed, to be honest.

[SatinDea]

Thanks for sharing CamperGuy. Your post is very inspiring and as I read it I think why would anyone worry about what you are wearing.

I’ll be doing a similar journey on 30th January. I’m hoping to pluck up the courage to wear a skirt from home and onto the coach and home again.

[Mouse]

Well done CamperGuy for getting out there and just being you.

I have never had a problem skirting in London, so I encourage more members to skirt in London.

[JeffB1959]

Congrats on your outing. As others have said, no one pays any attention to a guy in a skirt because they’re too wrapped up in their own lives and affairs to give us the time of day. The more you venture out, the more your confidence will grow.

[Faldaguy]

Thanks for posting Camperguy as these posts are probably the best impetus guys ready for the first adventures in skirts can relate to; the honest acknowledgement of trepidations combined with the real-world' blasé response. Soon you may come to find that some of those 'non-responders' become supporters -- when MIS's go about all manner of things with normal daily confidence,(they have fully owned their attire) the few who do notice and are interested will comment, usually with a compliment, and sometimes an observation, question, or opening remark where they can express support, wishes more men would wear skirts, or occasionally confess they too have skirts/dresses or wish their husband/boyfriends would try them. Your confident presence gives hopes to others as well as yourself.

[Barleymower]

Hi camperguy
I remember my first similar trips to London in a skirt. It was only three years ago LOL. I was expecting the world to fall in and knowing that it would not. We are so conditioned to stay out of the female zone that doing something so simple is exciting and terrifying. Three years later I really enjoy my trips to London.
The highlights of the trips have been meeting the other MIS on the meetups and the new friends I've made. The other guys have been a huge support to me and I'm not sure if I would be so brave without them.

[crfriend]

I remember my first similar trips to London in a skirt. It was only three years ago LOL. I was expecting the world to fall in and knowing that it would not.

Every time I read comments like that I get a chuckle out of them because I remember the stiffness of terror begin to overtake me the first time I got into the car so attired to go and run some routine errands. My late ex- helped me with it, but "terror" really is close to what I was feeling. In any event, they sky didn't fall (somewhat to my surprise), and the apprehension eventually lifted.

We are so conditioned to stay out of the female zone that doing something so simple is exciting and terrifying. Three years later I really enjoy my trips to London.
The highlights of the trips have been meeting the other MIS on the meetups and the new friends I've made. The other guys have been a huge support to me and I'm not sure if I would be so brave without them.

The mental frisson regarding this does fade in time as the behaviour becomes usual and automatic and as the population around you gets used to the notion.

It's a pity that like-minded men are so thin on the ground around me here -- to the point of knowing of only a few (maybe four or five) in the entire region

[Barleymower]

We are thin on the ground because the indoctrination is so through it surrounds us in all directions. So much so that people will say things like this:
"Men have no interest in clothes"
"My husband can't even be bothered to iron his clothes"
You can even say:
"Have you looked at the state of men's clothing departments?"
They would probably agree and still see the conection

[crfriend]

We are thin on the ground because the indoctrination is so through it surrounds us in all directions. So much so that people will say things like this:
"Men have no interest in clothes"
"My husband can't even be bothered to iron his clothes"

Worse is that it gets into our sisters, wives, lovers, and (where applicable) children. It's universal, the way that propaganda needs to be to work effectively.

You can even say:
"Have you looked at the state of men's clothing departments?"
They would probably agree and still see the conection

They'd never even notice how dire the situation is, so, no, they're going to miss it entirely.

I look at the typical stuff marketed at men and what do I see? T-shirts, hoodies, sweats, dungarees, and stuff our fathers would have worn (Hmm, there's that theme again). In other words, a disaster. Worse, still, is that the state of the Women's departments are on the same trajectory, save that the clothes the mothers would have worn are disappearing in favour of ... t-shirts, hoodies, sweats, "athleisure", or other assorted grunge.

What happened to exuberance in attire? What happened to fun and frivolity? Sometimes we need those things just to stay sane.

But, it's hard to think about frivolity when you're worried about where your next meal is going to come from, or whether you'll be lucky enough to stay healthy or get get enmeshed in the "health care" system (in the US, a "wealth transfer scheme"), afford the groceries, whether you'll have a job next week, or a roof over your head. Too many of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs have been kicked out from under us to actually move forward mentally and developmentally.

[yardstick]

We are thin on the ground because the indoctrination is so through it surrounds us in all directions. So much so that people will say things like this:
"Men have no interest in clothes"
"My husband can't even be bothered to iron his clothes"

Worse is that it gets into our sisters, wives, lovers, and (where applicable) children. It's universal, the way that propaganda needs to be to work effectively.

Before I got to the stage where I would even consider going into the garden in a skirt I can recall mrs YS saying to me one day "you're lucky you don't have to go through so many options when you're going out", I politely replied that sometimes it would be nice to have a choice instead of the same old uniform. With this comment the penny dropped and she realised the advantage and fast forward a few years now even encourages me to wear skirts so in this case a good result but this does show how some partners can think until their minds are opened.

[yardstick]

I remember my first similar trips to London in a skirt. It was only three years ago LOL. I was expecting the world to fall in and knowing that it would not.

Every time I read comments like that I get a chuckle out of them because I remember the stiffness of terror begin to overtake me the first time I got into the car so attired to go and run some routine errands. My late ex- helped me with it, but "terror" really is close to what I was feeling. In any event, they sky didn't fall (somewhat to my surprise), and the apprehension eventually lifted.

We are so conditioned to stay out of the female zone that doing something so simple is exciting and terrifying. Three years later I really enjoy my trips to London.
The highlights of the trips have been meeting the other MIS on the meetups and the new friends I've made. The other guys have been a huge support to me and I'm not sure if I would be so brave without them.

I totally agree with all of this, remembering my first time at a meet up just 15 months ago, starting off in trousers and changing when I got to London being petrified on the tube (even in a utility kilt) but got such a great welcome and encouragement from everyone I didn't change back on the way home. With their support I have pushed the boundaries a bit further with every meet up since and always look forward to the next one.

Reading CR's comment above also reminded me of the first time I went to get a drive through takeaway in a skirt with encouragement from Mrs YS, it was after dark and I was absolutely petrified even though I didn't need to get out of the car but once I'd done it I vowed to do it every time from then on and after about 4 times I didn't even think about it but this was about a year before I went to the first meet up.

[Barleymower]

I totally agree with all of this, remembering my first time at a meet up just 15 months ago, starting off in trousers and changing when I got to London being petrified on the tube (even in a utility kilt) but got such a great welcome and encouragement from everyone I didn't change back on the way home. With their support I have pushed the boundaries a bit further with every meet up since and always look forward to the next one.

Reading CR's comment above also reminded me of the first time I went to get a drive through takeaway in a skirt with encouragement from Mrs YS, it was after dark and I was absolutely petrified even though I didn't need to get out of the car but once I'd done it I vowed to do it every time from then on and after about 4 times I didn't even think about it but this was about a year before I went to the first meet up.

Both men and women are so busy saying
"I would never"
"My husband would never"
"Any self respecting man would never"
And
She says: "would you like to wear a skirt?"
What he hears "would you like to be a girl?"

If men can be freed from fear of people thinking they want to be be girl if they wore clothes from the other side, we will have cracked the manbox open.

[skirtyscot]

Hello and welcome, CamperGuy!

You have cracked it! The trip to London taught you what you needed to know. Now keep it up - it gets easier every time.

How about you take no trousers on your next trip in your camper van? It would be fun and nobody would mind in the least. (Unless you have family who aren't on board.)

It took me ages to get to the level of confidence you seem to have. But now I think nothing of wearing a skirt anywhere. Hopefully you are well on the way to that.

[skirted84]

There comes a point you wonder what you were worried about before. And lots of women subtly put stuff on their lap sitting in a miniskirt, it shows you care about modesty.
Keep going.