skirtcafe.org

imadube wrote:[...] Get designers of real world main market fashions to add skirts to men wear.
Just imagine who easily it would be to be skirted IF sellers like The Mens Wearhouse would put skirts into the mix.

That'd be great. If I had the option of getting a suit that came with trousers and a skirt option, I'd jump at that in a heartbeat. The problem, however, would likely be with the jacket -- the single most expensive piece of a suit. Traditional-length jackets are usually a bit too long to look "right" with anything but long skirts; as the hemline rises, so must the lower bound of the jacket. This is why jackets worn with kilts are quite a bit shorter than ones worn with trousers -- it's to preserve the balance of the outfit,

Getting your average bloke to shell out for different jackets for each different style he's going to wear is going to be a stretch -- and a financial hardship for more than a few. Not to mention that most guys wear suits and jackets increasingly rarely in this day and age.

I think a great option would be to push garments like sarongs as options when one would otherwise consider shorts. That'd make for a good beginning because I suspect if skirt-wearing does begin to catch on, it'll catch on first in the "casual" arena where most men spend most of their time. Having this option in the mass-market stores would be great.

I think the reason that the designs of the "fashion designers" fail is that they're not something that your average "man on the street" would be caught dead in; they're either horribly impractical, overly complex, or just look outlandish and utterly unbelievable as menswear.

[quote="crfriend"][quote="imadube"][...] If I had the option of getting a suit that came with trousers and a skirt option, I'd jump at that in a heartbeat.quote]
Remember when you could buy a suit with 2 pair of pants? Pants and a skirt would be great.

rick401r wrote: Remember when you could buy a suit with 2 pair of pants? Pants and a skirt would be great.

I have recently bought a suit with 2 pairs of trousers.
Because I'm not standard size (skinnier waist and broader shoulders than "standard" chest size dictates) I have to buy off the 'mix and match rails' for sizes.
back on topic.. trousers and skirt would be good

rick401r wrote:
Remember when you could buy a suit with 2 pair of pants? Pants and a skirt would be great.

umm...how about going a wee bit farther...a suit with 2 skirts, and NO trousers??

've had an image to reply to everything you've said thus far .

Skirts? Heck it's hard enough to find a suit with a vest.

The fashion trend of a vest with a man's suit was in fashion in the 1980's and has long since fallen out of fashion.
Since retailers only stock what sells, that being the current fashion trend, finding a new vest on the rack will be just about as easy as finding a skirt in the men's department.

Such is the dilemma we face as men who want to redefine men's fashions.

Phathack

Back in the late 70s/early 80s all of my suits were vested. Like phathack wrote, they have since fallen out of common fashion. But there is a self-described British style men's clothing store near my office that was showing a number of vested suits in their windows as recently as last year. I don't think I have seen any recently though.

phathack wrote:The fashion trend of a vest with a man's suit was in fashion in the 1980's and has long since fallen out of fashion.

Since retailers only stock what sells, that being the current fashion trend, finding a new vest on the rack will be just about as easy as finding a skirt in the men's department.

This is where the Internet shines There is a market for such garments, but the market is small enough that the "box stores" won't bother stocking such apparel -- they won't make money on it and any space for displaying same will represent a loss. This is likely also the reason for the creeping drabness and sameness in men's fashion in general; guys don't tend to actively shop for stuff that may actually appeal to their inner aesthetic and insted go for what's easy and readily available, even if it is deathly dull. This cycle then reinforces itself as retailers aim to satisfy the perceived need for dullness and drabness.

I have had very good luck with The Gentlemen's Emporium, from which I purchased my two very fancy waistcoats last year, a black one slightly more recently, and am considering a couple more in interesting colours and fabrics. The firm itself is the "Historical Emporium", and carries both men's and women's fashions where I also ordered my two very long Victorian-styled skirts. Fancy waistcoats from these guys are rather de rigeur in the Steampunk world.

Milfmog has mentioned the Pocketwatch Waistcoat Company which is based in the UK. I haven't done business with them, and it looks like their styles are more contemporary than is really my taste.

So, I'll not scream, "CONSPIRACY!" over the creeping drabness that is men's fashion today, but rather laziness and self-fulfilling prophecy. Foo.