finrod wrote:A few reasons I think more men don't wear skirts, some of which have already been mentioned in this thread:
- Cultural inertia. Men only see women wearing skirts, so it doesn't occur to them that it could be an option for them.
This reason is the raison d'etre of Skirt Café -- to get men thinking actively about giving the option of skirts a go. It'll not be for every man, but it may be good for a whole lot more than are currently "out and about" in skirts.
- Marketing. The vast majority of skirts are marketed as women's products, and in most shops skirts are only available in the women's section. So to seek them out or even to be exposed passively to skirts as an option, a man has to "cross the aisle" and risk the social disapproval that comes with that.
Lots of stuff is pitched mainly at women, be it makeup, skirts, fancy fabrics, new gadgets, or monster trucks. That alone does not keep guys from taking up on them. It's just that guys tend to be selective, and with that thought I'll refer to the point just above this one.
- Lack of options that appeal to typical male fashion sensibilities. In skirts I prefer some of the same things I like in trousers: heavy fabrics, large pockets, and a fly. If a man does think outside the box and go looking for skirts (even if they may be marketed as women's products), very few of them have features like these. Of course, we're lucky that there are some great men's/unisex skirts out there now, and the trend seems to be growing slowly.
The sole purpose of a fly in a skirt is to allow a rigid waist and still get the thing over the hips, and some guys have hips that are broader than their waists. (Then again, some guys don't, and that's just plain not acceptable for the gals.
) If one needs to relieve himself there's a whole lot of hem there to be lifted, and that's a lot more practical that fiddling with belt, button, and zip, then undershorts before one "lets go". "Lift (front of) hem, droop front of shorts, and let drive" is vastly more practical. The only time that this wouldn't work is if one is wearing a very tight "pencil" skirt.
- Fear of disapproval. Perhaps people shouldn't worry about what friends and family think of their fashion choices, but a lot of us do.
I think this is overrated, save for the case of immediate family, and,
especially wives and significant others. Outsiders, friends, and the general public will generally either not notice or not comment. Friends will likely give you some playful grief for a while and then, once they notice that you're not "taking the bait" will knock it off.
- Fear of public harassment. I have to admit this is my primary limiting factor. The few times I've worn skirts in public, it has been in spaces I perceive to be exceptionally safe/tolerant (e.g. a progressive coffee shop or an LGBT pride event).
This one is positively massively overrated. The general public is much more interested in their own immediate worries than what some random bloke on the street is wearing. I've worn skirts everywhere from insane places like Provincetown. MA to an entirely Puerto Rican (a notably "machismo" culture) section of Providence, RI and have garnered no grief whatsoever. (In fact, I got one comment a couple of summers ago on a very hot day in Providence from somebody who's primary language was Spanish of, "Hey! You look cool!" (He was right; I had ventilation; with his jeans, he didn't.)
The moral of the story is to screw up the courage and give it a go. You've got nothing to lose but your pants!
