Where will we be in say... ten years?

[robehickman]

Unfortunately, it is all too easy to imagine MIS getting stuck indefinitely at the foot-in-the-door stage, or even the toe in the water stage.

I think the problem is that the women were pushing at a door to a room full of men, all in trousers. MIS are pushing at a door to an almost empty room, where a few women breeze in and out depending on the weather.

I think skirt wearing is similar to hat wearing. Sometimes a hat is a great idea and lots of people suddenly sprout hats. A few people wear hats all the time as part of their look. Years ago everybody wore hats when they went out.

I think the place we want to get to is "free choice". We have it with hats, we demand it with skirts...

Its this observation why I feel that making efforts to further normalise agender skirts in niche communities like among contra dancers is worthwhile. Among dancers for example there is a clear advantage to wearing a skirt / kilt for anyone because twirling in them is fun, and they are also cooler to dance in. From where we are, it would probably be fairly easy to normalise skirts as the go to for everyone at contra dances.

Personally I think that skirts work best as a kind of 'speciality clothing' for some situations, which is what women are using them for.

[phathack]

Iv'e been a member of this board for 10 years now and nothing has really changed and I dont expect much to change in the next 10 years either. The Men and Womens department wont be merged into a single clothing department.
It will still be women can wear anything they want and as much or as little clothing as they wish and nothing will happen. Men will still be relegated to Suits and Pants in various shades or Black, Navy, Brown.

[Faldaguy]

Iv'e been a member of this board for 10 years now and nothing has really changed and I dont expect much to change in the next 10 years either.
It will still be women can wear anything they want and as much or as little clothing as they wish and nothing will happen. Men will still be relegated to Suits and Pants in various shades of Black, Navy, Brown.

I hope your pessimism is unfounded, but I've been 10 years in this small zone (maybe 8,000) folk with nearly a quarter million visitor nights each year; dressed in a skirt the vast majority of the time --and I still don't need to give visitors an "address" -- "just ask for the guy who wears skirts" -- because so far as I have seen, not a single other male has donned a skirt in public here. However, I am finding more interest, quietly expressed, by some of the kids and younger staff at the schools -- so maybe there is hope.

[jamie001]

There is no hope. Men, unlike women are pack animals and won’t break from the herd. You do you Boo Boo. Those are the best words to live by.

[Uncle Al]

I've 21 years on this 'board' and another 5 or so years on Tom's Cafe'.
I find 'the movement' extremely slow

Sad, quite sad

Uncle Al

[robehickman]

I've 21 years on this 'board' and another 5 or so years on Tom's Cafe'.
I find 'the movement' extremely slow

Sad, quite sad

Uncle Al

In the grand scheme of things almost nobody is trying to promote it, just niche instances with little to no public visibility, and people who have tried often seem to give up at the slightest backlash.

[Stu]

In ten years, a professional man goes to Marks and Spencer and the following conversation takes place:

Assistant: "Can I help you?"

Man: "Yes, I'm looking for a couple of work suits in dark grey or navy".

Assistant: "We have a selection over there. Were you wanting one with trousers, straight skirt or a shift dress?"

Man: "I don't mind so long as the jacket is a good fit. I quite like that one over there."

Assistant: "Ah, that one comes with trousers or a long pleated skirt. I am sure we have your size. Would you like to try one?"

[STEVIE]

Assistant: "Ah, that one comes with trousers or a long pleated skirt. I am sure we have your size. Would you like to try one?"

Nice thought Stu, if any of us still happen to be around in ten years, that is.
The scenario is perfectly imaginable, but only time will tell.
I'm forced to repeat myself yet again, when the big retailers like Marks and Spencer get a sniff of additional profit from it, they will get Menswear Skirts damn quick.
Supply and demand, money, right now they sell all their skirts through womenswear, to women, men and contradancers too.
Steve.

[Mouse]

Great idea Stu, but the thing is, I am not even sure it happens in the women's section. The shops I wander into, have rail after rail of trousers in the women's section. Skirts are now not mainstream, even for the female section. Shorts and trousers rule.

[rivegauche]

I am more optimistc. I occasionally see other men in skirts in public and in Scotland it is now almost unknown for men to be refused the opportunity to try on clothes in any shop. Though there seem to be no more of us, the change in attitude has been huge. Ten years ago you had to be dressed as a woman to use the fitting rooms on the womenswear floor in Marks & Spencer - now you are encouraged to use them even if fully dressed as a man.

And as for skirts themselves - two local boutique owners are convinced they are making a comeback and have stocked accordingly. In Scotland dresses have never gone away and I prefer dresses to skirts anyway. I recently asked a woman friend how often she would wear a dress or a skirt at home of she was not going out or expecting anyone and she replied "Never". This is a very elegant lady who often wears dresses when we meet so even a woman who likes dresses/skirts draws the line at wearing them when alone. Of course many men are the opposite - only wearing them at home alone. I recently made enquiries about having a bespoke skirt suit made for me and was treated with complete respect - and I was not her first male customer. Yes, there is obviously some way to go before men in skirts at business meetings or in a dress in the restaurant do not raise eyebrows, but we are already at the stage where it can be done without open comment. That IS progress.

[DrFishnets]

I’ve been shopping for more skirts but recently I was in M&S and sadly I see less and less skirts and more and more trousers and tracksuit bottoms which is worrying. Could this be that skirts could become obsolete soon? I hope not. I’d buy online but I much prefer the exciting experience of shopping for skirts and dresses in the high street shops. If skirts are becoming obsolete then wouldn’t it be great that in 10 years time men bring them back to fashion.

[robehickman]

I’ve been shopping for more skirts but recently I was in M&S and sadly I see less and less skirts and more and more trousers and tracksuit bottoms which is worrying. Could this be that skirts could become obsolete soon? I hope not. I’d buy online but I much prefer the exciting experience of shopping for skirts and dresses in the high street shops. If skirts are becoming obsolete then wouldn’t it be great that in 10 years time men bring them back to fashion.

They may be going out of fashion in the mainstream but for sure are not obsolete - dancers (of various disciplines) are going to keep wearing them for the twirl factor, and they (and dresses) are going to remain common in hot weather due to being so much cooler. They can be found easily enough in vintage clothing shops as well as charity shops and I don't see that changing. Also even if they did completely stop being available to buy, most kinds of skirts are extremely easy to make with a plethora of tutorials online.

I think that skirts going broadly out of fashion is actually a good thing as it means that people will stop so obsessively associating them with women over time, as few women wear them nowadays.

[Coder]

I dunno - between traveling across the US, observing local styles, and being in Italy for almost a month, I don't see skirts going away at all. I feel like it would take a huge mood change for women to abandon them, or retailers to stop selling them. Maybe retailers are shifting stock, perhaps their popularity is dwindling at the moment, but I would be shocked if they went away in a meaningful way.

[Uncle Al]

Maybe retailers are shifting stock, perhaps their popularity is dwindling at
the moment, but I would be shocked if they went away in a meaningful way.

I've noticed that, for several months, retailers have been displaying their "Winter"
wear selections. Most, if not all, of the light and flowing skirts, and dresses, are
being phased out this time of year. January is when many retailers start showing
their summer selections and swim wear, trying to get an edge on summer profits.

Just my $.02 worth

Uncle Al