skirtcafe.org

Coder wrote: ↑Sat Nov 16, 2024 2:56 pm ...
Because it's very costumey. It's not a "real/practical" outfit. Even though much of women's clothings styles aren't practical, what he puts together is beyond what you could, say, go shopping in or doing any amount of work (which, for men, is basically an unspoken rule of clothing - being able to do work).
...

There is a lot of "work" I can't/wouldn't dare do in a suit. Yet for men, a suit is required in a lot of situations.

Similarly, the kilt as a full "traditional" outfit is very costumy, to my eye, at least. I try to be mindful not to be costumy in any outfits I wear, but it's tough.

I think there is a time and place for somewhat showy and impractical clothing, as well as for the practical stuff that doesn't look as nice. Knowing when and where something is appropriate is part of modesty.

Mouse wrote: ↑Sat Nov 16, 2024 2:20 pm

Midas wrote: ↑Sat Nov 16, 2024 11:56 am It’s up to him what he chooses to wear, but this sort of look doesn’t help normalise MIS. We need people in ordinary skirts and dresses out there, rather than some outlandish costume.

I am slightly conflicted over this. I get totally that he is over the top and projecting performance art. But, I also do not want to be constrained to skirts in male drab all of the time. When I push the boat out a bit in my non working outfits "Mouse at Play", where do I fit on the "normalise MIS" scale?

Mouse, I think the fact that you separate work and play shows that you get my point above, at least on some level, and are working towards a healthy balance. We can quibble about this outfit or that, but having that separation shows you are mindful of this issue. That's a lot more than I can say for many folks in "ordinary" garb I see on a daily basis, both men and women.

Dust wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2024 11:02 am There is a lot of "work" I can't/wouldn't dare do in a suit. Yet for men, a suit is required in a lot of situations.

So why have men put up with them for all these years? I agree with your sentiment and have a disdain for suiting in general.

Coder wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2024 1:23 pm

Dust wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2024 11:02 am There is a lot of "work" I can't/wouldn't dare do in a suit. Yet for men, a suit is required in a lot of situations.

So why have men put up with them for all these years? I agree with your sentiment and have a disdain for suiting in general.

A lot of accepted 'men's' clothing, not restricted only to suits, is highly stifling to range of movement. A great deal of men's trousers don't allow the wearer to fully spread their legs, and make a lot of floor sitting postures uncomfortable or impossible. Shirts, since they have lost the added fabric in ruffles etc, do not allow full range of movement of the arms either.

And it's all made from stiff scratchy materials that are a sensory nightmare.

I have not looked for studies / evidence, but I can't imagine this is doing anyone's physical health or flexibility any favours.

robehickman wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2024 3:13 pm A lot of accepted 'men's' clothing, not restricted only to suits, is highly stifling to range of movement. A great deal of men's trousers don't allow the wearer to fully spread their legs, and make a lot of floor sitting postures uncomfortable or impossible. Shirts, since they have lost the added fabric in ruffles etc, do not allow full range of movement of the arms either.

And it's all made from stiff scratchy materials that are a sensory nightmare.

I have not looked for studies / evidence, but I can't imagine this is doing anyone's physical health or flexibility any favours.

This resonates very accurately, its a wholesome problem, not only limited type, colour and cut but also pattern and especially fabrics.

robehickman wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2024 3:13 pm A lot of accepted 'men's' clothing, not restricted only to suits, is highly stifling to range of movement. A great deal of men's trousers don't allow the wearer to fully spread their legs, and make a lot of floor sitting postures uncomfortable or impossible. Shirts, since they have lost the added fabric in ruffles etc, do not allow full range of movement of the arms either.

And it's all made from stiff scratchy materials that are a sensory nightmare.

I have not looked for studies / evidence, but I can't imagine this is doing anyone's physical health or flexibility any favours.

Flexibility of muscles has been linked to flexibility of arteries. I also once read a piece about a doctor doing a small study linking difficulty getting up off the floor from a cross-legged sitting position to overall morbidity.

Tying any of this to clothing would require quite the study, and randomly assigning people clothing would be near impossible, so it would have to be observational rather than experimental. It could still get good data if you accounted for other factors.

The good news is that some men's clothing that looks like suiting is now being made in stretch fabrics and the like. Some of it has some stretch while looking like regular stiff fabric, but will generally have a lot less stretch than stretchy athletic fabrics or those used in women's wear.

I get much better range of movement in Utilikilts than pants, but don't use that range as much as I could around others due to modestly concerns. In a straighter skirt I'm more comfortable doing certain exercises like push-ups, but obviously there are other range of motion concerns there.

Dust wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2024 11:07 pm

robehickman wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2024 3:13 pm A lot of accepted 'men's' clothing, not restricted only to suits, is highly stifling to range of movement. A great deal of men's trousers don't allow the wearer to fully spread their legs, and make a lot of floor sitting postures uncomfortable or impossible. Shirts, since they have lost the added fabric in ruffles etc, do not allow full range of movement of the arms either.

And it's all made from stiff scratchy materials that are a sensory nightmare.

I have not looked for studies / evidence, but I can't imagine this is doing anyone's physical health or flexibility any favours.

Flexibility of muscles has been linked to flexibility of arteries. I also once read a piece about a doctor doing a small study linking difficulty getting up off the floor from a cross-legged sitting position to overall morbidity.

Tying any of this to clothing would require quite the study, and randomly assigning people clothing would be near impossible, so it would have to be observational rather than experimental. It could still get good data if you accounted for other factors.

The good news is that some men's clothing that looks like suiting is now being made in stretch fabrics and the like. Some of it has some stretch while looking like regular stiff fabric, but will generally have a lot less stretch than stretchy athletic fabrics or those used in women's wear.

I get much better range of movement in Utilikilts than pants, but don't use that range as much as I could around others due to modestly concerns. In a straighter skirt I'm more comfortable doing certain exercises like push-ups, but obviously there are other range of motion concerns there.

That's fair. In practice everything I wear regularly that isn't a full skirt, is stretch knit.

The Power of Context - as stated elsewhere on this forum.

Florent Bidois is a French designer who works exclusively in the arena of upcycled fashion. Florent runs an event called the Colour Walk, which is held at Spitalfield Market (London) every third Thursday. The event is described thus -

A Colour Walk is a gathering of creative people who love colour and dressing up. There are no rules – they believe the more colours the better.

Witness this concert of colours and meet some of the London’s most vibrant souls and creative minds or join them by putting on some of your most colourful outfits.

This article contains a bunch of pics from one of their gatherings.

FranTastic444 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2024 1:38 pm The Power of Context - as stated elsewhere on this forum.

Florent Bidois is a French designer who works exclusively in the arena of upcycled fashion. Florent runs an event called the Colour Walk, which is held at Spitalfield Market (London) every third Thursday. The event is described thus -

A Colour Walk is a gathering of creative people who love colour and dressing up. There are no rules – they believe the more colours the better.

Witness this concert of colours and meet some of the London’s most vibrant souls and creative minds or join them by putting on some of your most colourful outfits.

This article contains a bunch of pics from one of their gatherings.

That's great to see, thank you.

The outfit is jarring, yet simultaneously satisfying to look at...

Very "loud", and yet.... I can not look away.

I stand by each to their own. I like bright colours and full skirts but I would not dress like this, but neither would I criticise his choice. The hat is not practical for me but again his choice.

Any one who goes against majority thinking are not taken seriously by many. This appearance could make this even more so. From my previous postings I embrace the female clothing wardrobe as a man, behave as a man, dress like women who still wear skirts. Not short ones like some on this forum do, again personal preference. I am well accepted in my very rural and conservative, (small c) location. Well accepted by friends and family. Well accepted in my volunteering role at three historic houses interacting with the public. I would not be, certainly by my locality or historic houses dressed like this. For me, this is a fun outfit for a certain part of life, not day to day.

Each to their own, he is obviously very contented, well received within his circle of life and I wish him all the best. I will continue to embrace my freedom of choice, expression and individuality in my preferred way and accepted, not by a small minority, but overwhelmingly accepted wearing standard society labelled female clothes as a man within my circle of life.