Can men in skirts look sexy? Is this allowed?

sapphire · Post by **sapphire** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 2:26 pm

Emmy,
Good luck with college. Going back isn't all that hard. I've done it many times. Even got to graduate a few times.

Have fun!
Diana

Emerald Witch · Post by **Emerald Witch** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:56 am

Thanks Diana and crfriend! I'm feeling better today and I hope I'm not so crabby anymore. Still getting adjusted, but not quite so terrified.

WOW, SAPPHIRE! Graduated more than once? Way to GO, girl! Okay, now I'm green with envy!

Just gotta make it through this week and next week will be better.

I keep telling myself that.

Sooner or later it's gonna be true.

The Witch from the Emerald City

Emerald Witch · Post by **Emerald Witch** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 1:27 am

ChristopherJ wrote:perhaps by bright colours, by revealing skin, by striking styles etc. ... short skirt, a tight fitting skirt, a slit skirt ... fishnet tights, or a low cut dress... emphasise some part of the body.

What can a man wear that equates to the 'sexy' fashion styles that a women can adopt?

Anyhow my idea for this thread was to ponder the question of whether a man in a skirt can imitate a woman's fashion choices in some respects, by dressing to look sexy?

Chris, I'd just like to clarify please whether you want to discuss a man looking sexy in styles such as you've mentioned above, or did you mean to talk about how men in skirts in general can look sexy?

For the record, I think this might be a great topic to get out in the open, but it also might be one that makes some folks uncomfortable. Talking about sexy feelings often does, if it gets very specific.

But for now, the general answer I would give is that you have to have the courage to experiment, a little at a time, trying on different styles to see what makes YOU feel sexy inside. If YOU dig on it and feel groovy then it'll probably bring out your sexy side. Then if you can bring that side of yourself out into the world you're bound to find people who also vibe on that side of things. Maybe they didn't even know they were attracted to it until they saw you. Maybe seeing you being so confident and cool and sensible and respectable and all was just what they needed to introduce them to the concept of "That Side of Sexy".

I, for one, never knew I was attracted to men in skirts before I saw Eddie Izzard this summer. Hey, how was I gonna know a thing like that? I never SAW a man wearing a skirt! Well, not seriously. Not except in a follies, where they were making fun of it, which was stupid. Now that I've seen it, I realize how cool I think it is, I honestly feel that although I still like ordinary men... well... if I have to settle for a guy who doesn't wear skirts and stuff it'll be just that. Settling.

Ordinary men are just so... ordinary.

BE PROUD, MEN IN SKIRTS!!! You are the visionaries! You are the trail-blazers! You are heroes of the new millenium!

Yessireebob!

DavidsSkirts · Post by **DavidsSkirts** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 6:49 am

If anyone were to find me appearing sexy in a skirt, or when 'dressed up' any other way, I will simply take it as a compliment and leave it as that, as most of the time I would dress 'down' and be reasonably boring...

As for Brother Tailor's experiences when visiting some areas where people didn't know where to look when he was in a kilt, and act completely different when he's in overalls, I know of several suburbs and places down here, where I would expect the same sort of behaviour - though they are in a minority..
Then again the number of places where strangers would openly and easily complement you on your appearance would be in a similar minority - the majority will simply either accept you, not notice you, or ignore it.

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sapphire · Post by **sapphire** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 4:01 pm

Emmy,
What are you planning to study?

I too a long and winding road and seemed to be in the "Major of the Month" club. I even got to take the Geography of Wine (and get my employer to pay for it)

So, I've got Business, Biology and Graphic Design. Got halfway thru an MBA and dropped out 'cause it was boring.

Good luck with school!
Sapphire

ChristopherJ · Post by **ChristopherJ** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:50 pm

Chris, I'd just like to clarify please whether you want to discuss a man looking sexy in styles such as you've mentioned above, or did you mean to talk about how men in skirts in general can look sexy?

I guess my intention was twofold E.Witch - i.e.

1) To pose the question "Is is OK for men to dress in an explicitly sexy fashion - as women do sometimes" (skirted or otherwise). The background for me posing that question is simply that I see most mens fashions today as actively hiding or playing down the male body - and very rarely do men's fashions direct attention to the male body or show it off.

(BTW - I'm *not* talking chest wigs and medallion men here . . )

2) Having posed that question, I wanted to start a discussion on how men in skirts can dress to look sexy. I was thinking, obviously, about skirt lengths, skirt styles, footwear, topwear (shirts etc.) - and so on. We can all put on a simple denim skirt - but how can we make it look GOOD?

BTW - I use the term 'sexy' really just to mean 'looking good' - well, maybe a bit more than just looking good, but something like that anyhow. I don't use the word to mean slutty, or chasing sex or anything like that. It's not really a good word to use, I suppose - as some people seem to be getting the wrong idea of what I meant. Maybe I should have used the word 'hot'. - so the question would be - "How can men in skirts dress to look HOT?" Get the idea?

BrotherTailor · Post by **BrotherTailor** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:26 pm

I think a lot of men, myself included, have had it drilled into us from a young age that only girls can use clothing to flatter their figure/enhance their physique/and or bring it to the attention of others. We dress drab to be anonymous men I guess.
I'm fortunate to be very thin, and if I decided to, I could easily make a shirt for myself tailored like a ladies', fitting very closely to emphasise my narrow waist and broad shoulders. But for some reason I shrink from doing this. Perhaps for fear of being seen as a cross dresser or something. Hard to define...
All my traditional suits are boxy, while almost all women's (at least in Misses sizes) are neatly tailored to hug the waist. It is strange how this had developed. I even have to wear extra bulky clothes to disguise the fact of my corset...as it really gives me a slender female waist. I would feel very weird in just a snug t-shirt...as everyone expects to see a gut hanging OUT, not a concave abdomen and hourglass waist...might cause traffic accidents

So to answer your question: is it okay for men to dress explicitly, to emphasise their slim build if they are so shaped? It depends on your culture to some extent. It is looked at askance around here. you either dress to hide, or take your shirt off totally...no in between.

Peter v · Post by **Peter v** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:42 am

Hallo, Christopher, and the others, naturally.

The thread from nearly everyone here is that if your compleet concept looks good, then you are "desirable" as a person. Not nessesarily desirable as we men naturally think

I think about well known actors, how great it is to see them. They radiate something, and it hasn't anything to do with their clothing. Your face is probably the most important thing, and if you feel happy, good in what you are wearing, then that combination is a success. People see the total effect on your personality, and people talk to peoples eyes, looking as it were into you, at your real self. As said, you can be sexy in jeans, but also in a short mini skirt. Again it is the total concept. And if wearing short skirts, even with net pantys and even heels works for you, it will show and people will generally see YOU and if that YOU is appleasing to them, then YES dressing in that way works.

If you are depressed, haven't shaven, haven't slept for days, you know that look, then it doesn't matter what you wear, nothing will make you look good. The inner self is something quite difficult to describe, especially for men, who are virtually forbidden to talk or even think about such things.

But I believe it is that which radiates from you which others see.

Haven't you had that feeling that somebody's looking at you? Then you look around and you see that person, or You look at someone, and they seem to sense that, even though their back was turned to you. That is something that is difficult to comprehend, but is there, and probably has something to do with that "aura"which we have. Either the morning don't talk to me aura or the I feel great hellow world aura.

Yes, we men can clothe well and be sexy and if we want to be that to others, we may enjoy it too. That's called living. But definately there is no link between certain clothing and being sexy. It's all in the eye of the beholder (onlooker) anyway.

Yes, we men can clothe well and be sexy ( not nessesarily anything to do with sex) but succesfully dressed. And trying our best to look good is a very good thing. And being "sexy"in whatever, even short mini's, says nothing about your intentions, just like women who look or are sexy may or may not want any attention. That is another realisation that many people must make, that people just want to be. who they are as they are, and it is not compulsary to be reacted upon however you look.

getting too difficult now. Must stop.

Peter v.

Sarongman · Post by **Sarongman** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 7:35 am

Em! I want to know what you're studying too. Best of luck whatever it is.

sapphire · Post by **sapphire** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:50 pm

I'd like to address a comment made by Brother Tailor, who said: "I'm fortunate to be very thin, and if I decided to, I could easily make a shirt for myself tailored like a ladies', fitting very closely to emphasise my narrow waist and broad shoulders."

In the 70s and 80s, mens dress shirts were available either in standard or fitted sizing. The collar size and sleeve lengths were the same. The only difference was that the fitted shirts were darted.

Men who could, liked to show off narrow waists against broad shoulders.

CR and I discussed this last night a and decided that we'd experiment on one of his older shirts.

So I'd say, go for the fitted look. You won't look girly but you might look manly retro.

Also remember that during that period men's dress shirts also included pintucks. Sometimes it was a couple of tucks to each side of the button placket, more formal shirts had pin tucks halfway across the front of the shirt. Some were truly tiny pin tucks and some were almost pleats.

Some of the more formal shirts even had ruffles.

Website · Post by **crfriend** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:34 pm

"Is is OK for men to dress in an explicitly sexy fashion - as women do sometimes" (skirted or otherwise). The background for me posing that question is simply that I see most mens fashions today as actively hiding or playing down the male body - and very rarely do men's fashions direct attention to the male body or show it off.

I can't see any rational reason why "dressing sexy" would be in any way prohibited for men, although it is very unusual, and I suspect that "raiding the other side of the aisle" isn't necessarily the way to go about doing so. Mens' and womens' bodies are vastly different (at least normally-proportioned ones), so the clothes they wear work very differently on them. Another confuser here is that men tend to be far more "visually driven" than women -- and women make the most out of that. Women, on the other hand, seem to be more driven by "what's between the ears" and a perception of, "Is this guy someone who will be a good provider for my family"; both of those are difficult to put across via clothing choices -- and in a way, "odd" choices may cause a woman to lump you into the "loser pile" without ever getting to know you. (It's bloomin' wrong, of course, but the world isn't a fair place.)

(BTW - I'm *not* talking chest wigs and medallion men here . . )

There's a sterling example of where "the reveal" fails miserably on men; it works great on the womenfolk, but tends to get laughed at when the guys try it -- even (if not especially) by other guys. And that's not terribly fair of us, is it? (Guilty as charged.)

2) Having posed that question, I wanted to start a discussion on how men in skirts can dress to look sexy. I was thinking, obviously, about skirt lengths, skirt styles, footwear, topwear (shirts etc.) - and so on. We can all put on a simple denim skirt - but how can we make it look GOOD?

I suspect we'd best figure out what "sexy" means to the ladies before we shuffle off down a pothole-strewn road that possibly leads nowhere. Ladies: "What, in your mind, constitutes 'sexiness' in a guy?"

BTW - I use the term 'sexy' really just to mean 'looking good' - well, maybe a bit more than just looking good, but something like that anyhow.

I believe it's possible to look good whilst not "on the make" or "hunting" -- in fact it should be encouraged. Once in a while I'll dick with the folks at work by wearing a tie; in a place without any sort of operant dress code, it warps minds -- and it looks sharp (when the rest of the sheep look like they've just dragged themselves from either bed or the beach). Why do I do it? That's simple. It makes me feel good.

Instead of focusing narrowly on the skirted aspect of things, I think we'd do well to craft ensembles that look good as a whole -- look "believable", as it were. A well-executed fully coordinated rig should work in this regard. Wasn't it ZZ Top that commented, "Every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man"?

BrotherTailor · Post by **BrotherTailor** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:28 pm

Sapphire,
I haven't seen fitted men's shirts for ages...I do recall them though.

Good thoughts all.

Emerald Witch · Post by **Emerald Witch** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 9:02 pm

ChristopherJ wrote:1) Is is OK for men to dress in an explicitly sexy fashion
I think we've got a resounding YES! on that one, so next question...

2) Having posed that question, I wanted to start a discussion on how men in skirts can dress to look sexy. I was thinking, obviously, about skirt lengths, skirt styles, footwear, topwear (shirts etc.) - and so on. We can all put on a simple denim skirt - but how can we make it look GOOD?
Ah! Okay. Well, personal tastes will vary, of course. BTW, I LOVE your new boots on you! (Mmmmm-wah!) (kissing fingertips)

so the question would be - "How can men in skirts dress to look HOT?" Get the idea?

Well, if you're looking to please ME, sugar, I'd say you could lighten the color of your tights a tad. I wouldn't have them darker than the rest of your outfit.

Other than that, you looked pretty darned hot, I'd say!

ChristopherJ · Post by **ChristopherJ** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:56 pm

Well, if you're looking to please ME, sugar, I'd say you could lighten the color of your tights a tad. I wouldn't have them darker than the rest of your outfit.

Hmmmmm . . . . bugger. I had just decided to go all out for black tights and leggings this winter. Although I may rethink that slightly now.
May I ask - why do you suggest this? Is this another rule that I don't know about? Do women generally keep their tights a shade lighter than their outfit?

That leads me to a point I wanted to make. I am a bit fed up with this thread as it seems I have not made myself clear. I began the thread to hopefully get some FASHION suggestions on how men can/should dress in order to look sexy/hot etc. But it seems that many people have got caught up with the word 'sexy'. Please ignore it.

As an example of how women can dress to look HOT - I give you . . . . patterned tights. Now, I wear plain tights and leggings a lot and am perfectly comfortable with that - but I haven't worn patterned ones yet - although I will try some out (I have bought one amazing pair!). See here:
http://tinyurl.com/2fh39j
I think they will be great with boots.

Anyhow - that's the sort of thing I meant. Women can emphasize parts of their body - like the legs - by wearing certain fashions. I think men can do the same. Why not? But we just need to figure out what looks good and what doesn't.

Other than that, you looked pretty darned hot, I'd say!

Shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone - or else they'll all want one!

BrotherTailor · Post by **BrotherTailor** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:33 am

Well, my legs look terrible... so I want to hide them, and never wore shorts all my life because of it. I don't mind a skirt to the knee and then socks up to the top of the calf...pretty well disguises most of the leg only leaving 6 inches of skin to gross out the world.

Some days I just want to bury myself in oceans of petticoats, floor length skirt and a shirt and vest with a big flowery hat...or a parasol, and go shopping like that...

My kind of girl

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