Out and About -- In the World at Large

[greenboots]

So, my thinking is your nurse was trying to "protect your male sensitivities"!

Given what they were planning to do, my "male sensitivities" were the least of my worries

Edited for typos

[greenboots]

Wednesday we set of for Granton for my wife's computer training. Having chatted with the tutor for a while, I set off on my preparation walk (not really training!) for the KiltWalk this coming Sunday. I was wearing a t-shirt for an African support charity, initially with a sweater over the top until it got too warm, and the ubiquitous black Tartinista kilt. I took a walk along the shore, round by the old fishmarket and along to the Western Harbour and back. Very enjoyable, and no comments. Then it was home to make final preparations for my parents arrival. They have reached the point of no comments on the kilt, but not sure what would happen if I appeared in a skirt. Not going to try that as I think MOH would freak out.

Edited for typos

[greenboots]

Forgot to say that on Tuesday we started tidying and cleaning the house in preparation for my parents' visit starting Wednesday. because we were expecting a visitor to drop something off (it didn't happen), I eased MOH's anxiety by wearing trousers. However, when we showered and changed for a guest for dinner, I donned my kilt. His only question was, "is there a special occasion or are you wearing a kilt because it's comfortable." I replied as you would expect, "because it is comfortable". The evening then progressed without further comment, as you would expect.

[greenboots]

Thursday morning I set out early for North Berwick along the John Muir Way. (Another “training walk”) Met quite a few dog walkers and the occasional long distance walker. As usual, uneventful apart from one positive comment.

Family met me in NB and we retired to the fish and chip restaurant to escape the biting wind off the North Sea! Took a long hot bath when I came in and donned trousers for warmth (not willing to risk wrath for wearing my snuggly knitted maxi skirt)

[hillaryskirt]

I decided to go to next this evening to try on a couple of dresses. I’ve yet to find a dress I like, and the best way is to try them on in store. So, there was the conundrum of what to wear, but I was in the mood to be skirted and I pulled out my beautiful Monsoon chocolate brown suede skirt that has a slight fishtail to wear. It’s quite long, probably about 30 inches, but it’s fully lined and feels gorgeous on. Surprisingly, I bought this skirt a couple of years ago and never have had the occasion to wear it. I paired it with a check shirt and a pair of “Lita” platform boots with 6 inch heels. I am quite short, so I like my heels to be very high.

Anyway, got to next and had a good browse, but what was nice was how relaxed I felt in the women’s section because I was skirted. I found a couple of dresses to try on and what was nice was that one of the sales staff smiled and said hi, even better as it was a guy! Tried on the dresses, one was ok, the other fitted me like a tent. Neither wowed me so I didn’t buy either. However, it was a nice experience wearing my suede skirt, I felt gorgeous in it and there was a nice little breeze when I left the shop. Oh, how I love skirts!

What a lovely experience. The lined longer skirt sounds amazing *love lined skirts*!
Also I really like going into a shop or outlet for that one on one experience with staff. Most are very understanding and totally get guys who skirt, offering fit ideas and occasion-wearing tips.

[Pleats]

Today will be a rather warm day with the high around 90F (32C). I had a few errands to run that included getting lunch. Wore a black, front button down, mini which was around 6" above the knee. A yellow short sleeve shirt and my 10" Harley boots. There are no pocket so I had on a wide 2" belt with a pouch attached on the left. The pouch reminds me of calculator pouches from the 80's. My wallet goes in there. On the other side I have a cloth holder for my smart(?) phone and a holder for my keys.

Except for for the lunch location, all the other businesses had customers that were mostly older retired folks. I had to stand in line at two places so those near me had the opportunity to see the skirt at more than a glancing pass. No comments or odd looks. I am not sure that anyone even noticed.

I was very comfortable in the skirt

[maninafrock]

I had to stand in line at two places so those near me had the opportunity to see the skirt at more than a glancing pass. No comments or odd looks. I am not sure that anyone even noticed.

Similar to my experiences out and about. Am out shopping almost every day and always "dressed". Nothing too gaudy or feminine but usually something 6 inches above knee and black tights. And no one seems to notice or care - just how it should be.

[Dust]

I got an invite to go hiking over the weekend. Group of about 10 showed up, only three of which I knew prior. Two had seen be kilted before for sure, don't know about the third, hadn't seen her in years.

Anyway, I showed up in an old Mountain Hardware kilt, the one with pleats in the back, marketed to men. The only comment I got on it was from a woman I'd never met before who asked where I got it. She was trying to rebuild her wardrobe, and wanted to get something similar. I told her the brand and that they don't make that model anymore, but probably have other skirts for hiking and such designed for women.

[Offkilter69]

Anyway, I showed up in an old Mountain Hardware kilt, the one with pleats in the back, marketed to men. The only comment I got on it was from a woman I'd never met before who asked where I got it. She was trying to rebuild her wardrobe, and wanted to get something similar. I told her the brand and that they don't make that model anymore, but probably have other skirts for hiking and such designed for women.

I have three MH kilts which I prefer for casual at home wear because they are very skirt-like in their weight and feel. Sport Kilt recently introduced an alternative hiking kilt that is a direct ripoff of the MH kilt. Unfortunately it’s only available thus far in olive green, which I don’t find appealing. MH kilts definitely seem to have a following along with 5-11 tactical kilts.

[jamie001]

OK!! Lets take the word "MANBAG" and toss it back into the sea and let it sink to the bottom. There are no such things as manbags!! There are shoulder bags, purses, clutches and hand bags.
The word manbag was coined to assuage some peoples idea of a purse or shoulder bag that a man could carry. BUT they were the same bags that women carry, no different.

So lets get rid of that word in our lexicon.

Please do not call it a "man-bag"! When I hear this it causes my blood to boil. When a woman uses a masculine backpack, does she call it a "woman pack"?
The proper term for the item is a purse or a bag. Another ridiculous term is "man-bun". It is just a hair bun that women have been wearing for years. There is no need to call it anything other than a hair bun. These are some of the issues that are keeping skirts for men from ever going mainstream. The issue is the fear of anything feminine. What not just accept that you like wearing something that is feminine and be fine with it. That is what women do in regards to masculine items. This is part of the problem in society that results in misogyny and other issues that does not let men's fashion progress.

[STEVIE]

What not just accept that you like wearing something that is feminine and be fine with it. That is what women do in regards to masculine items. This is part of the problem in society that results in misogyny and other issues that does not let men's fashion progress.

Easier still just wear the damn clothes with no labels and anyone else's opinion is irrelevant.
I will be out shortly in a skirt and later, a dress for going into town.
Not a man or woman anything just some plain old clothes.
Well actually, the dress is new as is the hat but the bag is vintage RAF surplus.
That is truly unisex as WAAFs and Airmen used them in common.
Steve,

[K_Highlander]

This weekend I attended my high school senior class 50th reunion (two years late due to COVID).
I wore skirts to all three events.
Friday night social gathering at the hotel bar: khaki skirt with green polo shirt (60 people present)
Saturday tour of the high school. It had been significantly remodeled ten years ago: denim skirt, blue polo shirt (20 people present)
Saturday evening hotel ballroom. (over a hundred people present) Suggested dress: "Cocktail dressy, not formal or stuffy". This was harder to decide what to wear.
Originally I was going to wear a faux leather skirt and black polo shirt, but no pockets and I did not want to deal with a purse. Which I would have needed to avoid juggling my wallet, iPhone, plate and a drink. (I anticipated that I would be standing for hours.) So I ended up wearing a black skirt (same model as the one I wore Friday), long sleeve black polo, black compression socks (almost to my knees) and black shoes. ("call me Johnny Cash")

Keep in mind that I lost touch with all my classmates when I left high school and went to college. And I was definitely not part of the "in crowd". So this was the first time they had seen me in a long time (and none of us resembled our year book pictures that were printed on our name tags), and obviously the first time they saw me in a skirt, and maybe the first time they saw any man in a skirt!

No negative reactions (that I saw), some casual glimpses that could have been "what's he wearing?".
Conversations with many folks, no mention of skirts, they might not even have noticed.

Several conversations that started "tell us about that kilt", mostly women asked. I explained not a kilt, its a skirt. I usually followed with I wear them all the time, go everywhere: grocery store, big box stores, restaurants with my wife (who has not yet has full acceptance, just tolerates). Started wearing for hiking and then decided all the time for comfort ( "I hate pants and shorts")

In the end a great experience, no butterfly's in my stomach in anticipation.
I expect this will be my last reunion, I plan to be around in 8 years when the next probable reunion will occur (assuming they get back on schedule), but I just don't think I will be interested, but who knows??

Ken
PS
Heard that there have been some positive COVID tests after the events (not surprised as there were very few masks).
I just tested myself and negative so far, I plan to test daily for a while.

[Charlie]

The wife and I spent the weekend contra dancing at Halsway Manor in the UK. I wore skirts all the time of course, with nice colourful swirly ones for the evening dances when everyone dresses up a bit.
There was a young guy there (early 20s) who was a bit shy to start with. He surprised us all by turning up to the Saturday night dance in a very nice ankle-length silver coloured skirt.
I don't know the back story to the skirt; he'd brought it with him, I suppose to try dancing in a skirt.
The wife reckons he may have been encouraged to wear it after seeing me in a skirt since we arrived. I didn't say anything to him about the skirt, but just smiled encouragement and took him at face value. The women were more interested in the material the skirt was made of.
Anyway, I hope he went away from the weekend with a big boost to his confidence, like I had when I'd first wore a skirt in public.
Charlie

[moonshadow]

Another vacation done and dusted... the vacation of June 2022 had us at Gatewood Park and Campground in Pulaski County Virginia....

No pants were worn on any day. We have become somewhat "regulars" at the campground, having made frequent visits over the last few years. The hosts now know us by our first name and often chat with us. We even made a few "camp friends" during our visit.

Friday my sister, her husband and I took our kayaks down to the New River for a six hour float complete with a few mild rapids to add a hint of excitement and challenge, but nothing too extreme for a novice like myself...

Saturday, my sister, her husband, my mother and myself went kayaking around the Gatewood reservoir, even finding a little swimming hole up the creek past the reservoir. All four of us jumped in, though only myself, my sister, and my mother went under the water all the way. This was my mom's first kayaking trip and I believe she enjoyed herself. So often vexed over why I wore such a long skirt (it was the midi length Macabi) to kayak and swim in... I told her "I do it all the time... the skirt dries fast and is actually pretty comfortable for swimming...".

She had to have a little help over the rocks in the stream... she reached out for my hand as I led her down into the swimming hole and she joked that it looked like she was about to be baptized. I chucked and joked back "well, this is something similar to what John the Baptist might have worn" to which she responded "true that".

We also celebrated Rufus's birthday on Tuesday.

Wednesday Jenn and I took a ride around the neighboring counties, into Pearisburg Virginia, where we purchased a few novelties and had a delicous lunch at a small hole in the wall pizza / sub parlor. As we had Rufus with us, we took it to go and ate in the car. We stopped at an Amish shop in Bland County, and crossed back over Little Walker Mountain into Pulaski again, returning to our campsite....

I also cooked a pot roast over an open fire pit on Monday... that was interesting, but it came out pretty good! It was slow cooked all day, but unlike setting it in a crock pot and letting it do it's thing unattended, I found that the fire had to be constantly maintained all day long... flames not too bit, nor do we want it to burn out either... it had to be maintained "just so". Campers from all around passed by and remarked how nice it smelled from all around!

Skirt photos on second post (forthcoming...)..

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[moonshadow]

Additional photos:

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