skirtcafe.org

Here's a tidbit from Scientific American about how the mind perceives walking stick figures differently by perceived gender. http://www.sciam.com/podcast/episode.cf ... 0EB0BCAFC3 I'd be interested to know how non-traditional clothing affects this perception or if the body's stance is an overriding factor. You can play with the stick figures yourself at the BioMotion Lab's site. http://www.biomotionlab.ca/Demos/BMLwalker.html

Movement conveys gender through biomechanics and the result of the geometry of the pelvis. Women generally have broader pelvises than most men. Hence the angle from the hip to the foot is wider for women, giving women (again a general statement) that "feminine swing" to their stride.

Interesting demonstration.

There is much possible by the way any person feels irregardless of his build or sex. That is why I think that skirt wearing by men will or SHOULD not present any problems in misreading who people have before them, at least while in movement.

Just like very gay men can be overly "dainty" and bounce about, anybody in a depression will walk like a Sloth, or elephant. Very much can also be read from the face, the "aura" you have, all that combined with the build of the person will give a certain message, which contains not only the suggestion about which sex somebody may have, but WHO they are, that WHO is totally independant of being a man or woman.

That is why I think that when people look at WHO they have before them, it doesn't matter what those people are wearing.

I didn't see any difference in male or female walking towards or away from. I did see an obvious difference in the way they walked but that's due to as stated above the biomechanics of the skeleton. Women carry more weight in their hips and use that as a lower centre of gravity and swing from there, whereas men have smaller hips and carry most of their weight around their shoulders which makes them walk more like a metronome.

Bri wrote:........whereas men have smaller hips and carry most of their weight
around their shoulders which makes them walk more like a metronome.

I guess I don't fit either catagory. I carry my weight in my 'spare tire'.
It started out as a spare for a mini-car. Now, it has grown up to
become a spare for a MACK truck

Uncle Al
Duncanville, TX