skirtcafe.org

Here's some instructions for converting a pair of jeans into a skirt. Hope this hasn't been posted already.

http://sewing.about.com/b/2009/05/19/co ... kirt-2.htm

Clay

Yes this is very easy way to get skirt that fits you good. I've done this in the past and it is easy.

And welcome to the forum Clay!

These are the only kind of skirts I wear currently. They fit perfect, they look manly, and they cost nothing. Also since they are converted from men's pants, that makes them a men's skirt. Another plus is the pockets and zipper fly. I'm currently working on an idea to make a skirt that I can ride on my motorcycle with. I'm going to sew the left over bottom of the pant legs into the inside of the skirt(not like shorts though, more like short chaps) That way the wind cannot blow the skirt up and still retain the freedom in the crotch area.

Today, I cut off the lower part of rain trousers to turn them into gaiters. When I saw this thread, I decided to convert these rain shorts into a skirt. I already opened the leg seams and the crotch, looks very promising. There is only a small part to be sewn on the front and back. I tried the skirt with the front to the side and it almost looks done this way . Well a bit of sewing and I am done.

So far it looks like this:
Yes, I will take it sides-to-front/back. Unfortunately, these trousers have different front and back, therefore, it will be a bit tricky. But after a bit of thinking, I found out, how to get a perfectly symmetrical shape: I need to put the side seams (ex-front/back seams) together to match both sides and I need to flatten the skirt along the side seams in order to match front and back. It will also show me, how much more I have to open the side seams. My head starts smoking at the moment - my first real sewing project... But I'll have it done, by myself .

By the way, what do you think about the asymmetrical shape on the images? I kind of like it. It is another "men don't do that" except for pockets, button lines and non-western wrap dresses.

Heavymetalbiker wrote:These are the only kind of skirts I wear currently. They fit perfect, they look manly, and they cost nothing. Also since they are converted from men's pants, that makes them a men's skirt. Another plus is the pockets and zipper fly. I'm currently working on an idea to make a skirt that I can ride on my motorcycle with. I'm going to sew the left over bottom of the pant legs into the inside of the skirt(not like shorts though, more like short chaps) That way the wind cannot blow the skirt up and still retain the freedom in the crotch area.

Heavymetalbiker;

I am a new member so I just saw this post. There is a simple solution....sew snaps on the inside of the front and back of the skirt. When you get on your bike, just snap them together. This works for me when I cycle around my neighborhood.

Hi Spyderwave,

Nice to see a post from you; an introduction in the area set aside for that purpose would help us all to know you a little better.

Can we assume that you are the same person who recently posted as spyderwave to the Yahoo menskirts group to explain that he was intending to set up an ecommerce site for mens skirts? If so you'll find that there are plenty of experienced men who wear skirts here but that the level of discourse and thoughtfulness displayed here is often higher than in the Yahoo! group.

Have fun,


Ian.

spyderwave wrote:
Heavymetalbiker;

I am a new member so I just saw this post. There is a simple solution....sew snaps on the inside of the front and back of the skirt. When you get on your bike, just snap them together. This works for me when I cycle around my neighborhood.

I want to be able to wear a skirt whilst cycling, mainly to and from my allotment. When I drive there I normally wear a skirt or kilt, but its not far and I seldom need to take a load of tools so being able to use the bike skirted would be ideal. I mentioned it to someone, who also came up with the same snap fastener suggestion. However when I looked into it I found that none of my current skirts have enough spare material to allow them to be fastened as suggested whilst still permitting sufficient leg movement for cycling. So I may need to start by making / buying a more suitable skirt.

John

johnb wrote:

spyderwave wrote:
Heavymetalbiker;

I am a new member so I just saw this post. There is a simple solution....sew snaps on the inside of the front and back of the skirt. When you get on your bike, just snap them together. This works for me when I cycle around my neighborhood.

I want to be able to wear a skirt whilst cycling, mainly to and from my allotment. When I drive there I normally wear a skirt or kilt, but its not far and I seldom need to take a load of tools so being able to use the bike skirted would be ideal. I mentioned it to someone, who also came up with the same snap fastener suggestion. However when I looked into it I found that none of my current skirts have enough spare material to allow them to be fastened as suggested whilst still permitting sufficient leg movement for cycling. So I may need to start by making / buying a more suitable skirt.

John

John,

For cycling, I've discovered that a knee-length A-line denim skirt works quite well. The front stays down, and the skirt provides the proper amount of airflow to keep the legs from getting sweaty.

Attached is a photo of the skirt I'm talking about...
The only addition usually is the helmet, and sometimes I wear hiking boots, instead of athletic shoes while on the bike. If it's cold out, I'll usually wear heavier kneesocks and add a sweatshirt or a parka. Still much better than cycling in a pair of shorts or pants.

-J

Kilted_John wrote:
John,

For cycling, I've discovered that a knee-length A-line denim skirt works quite well. The front stays down, and the skirt provides the proper amount of airflow to keep the legs from getting sweaty.

Attached is a photo of the skirt I'm talking about...

IMG_0038.JPG

The only addition usually is the helmet, and sometimes I wear hiking boots, instead of athletic shoes while on the bike. If it's cold out, I'll usually wear heavier kneesocks and add a sweatshirt or a parka. Still much better than cycling in a pair of shorts or pants.

-J

Thanks for that Kilted_John it looks like that is the way to go. I'll keep an eye open for something suitable in my size.

John

johnb wrote:I want to be able to wear a skirt whilst cycling, mainly to and from my allotment. When I drive there I normally wear a skirt or kilt, but its not far and I seldom need to take a load of tools so being able to use the bike skirted would be ideal. I mentioned it to someone, who also came up with the same snap fastener suggestion. However when I looked into it I found that none of my current skirts have enough spare material to allow them to be fastened as suggested whilst still permitting sufficient leg movement for cycling. So I may need to start by making / buying a more suitable skirt.

I have mentioned elsewhere that I have a Jdez Men's Ultralight Cargo Kilt/Short. I don't wear it very often because it is very light fabric and inclined to flyaway and is also translucent. However, it does have a snap fastener centre front and rear of the hem to "convert" it into shorts and so I have tried it for cycling. It has proved to be remarkably good in terms of freedom of movement; I put this down to the deep front and rear pleats. I am very tempted to have a skirt made up to the general design of the Jdez, but from a heavier material (not denim but something of comparable weight). If I do this I will probably use a button or a dufflecoat style toggle in place of the snap as I have occasionally found snaps a bit too easy to open

Have fun,


Ian.

Typo corrected - Ian.

It has been commented that denim skirts tend to be ignored - using blue denim as the heavier material might concievably make an unorthodox garment blend in.

Grok wrote:It has been commented that denim skirts tend to be ignored - using blue denim as the heavier material might concievably make an unorthodox garment blend in.

You are almost certainly right. However, I detest the feel of denim and hence for more than 15 years I have not owned a pair of jeans. I did buy a cheap denim skirt on ebay, but could only bring myself to wear it a couple of times before taking it to a charity shop. I'm sure it would work for others, but I'll find another fabric that serves me better.

Have fun,


Ian.

Milfmog wrote: I have mentioned elsewhere that I have a Jdez Men's Ultralight Cargo Kilt/Short. I don't wear it very often because it is very light fabric and inclined to flyaway and is also translucent. However, it does have a snap fastener centre front and rear of the hem to "convert" it into shorts and so I have tried it for cycling. It has proved to be remarkably good in terms of freedom of movement; I put this down to the deep front and rear pleats. I am very tempted to have a skirt made up to the general design of the Jdez, but from a heavier material (not denim but something of comparable weight). If I do this I will probably use a button or a dufflecoat style toggle in place of the snap as I have occasionally found snaps a bit too easy to open
Have fun,
Ian.
Typo corrected - Ian.

Viewed on the Jdez website the garment looked ideal, however the $88 price tag (whatever that converts to in £'s) plus postage, triggered a pause for thought, and then your comment that the material is light and flyaway, convinced me that I had better give it a miss.

John

I tried contacting Jdez as the mock cargo thing appeals to me. No response from them at all. I think they have ceased trading but I still hope I am wrong.

Big and Bashful wrote:I tried contacting Jdez as the mock cargo thing appeals to me. No response from them at all. I think they have ceased trading but I still hope I am wrong.

That web site is old. I don't think they in business. I am not sure why the web site is even up. I tried calling the phone number listed on the site. Not sure if it was the same number that is there now but I suspect it is the same. A lady answered the phone and told me the number had been reassigned to her. She gets calls for Jdez every now and then.