skirtcafe.org

I recently sent e-mails to as many of the UK's menswear shops as I could get contact details for, explaining the rising trend of men's skirts and kilts, and asking if they sold or would consider selling skirts for men. I tried to get a mix of different sorts of shops, not just chains. Here are the responses I have got so far. I will edit this post and add more as they come in.

Marks & Spencer: "Thanks for contacting us about this up and coming trend. Unfortunately we do not currently sell skirts for men."
John Lewis:" No plans to introduce men's skirts as yet."
Urban Outfitters: "Thank you for your recent e-mail regarding the current up and coming trend of men wearing skirts and kilts. We do not at present have any intentions to market either product."
Stuarts Of London: "No I cannot say that is something we have considered stocking online with current designs or instore. However as a retailer of fine heritage clothing, it's something we may consider in the future if a trend was formulating and we felt that we would miss out on valuable sales. Never say never. Stuarts only stocks designs labels after extensive research, in quality, cloth , production. Kilts is something of an area where we would need to research and understand the different tartan checks and their history if we were ever going down that route."
Burton:"Unfortunately we are unable to help with this enquiry, as we do not offer skirts for men."
Gelding Menswear: "Certainly not!"
Matalan: "I am not aware of any plans for Matalan to sell skirts for men. However I will pass on your comments to our buyers in Men's Wear for their consideration."
TM Lewin: "We do not have any plans at present to sell skirts or kilts as alternatives to trousers. However it is not something we will rule out altogether. But to answer your question we are not looking to sell these items in the near future."
Badger Clothing: "Skirts would be a little too directional for our store, but it's a nice idea!"
Bennetton: "Our collections are always following the major trends of worldwide fashion, but at the moment we have no skirts or kilts in our men collections."
Next:"There are no plans to offer men's skirts."

Gap, Primark, Debenhams and House of Fraser sent me computer generated answers with nothing to do with anything.

I wonder how many e-mails or other forms of contact they'd have to get before they considered it?
This may also give us an idea of which small-minded companies (the ones that laugh at the idea!) to boycott.

Well I have just come home from a Lidl store where they had a good stock of kilts for men

Different_Trains wrote:I recently sent e-mails to as many of the UK's menswear shops as I could get contact details for, explaining the rising trend of men's skirts and kilts, and asking if they sold or would consider selling skirts for men. I tried to get a mix of different sorts of shops, not just chains. Here are the responses I have got so far.

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Gelding Menswear: "Certainly not!"

"GELDING MENSWEAR"?!?

ummm... does this name inspire me to pursue their products?

nope
unh-uh
no way

my skirts have NEVER tried to geld me

Responding on the same line of shops.

Gelding Menswear: "Certainly not!"

I believe them, doesn't "gelding" infer a male with no testicles or penis? Well, does that mean Gelding Menswear has no balls???

I was not aware that Gelding had any meaning whatsoever, but suffice to say they have done themselves no favours here.

My experiment seems to have worked at least in that it exposes the closed-minded shops, even if none of them actually sell them yet!

Added a few more.

Different_Trains wrote:I was not aware that Gelding had any meaning whatsoever, but suffice to say they have done themselves no favours here.

Yes, it's the term for a castrated horse. Stallions -- unaltered male horses -- can be temperamental and aggressive; neutering them makes them docile and easily-managed -- sort of like the vast trousered herd of male humans, I'd surmise. It may be a US English term; somebody in the UK can either confirm or refute that.

My experiment seems to have worked at least in that it exposes the closed-minded shops, even if none of them actually sell them yet!

Yes, and I especially liked the response you got from Stuarts of London; it's nice to see a thoughtful response which obviously originated with a human being!

The attitude of Gelding? Typical, and entirely apropo. {snicker}

The term is used in the UK too.

nicothoe wrote:The term is used in the UK too.

It certainly is.

Matalan wrote:"I am not aware of any plans for Matalan to sell skirts for men. However I will pass on your comments to our buyers in Men's Wear for their consideration."

Perhaps I ought to write to them and tell them about the two skirts I bought there and regularly wear out and about... Sadly the other couple of designs I've wanted from there have not been available in a size that fits me; their sizes do seem to be rather variable in fit.

Have fun,


Ian.

http://horses.about.com/od/glossaryofho ... elding.htm

About.com has this definition of a Gelded Horse or any male animal that is endowed with similar male plumbing.

Definition: A gelding is a castrated male horse. Unless a horse is to be used for breeding purposes they should be castrated. This can make them more even tempered. A stallion who is gelded later in life will retain more stallion-like behaviors.
Pronunciation: g e l d (short e) (hard g)
Also Known As: castrated



Main Entry: geld·ing
Pronunciation: \ˈgel-diŋ\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse geldingr, from gelda
Date: 14th century
1 : a castrated animal; specifically : a castrated male horse
2 archaic : A human who has been gelded is known as a eunuch.

The ancient Egyptians gelded slaves to safely guard the wives of Pharoahs. They were then known as Eunuchs and held sometimes high positions in the Egyptian heirarchy.

A rather ODD name for a MEN's Shop.

Interesting. I guess my lack of knowledge of the term stems from my lack of interest in horse riding, but then what do you expect from a skirt wearer?

Stallions -- unaltered male horses -- can be temperamental and aggressive; neutering them makes them docile and easily-managed

It seems about 15 or so years ago a woman in South America named Lorena Bobbit was soo unhappy with her husband Mr. Bobbit, she changed him whilst he slept from a Stallion into a very docile and easily managed husband.

I can hear her now, "Hmmmm Bobbit...once I bob it, he really will live up to his name."

Since1982 wrote:It seems about 15 or so years ago a woman in South America named Lorena Bobbit was soo unhappy with her husband Mr. Bobbit, she changed him whilst he slept from a Stallion into a very docile and easily managed husband.

I can hear her now, "Hmmmm Bobbit...once I bob it, he really will live up to his name."

That wasn't in South America, that was right here at home in the US of A -- specifically in Manassass Virginia!

The kicker was Mr. Bobbit's first and middle names.... Wait for it.... John. Wayne. Bobbit. One cannot make this stuff up!

All the sordid details are available on Wikipedia.

Thanks for that information. (personally, I have no idea what I'll use it for) The John Wayne part is a gas. I had heard that but had forgotten it, I didn't remember the location correctly tho, like you did. Would that be the SECOND Manassas massacre? Seems there was quite a massacre in Manassas during the Civil War too. Mass massacres in Manassas. Urp..belch..hiccup..

Since1982 wrote:Thanks for that information. (personally, I have no idea what I'll use it for) The John Wayne part is a gas. I had heard that but had forgotten it, I didn't remember the location correctly tho, like you did. Would that be the SECOND Manassas massacre? Seems there was quite a massacre in Manassas during the Civil War too. Mass massacres in Manassas. Urp..belch..hiccup..

And now for more information you won't use.

I suppose it would be the third.
There were two American Civil War battles at Manassas, VA. Two very bloody affairs.
You may have heard them referred to as the First and Second Battles of Bull Run. The North used the name Bull Run, after the geographic feature, the South called them the battles of Manassas, after the town.
The winners get to write the history books, hence the more usual designation as Bull Run.

Kris

And now for more information you won't use.

After some 139 years, Lt. Johnston was returned home to be buried with his wife and children in Bosque Bello Cemetery, Fernandina Beach, Florida. Johnston died in a POW camp in Massachusetts on October 13, 1863. He had been the engineering officer aboard the CSS Atlanta and was captured with the rest of her crew on June 3, 1863, when she ran aground in a Naval battle near Savannah, Georgia.


Skirted Naval Uniform Coat from the Civil War in Honor Guard escorting fallen hero's body home after 139 years in a Massachusetts grave. Only his uniform identified Lieutenant Johnston.