What it takes to be a man in a skirt

[Barleymower]

This group is about (tell me if I'm wrong) wearing skirts and dresses without being labelled. Men here want to wear skirts in the same way women wear trousers. Men here want all men in all walks of life going about their daily business in skirts of their own choice.
It seems like there are men here who have other agenda around their own struggles that they want included. I fully support anyone's personal choices and I'm very keen to discuss and support others in their needs but those needs are not what the group is focused on.

I think you stated it pretty well. One adjustment - but I'm guessing this was your intent - "Men here want all men in all walks of life going about their daily business in skirts of their own choice if they so choose.". I think we are about expanding choice - not restricting or setting standards.

absolutely! Maybe secretly I'd be overjoyed if I HAD to wear a skirt.
But on second thoughts what if I wanted to wear trousers?

[crfriend]

absolutely! Maybe secretly I'd be overjoyed if I HAD to wear a skirt.
But on second thoughts what if I wanted to wear trousers?

Coder beat me to it, but I was going to say essentially the same thing he did. We do not necessarily advocate for all men to wear skirts, what we attempt to get across is that men (1) have the option, and (2) for them to understand that they have that option and are free to exercise it. Coercing all men into skirts would be precisely as bad as coercing all men into trousers (which is what's the norm today).

[Barleymower]

absolutely! Maybe secretly I'd be overjoyed if I HAD to wear a skirt.
But on second thoughts what if I wanted to wear trousers?

Coder beat me to it, but I was going to say essentially the same thing he did. We do not necessarily advocate for all men to wear skirts, what we attempt to get across is that men (1) have the option, and (2) for them to understand that they have that option and are free to exercise it. Coercing all men into skirts would be precisely as bad as coercing all men into trousers (which is what's the norm today).

Always read the preview before posting and always copy the text before preview - the cafe has a nasty habit of deleting it.

I agree. I would never enforce skirt wearing. I wanted to say that the forum is a mecca for all skirt / dress wearing men, some of them do seem to have some issues. I do to and I wish I didn't but I do. I really don't mind discussing problems with people, I welcome it. If it goes to far I think some discussions could find their way to another group.
It's too easy to drop MIS into a LGBTQIA+. That way the notion of normalising skirts can brushed aside as a minorities problem that society can tolerate rather than accepting the truth.

[mishawakaskirt]

absolutely! Maybe secretly I'd be overjoyed if I HAD to wear a skirt.
But on second thoughts what if I wanted to wear trousers?

Coder beat me to it, but I was going to say essentially the same thing he did. We do not necessarily advocate for all men to wear skirts, what we attempt to get across is that men (1) have the option, and (2) for them to understand that they have that option and are free to exercise it. Coercing all men into skirts would be precisely as bad as coercing all men into trousers (which is what's the norm today).

It's all about options. Why do men have less options?
If someone waived a magic wand and tomorrow I could get up and freely wear anything.
My closet wouldn't change much.
I would keep all of the trousers, jeans, shorts, kilts And skirt s I own. Some days would be shorts days, sometimes trousers days, most would be skirt days because that is what I prefer to wear. Choice.

Alot of talking earlier about joining the gender non-conforming camp.

Is why do men have to rename ourselves?

Women don't. I don't know a single gender non conforming woman. I don't think I ve never met one.

Recently I saw two women at a restaurant eating.

Both had short hair, drab unisex t shirts, one had a tattoo on her leg, nothing remarkable or female or masculine about it.

Both had on shorts one was in denim the others was like a olive green color
Sneakers.
Most every thing they had on any man in the room could have worn. It all boiled down to the tags on the clothes that might clue you in to what department they came from.

My view of the one was from the side and behind, so I never did get to see her face. Finally I realized I could see bra straps. until that moment I still wasn't totally sure.

All of that said, they were women as far as everyone in that restaurant was concerned. No one saying look at the gender non conforming women. They were there just enjoying dinner and completely invisible to everyone else.

Well except for me. In that I seem to notice women in fashion extremes, very masculine or very feminine

I wonder what kind of attention, and thoughts I would have gotten if I walked in, in a skirt? It's not so black and white.
I'm every thing but just a male in a skirt

[phathack]

...
All of that said, they were women as far as everyone in that restaurant was concerned. No one saying look at the gender non conforming women. They were there just enjoying dinner and completely invisible to everyone else.

Well except for me. In that I seem to notice women in fashion extremes, very masculine or very feminine

I wonder what kind of attention, and thoughts I would have gotten if I walked in, in a skirt? It's not so black and white.
I'm every thing but just a male in a skirt

I would hope you walking in searing a skirt would attract no more attention than the women wearing shorts did.

[Coder]

...
All of that said, they were women as far as everyone in that restaurant was concerned. No one saying look at the gender non conforming women. They were there just enjoying dinner and completely invisible to everyone else.

Well except for me. In that I seem to notice women in fashion extremes, very masculine or very feminine

I wonder what kind of attention, and thoughts I would have gotten if I walked in, in a skirt? It's not so black and white.
I'm every thing but just a male in a skirt

I would hope you walking in searing a skirt would attract no more attention than the women wearing shorts did.

I wouldn't say I'm an expert on these things, but just from observing others observing me (or rather, not observing me)... unless it was a really obvious skirt (floor length, bright green or rainbow tiered affair) I kind of doubt many would take notice. And if they did, I doubt they'd have said or made an obvious comment. Unless you live in the southern US (going by moon's comments and experiences).

[Barleymower]

...
All of that said, they were women as far as everyone in that restaurant was concerned. No one saying look at the gender non conforming women. They were there just enjoying dinner and completely invisible to everyone else.

Well except for me. In that I seem to notice women in fashion extremes, very masculine or very feminine

I wonder what kind of attention, and thoughts I would have gotten if I walked in, in a skirt? It's not so black and white.
I'm every thing but just a male in a skirt

I would hope you walking in searing a skirt would attract no more attention than the women wearing shorts did.

I wouldn't say I'm an expert on these things, but just from observing others observing me (or rather, not observing me)... unless it was a really obvious skirt (floor length, bright green or rainbow tiered affair) I kind of doubt many would take notice. And if they did, I doubt they'd have said or made an obvious comment. Unless you live in the southern US (going by moon's comments and experiences).

Can you say that you haven't wanted the more extravagant pieces? I can see a world when it's fine for men to wear a skirt but in order for it to be 'manly' it will need to be bland. The utilikilt is an example.

[Coder]

I wouldn't say I'm an expert on these things, but just from observing others observing me (or rather, not observing me)... unless it was a really obvious skirt (floor length, bright green or rainbow tiered affair) I kind of doubt many would take notice. And if they did, I doubt they'd have said or made an obvious comment. Unless you live in the southern US (going by moon's comments and experiences).

Can you say that you haven't wanted the more extravagant pieces? I can see a world when it's fine for men to wear a skirt but in order for it to be 'manly' it will need to be bland. The utilikilt is an example.

Oh there are more colorful and extravagant skirts I would like to wear, but at the same token I also like the drab colored skirts I’ve been wearing as well. I think if men were wearing “bland utilikilts” with greater frequency, the jump to wearing “crazier” skirt styles would be less frightening for many of us.

Frankly though I don’t think this JUST applies to men. I get the sense from trawling other fashion discussions, that women too would like to wear funkier clothes, but restrict themselves due to perceived social pressure. So in some sense, “be yourself” is a universal message.

[Fred in Skirts]

I wouldn't say I'm an expert on these things, but just from observing others observing me (or rather, not observing me)... unless it was a really obvious skirt (floor length, bright green or rainbow tiered affair) I kind of doubt many would take notice. And if they did, I doubt they'd have said or made an obvious comment. Unless you live in the southern US (going by moon's comments and experiences).

Coder I live in the heart of the Bible Belt in South Carolina and Georgia. I have not had in 10 or more years any bad comments on my skirt wearing. Moon lives in the heart of Appalachia where the time is still in the 1920's as far as people go. If you have ever seen the Beverly Hillbillies on TV you have seen Granny who represents just how backwards these people are. They still believe in the "Evil Eye" and spells to hex you.
I have been wearing a skirt full time and have worn them in Georgia, Florida and all over most of the Southeast US and not had any problems.

Fred

Edited once to fix typo.

[e2k2houck]

All good points. I agree that it will be us normal males wearing skirts. I have been wearing skirts for about 3 years, and for the last 2 years they are all I wear except when riding my motorcycles. Having acters or sports figures will help but it is us that will make the biggest difference. I enjoy wearing my skirts and I won't stop no matter what people think.

[Modoc]

This was originally posted in Coder's "Pics and Looks" thread, but I think it may deserve a slightly wider audience who may not understand the new phenomenon of Men In Skirts:

I think the main reason for [most folks not understanding things] is that what we're doing as Men In Skirts correlates to no known social model and therefore the observer has nothing familiar to latch onto and is thus forced to (incorrectly) classify us as something we're not. Face it, skirts/dresses in the "traditional" model are classified as "feminine" because as far as most are aware always have been. In the pop-sci world of trans-* the clothes become a signifier (or a flag) of what one is trying to become or be. In either of those cases we're pushing boundaries because there is no model for us (we're wildcards), thus we get dropped into the homosexual or trans-* boxes (the latter likely to be wrong, and the former flat wrong). In short, "observer bias".

No one likes to have to continually "prove one's self", but in this case where there is no well-understood "box" into which we can be placed, we are forced to "do it the hard way" quite often. That takes significant effort, it takes guts, it takes stamina, and it requires a very thick skin. Not everybody has that mettle in him. And it's going to be the "little guys" who are going to win this thing -- if it can be won, that is -- not the attention-grabbing "celeb", the wise-guy jock, or the rather insane fashion designer. In short, it'll be guys like us. The gauntlet has been thrown. Can we rise to the challenge?

Hear here ^ I don't usually play the role of a cheerleader but when someone says exactly what you wish to say and ten times better than you could say it then all that is left to do is say

[JeffB1959]

“Gender Outlaw”, I like that. I also call myself a “Fashion Freestyler” since, as most folks here know, I go beyond, far beyond just skirts as I wear dresses, heels, jewelry and carry a purse when out and about. But yeah, you have to exhibit a level of boldness, confidence and self assuredness when you’re a man wearing women’s clothing in public. Each and every time I go out, I consider that a challenge, one I enjoy.

[Uncle Al]

Question: What it takes to be a man in a skirt
Short answer: An open mind and the balls to get out there and do it



Uncle Al

[denimini]

What it takes to be a man in a skirt?
I have found that it does not take a lot, just a healthy disregard for what people might think.
It is in your own mind, conjuring what others might think. You will never know what people really think, even if they tell you, no matter what you wear or do. Most probably don't think anything about you, going about their own lives and those without their own lives probably don't think at all.

[FLMike]

What it takes to be a man in a skirt?
I have found that it does not take a lot, just a healthy disregard for what people might think.
It is in you own mind, conjuring what others might think. You will never know what people really think, even if they tell you, no matter what you wear or do. Most probably don't think anything about you, going about their own lives and those without their own lives probably don't think at all.

+1