men in skirts: can you dig it?
Since the end of the Victorian era, men’s fashion has been pretty darn boring. The 20th century saw men coupling their upper-body wear with almost exclusively pants, shorts or other bifurcated items of lower-body wear, and that’s been it. Not a skirt in sight unless we count Scottish kilts, which, outside of Scotland, feature only at weddings and other such formal occasions, anyway. Maybe it was the industrial revolution forcing people into factories where overalls and other pant-based garments proved safest, or maybe it’s that societal values such as modesty and sobriety started taking precedence over Romantic era frivolity and pomp. Whatever the reason, most 20th and early 21st century men’s fashion was dull, drab and predictable. My question is, why?
Sure, there have been a few attempts to diversify the scene over the years – the unisex fashion movement of the ’60s saw women don pants; men wore floral shirts in the ’70s; and designer Jean Paul Gaultier has made numerous attempts to bring back male skirts in the past thirty-odd years (starting from his Spring ’84 ‘Et Dieu Créa l’Homme’ (‘And God Created Man’) collection) – but on the whole, nothing has really changed. Is it a question of gender normativity, lazy designers, or closed minds unwilling to accept new ideas?
Inevitably, how we dress and what we wear affects how we feel – as they say, clothes make the man (or the woman). But is something like a man wearing a skirt really so radical? After all, women have been wearing pants for decades, and though it took some time for it to become wholly socially accepted, jeans and trousers are now so much part of the average Western woman’s wardrobe that to imagine life without them would be difficult. The situation with men seems to be much more rigid.
Today, it almost seems that it’s not the men who wear the clothes; it’s the clothes that wear the men. Men are confined to pants and shorts, and if they branch out into skirts, dresses or even a very colourful vest, questions of homosexuality, transvestism or questionable manhood often arise. And while these reactions may seem unreasonable to forward-thinking Lip readers, the issue is not so simple.
Imagine, as Charlie Porter did in an article for The Guardian in 2002 , a man dressed in an above-the-knee skirt going to your local shops to get a carton of milk. Everything else is the same as it would otherwise be – he’s wearing a shirt and tie, or else a jumper and some trainers – but instead of pants or shorts, he’s wearing a skirt. As Charlie Porter put it, ‘[h]owever radical you think yourself, whatever open-minded stances you take on sexuality and nonconformism, you would more than likely laugh at him or, worse, feel ashamed.’
Personally, I don’t think that I would react that way – in fact, I have seen men in skirts before, and it was no big thing. Maybe my mind has been opened to the idea by designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and fashion blogs like The Sartorialist, or maybe I just don’t care how others dress, but it was totally fine. I would hope that people wouldn’t be so closed-minded as to feel shame for someone else for their choice of clothing, but, as we’ve seen, people are wont to shame others for their choices, even where these choices don’t affect those judging in the least – homophobia, anyone? Nevertheless, the issue remains – is the world ready for men in skirts again?
One possible test for whether the world is ready is whether heterosexual women would be happy with their boyfriends/partners/husbands wearing skirts in public. Personally, I don’t know how I would feel about it. Sure, I think that men’s fashion is boring – that it could do with some variation – and sure, I’m fine when men I don’t know wear skirts around me, but to be in a sexual relationship with a skirt-wearer? I don’t know if I’m there yet. He’d have to be extremely masculine in every other sense (whatever ‘extremely masculine’ means). And even then…
What do you think? Are we ready for men’s skirts again? Could you date a skirt-wearer? And what about accessories and footwear – could you go out with a man who wears necklaces, handbags or heels?
By Dunja Cvjeticanin
Great article, Dunja – I think that one of the reasons for the societal distaste around men’s skirts has to do with ideas of masculinity vs femininity – whilst it’s appropriate for women to wear traditionally men’s clothing, for men to wear women’s clothing is considered abnormal.
I think it’s somewhat linked to feminine traits and qualities remaining undervalued in society. To wear a skirt as a man is humiliating because it makes you ‘look like a woman’. Why should that be humiliating? Why do skirts have to remain feminized when pants have managed to become the norm?
What do you think?
i think you need to wake up and smell the coffee. i would love to do it. even high heels
Hi
I agree with you entirely! I am a man and I wear skirts. I love them. It took me ages to get the courage to do this. Skirts are awesome. Comfortable, stylish, so much choice. Why should men be prisoners to the fashion police? Sod the bigots and those so wrapped up in their tiny minds. The worst critics are the women. Say no more. Men just look puzzled. Quite normal. Go guys, experience something great. Air those balls and you’ll grow a pair.
http://www.facebook.com/mensskirts
Agreed Zoya- it’s sort of like how it’s socially acceptable to give a baby girl a male name, but not vice versa.
RE skirts, I would LOVE for that to become the norm, but I think we need baby steps… maybe start with normalising the coloured vests first! As open minded as I am, I know I would definitely (involuntarily!) think “hmmm” if I saw a man in a suit with a skirt, in 2013.
First of all, it’s the STATISTS who hold onto the past. Second, men shoul d not have had to wait decades for the coming fashion equality, because “justice delayed is justice denied” (Martin Luther King Jr. said this). Also, this is not the nineteenth century, when ideas took much longer to spread around due to slow transportation/communication . I have a great idea – why not start selling kilts, sarongs, caftans, and other masculine one – legged clothing, THEN go with the actual skirts – and finally dresses. To not favor ANY compromise is not only extreme, but blocks progress. Finally, to the women who will not date a man just because he’s wearing a skirt: don’t you think you’re being a bit shallow? Why not date a man because of who he is as a person? There’s much more to choosing a partner than what he or she wears.
I think we just need to dive in and have the courage to change fashion.
I wear skirts and Kilts full time and have done for several years now – there is a bit of a surprise sometimes – but I get accepted with no real problems.
I live in SE England.
I am proud to be a Man in a skirt
I fully agree Roger. I’m in Northern England and have done it for years with the support of my wife. You get a few initial looks but I too find it accepted with no real problems and we go all over both skirted.
Another Roger but from Australia. I easy admit I wear womens under and skirts with no problem. I wan’t bore any one with how curiosity got me to were I am today but I will state the facts. I’m a happily married man, kids and work in construction. I am not gay or girly or what I call a crossdresser. I have for years worn womens underwear because I discovered how comfortable they wore, yes I just a plain full brief kinda guy and enjoy the lightness of the material. I then one day got really sunburned and make a comment to the wife how mens shorts hurt when your legs are burn’t. She made a comment that she didn’t have that problem cause her skirt was light weight cotton. I told her she was so lucky and I wish I could have clothes that were like that and she said go get my other one and see. I don’t really think about sterotypes and decided to try it. No more huring legs, my male parts seemed to be in heaven but maybe that was due to the whole “wow I’m wearing a skirt” and living dangerious mentalality but anyway I wore it all day and new at the end of the day I never wanted to wear shorts over a skirt while at home. The point to this story is men need to wake up and realize we live some incomfoartable compared to what we could. I know it’s a big jumped for most or they worried they would be judged but aren’t clothes suppose to be designed to cover the body, serve a funtion and be comfortable? Then what does it matter what department you buy it from if it does what it’s designed to do. It gets hot as crap here and yet I live a very easy and comfortable lifestyle, yes I hid it from my workmates but at home I am the most comforatble guy in the world and truthly my wife did worry there was some hidden thing about me but realizing there were no secrets she loves the fact that I am just a happy go lucky guy and likes knowing I can live outside the mold. Feel free to write to me anytime at cookmoore@gmail.com if you would like to discuss in general how great life can be in womens clothes,
Cheers,
Since the Victorian age I still have to et used to women wearing trousers or even worse Long Johns which they call leggings. Nowadays you do see pictures of women wearing little more than pantyhose while shopping….
As to the aspect of men wearing a skirt. Why not, isn’t it bias to state that women may wear trousers and skirt and men just pants?
As to my personal view, within the four walls of my house, I tend to wear a skirt. It cost me my marriage after it was considered fun. Now, whenever driving long distances and alone in the car I do wear a skirt as it is much more comfortable than trousers.
Very good article, Dunja.
I am skirt wearer, too, because since 2008 I have to wear support stockings. Wearing those under pants is just a modern torture, so my doctor came up with the question why not to wear skirted garments.
First time I had problems to go in public, but I learned it was just me and my kind of thinking. Most people do not care, but almost every day I get some nice comment from few, mostly women.
And I learned that skirts are much more comfortable than any kind of trousers, even shorts. What I am missing is skirts which are designed for men, only women’s “junior” sizes come close to that men need. Personally I am not a friend of high heels even I know that also men wore them first. But this kind which are now called high heels are looking to me like weapons.
Since I have to wear support stockings all the time I think most men can wear that also, depend on the complete outfit and weather-/ climate conditions.
What I try to do is to encourage more men to follow up with skirted garments because the history tells us that men were wearing skirted garments all the time until Victorian era….. well actually French Revolution.
I think it is time to re-think and give men the possibilities to wear what they want and it should not be restricted to a un-bifurcated suit with a tie. Dunja already wrote about this.
As Roger Moore already wrote, it is a jump, yes it is but not such a big I first thought it would be. Men help to help each other, then it will work out for all.
I agree with the comment about how it is bias to claim that women should have complete fashion freedom but not men, although I would use the word “misandry,” because there is no logic in limiting what men wear. Also, whatever happened to the patriotic belief in equal opportunity? Or is it “equal opportunity” as long as a right winger is OK with it?
Thank you, Dunja for this article and your insight.
Personally, I simply cannot understand how so many people, in many cultures, can be so blind to the hipocrasy surrounding this fashion choice, i.e. men wearing skirts in public. Men and women share many, many things in terms of occupation, domesticity and sporting/recreational life. Bring up the topic of the social acceptability of a guy wearing a skirts and every activity surrounding them suddenly comes to a screeching halt. Those who espouse “equality” and “fairness” should really stop and think through their own thoughts on the matter. There is truly only ONE answer that is logical and intellectually honest: Men can and should wear skirts with the same societal freedom that is granted to women and all of their sartorial choices. The question is: How can this be accomplished? Quite simply by more men developing the cajones to wear skirts in public with unsolicited (negative) comments be damned! TKH
The above comment makes me realize that the belief that civilization evolves to adapt to new environments is NOT always true. Men could have worn skirts as early as the 1960s when, for the first time in history, we had a service – sector economy, and most men no longer worked in construction or in factories. True, many millions of them WERE employed in those industries, so although skirts could have been mainstream for men, they would not have been as ubiquitous as womens’ pants are today – although the man skirt market would have increased as the decades went by. But most people simply refuse to use logic and reasoning, thinking that it’s still the 1950s.
Also, I have read comments by people who called skirted men and their supporters “communists.” What liars they are! The designers of men’s skirts and kilts are ENTREPRENEURS, and is America not based on freedom of starting your own business? In a TRULY capitalist society, companies such as Utilikilts and Midas Clothing would always receive respect. It is those who seek to undermine personal liberty who are the communists.
A Skirt was a man garment. Women wore long dresses, not skirts in the past. It seems like women have taken every single piece of clothing from men even pants! It is time for men to reclaim what belongs to them and most of all their freedom!
I just wanted to say I agree with every word that The Kilted Hoosier said in his comments . I have being wearing skirts for 7 or 8 years and its great It has to be promoted in the right way to start with. But I will keep wearing them and enjoying them for now.
I started wearing skirts because of a skin irritation between my legs. But, as a farmer, I find skirts most comfortable for hot outdoor work.
An entire occupation stands ready to aggressively obstruct men’s rights—psychiatrists and psychologists—with their prattle about “cross-dressing.” A search of the public record confirms they obstructed women wearing pants, until so many women wore pants that the “clinically normative mental health professionals” could no longer call women in pants “ill” or “disordered.” A judge in Chicago ordered Evelyn Bross, arrested for wearing “men’s clothes” (pants) in public, to see a PSYCHIATRIST for 6 months! 15 years later, psychologist Horace English was still calling women in pants “transvestites.” Anything the majority expresses disapproval of, according to these little Stalins, is a “disorder.” Yes, they WILL call men in skirts, even presenting as men, crossdressers, because they are in the business of poisoning the wells of public thought. They get off on validating majority intolerance as a “there’s something wrong with you,” rather than an “intolerance is wrong” situation. I certainly do wish all of them high speed, head on collisions with others of their kind.
After reading the above comment, I have come to realize that America does NOT have the best system of government in the world. WESTERN EUROPE does, because its government is not based on majority opinion, but rather doing what is right (an example is their complete elimination of capital punishment). Although the United States USED TO be a Constitutional Republic, the Founders’ fears of mob rule have come true. This is very serious, because mob rule can (and has) created “reverse discrimination” due to “justice being delayed, and therefore denied.” Incremental progress in terms of civil/human rights (such as men wearing skirts) is unacceptable, because progress that takes many decades means that countless numbers of the “oppressed” will not live to see the freedom that they would have seen if justice had been achieved much, much sooner.
The whole point of what I’m trying to say is that mob mentality should be done away with if we are TRULY going to go about creating a decent, civilized 21st Century American society. People who are part of the “groupthink”/fascist/totalitarian ideology only serve to alienate the rest of society, thereby dividing America into the intolerant vs. those who truly support equal opportunity for all. As Abe Lincoln famously put it, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
One more thing: I once saw a movie with Ann Margaret which nearly made me sick to my stomach. In one scene, she sings “I’m proud to be a woman…” as if only WOMEN are allowed to be beautiful, and men have to hide their bodies in a “male burka of the West”. Yes, the suit for men is no different from the Middle Eastern burka – that is, except for the lack of head covering for Western men.
I doubt that the US culture should give way to the western european way of doing. Where in the past Western Europe was maybe a trendsetter, at present most tv programs are forthcoming from the USA, so Europeans are continously confronted with the USA bravado.
indeed de suit for men, more apropriate for many is the jeans, the voluntatry Mao costume as most jeans are made in….
I wouldn’t be surprised if we could trace back our norms and values to pre Ceasar and Cleopatra Egypt.
At the end we have to say that cultures are melting together. We in the U.S. still looking what comes from London, Paris or Milano, Europeans like to watch some kind of soap operas from U.S. Going around Europe recently i could see shops in Prague which are common in USA, Starbucks in almost every city in Germany, and fast-food in Austria.
Regarding fashion Europe is still an unwritten leader followed by Japan. Yes, we can proudly present our own fashion but it is always a step behind.
Men in skirts are more common in western Europe, but we all know that many men around the world using skirted garments as their every day wardrobe because they learned that nothing is more comfortable and healthier.
Me too: I wear skirts and dresses for a year now, and most people appear to silently accept it. Some like it, some consider it weird. It would be great if enough will follow to get the public used to the looks.