men in skirts: can you dig it?
Image: Oddman47 via Wikimedia Commons
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?
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
I like to wear skirts, especially while on long road trips. They are much more comfortable than pants. The crap about shaved legs and such is “just that, garbage” Men wear shorts and that is fine and acceptable. They do not shave their legs. I find skirts to be fun, as well as comfortable. There are many more styles and colors than pants or shorts. I also wear high heels with skirts, only around the house, and I also wear wedge heels with my levi’s, because they are more comfortable for all day use than most shoes. I wear women’s walking shoes with my shorts everyday, everywhere.
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.
skirts for men is impractical and foolish . No man no real man would wear a dress or a skirt for that matter . It isn’t that the garment isn’t cool because of the structure of the fabric. The fact is a man’s body is not designed for a womans garment . Men don’t shave their legs or paint their toes or nails . Men don’t color their hair or pluck their eye brows or put make up on their faces . I think the push for men to wear dresses is because men aren’t really happy with themselves . Pushing the envelope is one way of dealing with the stresses of life . A skirt won”t solve the problem nor will a dress or trying to be something your not . Self acceptance is what is needed . Wrapped up in emotions or seeing others do something your not able to do produces frustrations . Sexual repression, lack of focus in life are a part of the push for female clothes on men . It only distorts the real person underneath the clothes . Being a slave to fashion is only another form of slavery . Some people are slaves to profanity or money or any number of things . Some to food , drugs . Movies and cars . Skirts and dresses are a part that makes a women stand out in being a woman . hormones push women to areas men don’t understand . Why would one want to wear the clothing of someone else when you need to be yourself . Conquer yourself first . Know yourself first . You have to ask yourself do I want to look stupied . Ken
Congratulations to support the use of skirts for men .
We are looking for support for designers and fashion houses Promote and put in the windows of stores, or stores, skirts, and skirts Dresses With designed for men , for the discomfort of pants ‘ve Always Been unbearable , only Were Given That Most men fear or afraid to talk acerca Their discomfort and NEEDS . Some thought They would laugh or ridicule if the expresaron its dissatisfaction and discomfort , and preferred to live With the greatest discomfort .
The coverall or trousers was proclaimed for specific tasks , but now this info we have imposed to the point that torture is unequivocally affecting, the health and quality of life for men and Their Families .
The pants are the garment ( or dress) LESS Appropriate for a male , boxer underpants ( or tight underwear ) , acts as a splint on the genitals ( propitiating malfunction , and disability ) , the center seam pants ( called shot) , abusive , bruises and lacerations , and uncomfortable all the time the genitals ; strap or belt acts as a tourniquet , and forces the heart to pump blood more effort ( to Overcome the contraction does called tourniquet belt), and poor blood irrigation malfunction Occurs Affects : THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM , URINARY SYSTEM, REPRODUCTIVE . Also With the use of the pants have forced men to urinate standing up , que is completely unnatural , no person sitting on the toilet or toilet to defecate , urinate and then stops to standing up, the two sphincters open or synchronously at the same time , the man standing urination damage your prostate , and dirty bathroom or toilet or sink . Skirts and Dresses With skirts for men are supreme mind – HEALTHY , FRIENDLY AND COMFORTABLE . The pants, underpants set, the center seam of the pants, and belt or belt, are Promoting modern diseases of men: impotence , infertility , PROSTATE PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE CANCER TESTIS .
No part of the male body are abused more than the genitals .
For better health and comfort wear SKIRTS OR DRESSES WITH SKIRT
The petticoat is a garment That offers many comfort and safety in the locker room of people wearing skirts and dresses . Petticoats and not allow them to see light When the fabric behind the skirts are very transparent , PROVIDE SECURITY AT ANY TIME IF THE BREEZE ATTEMPT TO LIFT THE SKIRT .
The only two drawbacks of a skirt ( for men or for women , anyway , or is the same) , They are by poor design , or poor preparation of the skirt :
– If a skirt is too short , it ‘s up estarla pulling on the ring ( or edge) , it does not cover much and possibly the wind lift .
– If the skirt is mu close or narrow , or very ceñidao shaken , leaves give you step or walk , or climb ladders ( then it would behoove kneeling or walking for help) , but as I said is bad design , development or skirt .
A skirt to the knee , or 7 cm below the knee , is an ideal place , or as long as it Deems .
No one is pushing female clothing on men. A lot of men are tired of the same old crap that has been worn for hundreds of years and want to wear what was worn for over a thousand years by men. In Greek and Roman times, they fought wars wearing skirts, wore skirt like and dress like garb when not fighting. For you to say that a skirt or dress makes a woman stand out a woman, then you must not know much about women. Women stand out find on their own without having to be in a dress or skirt. It is people like you who continually drive that BS into the heads of women and men, which is stupid unto itself. Get real, get a life and learn to spell, stupid is not spelled “stupied”
Sorry you need to get a life. It because they are happy with them self. Guys like you need to try it Skirts, pantyhose , shave legs who would like it to . we do not look stupied. guys like you are Stupied.
There is a lot of stupidity in your remark, but I want to address just one such item. You say, “The fact is a man’s body is not designed for a womans garment . Men don’t shave their legs or paint their toes or nails .” What does shaving one’s legs have to do with wearing a skirt? I show just as much of my hairy legs wearing shorts as I would in a skirt. But I never felt a need to shave my legs because of it. A skirt is simply a garment that allows one to be covered but without having one’s legs separated. Three quarters of all men in the world sometimes where garments that have this feature to them. Are you really meaning to say that the majority of men in the world are not real men? I think any point of view that results in such a conclusion points not to the truth of that conclusion but the falsity of the point of view. Tell me, did you really think through the implications of what you said?
Pants are a woman’s garment of choice. Skirts are extremely comfortable on a mature male’s body. A skirt has nothing to do with hair color or plucking eyebrows. Yes, I am a man who prefers to be hairless rather than looking like a gorilla in the local zoo. Again, very comfortable on a hot summer day. It is all about comfort. If you want to look stupid or even look like a woman you will need to wear pants.
Unfortunately, I disagree with almost every word you have written. You say that women are trying to force men into wearing skirts, when in reality we’re just opening up the options for men’s fashion, and anyways, some men enjoy wearing skirts. Heck, it was a man who tried to bring back men’s skirts for the past 30 years, not a woman!
I also disagree with what you said about being a slave to fashion. New trends do not push this. It is entirely up to the individual person whether he/she wants to follow the trend or not. And as for hiding issues and stress under clothes. .that’s a different issue all together, and it is up to that person to seek help. I see no reason why personal self-acceptance and stress issues are the fault of men’s skirts, and why it is bad if a skirt is the reason these feelings are diminished.
Finally, I am offended by what you said at the beginning of your opposition: that no “real man” would wear a skirt because they do not participate in seemingly feminine activities. What qualifies as a real man? Is there really such a thing as a ‘fake man’? And do you really only see the female population distinguished by the number of cosmetics we use? I’d like to know the answers to these questions, and I’m sure a lot of others do as well.
All in all, I think you really need to take a hint and start living in the 21st century. Women are not so vain as you seemingly think. Men, whether they are ‘real’ or ‘fake’ as you have said, can and should wear skirts if they want to. What you need to do is accept the fact that not all people have the same opinions about what men (and women) should and should not wear. End of story.
These comments were directed towards Kenneth Bentley.
I don’t know where you come from or if you have followed the fashion. If not please wake up. Your mind and thinking is conservative and I think you are worried that someone you know might see you in a skirt or sarong or kilt and than you try to hide a fence so you friends won’t see you. I wear kilt and sarongs for years and have gone out walked
around and no body said anything. Yes we have to get use to it that might been seen by someone we know and perhaps these person might have the same fear as you. Yo need to wake up and smell the roses.
I guess your a closed mined fool stuck in history where women did nothing but skirts or dresses , well wake up women are going male with blue jeans and flannel shirts and guys want skirts , so who cares what’s out side A body it don’t have anything to do with who you are . God I can’t stand people with such closed minds
I disagree with your position, To say that a particular garment is a “men’s or women’s” is just wrong! There are only two garments that are actually gender specific….the bra and the jockstrap!
You state that a “man’s body is not designed for a women’s garment” and I suggest that it is the other way around….the garment needs to be changed to fit the man’s body! An ill-fitting garment looks equally bad on a female as it does on a male.
I have seen way too many women trying to look good in clothes that absolutely do not fit their body style.
The same can be said for men….does that mean that men cannot , or should not try to expand their “limited wardrobe options” just to suit a few closed minded homophobic individuals?
I for one have, and will continue to wear skirts, tank tops, and (occasionally) heels, because I like them…am not ashamed to like them….and am “man enough to wear them”.
That being said, it does not mean that a skirt or “dress” is an appropriate garment in all situations. The choice of clothing must be correct for the particular situation / occasion.
Just as a side note, I can run a chainsaw as well as any logger, operate heavy equipment, repair your computer, fix your watch, and build a house…is that man enough for ya?
hey ken
skirts were a mans garment many years ago take a look at the roman times men wore skirts then and the scots do and the irish wear a skirt or a kilt and bali and places like that have skirt or sarong just shut up moaning about what men should wear and not wear
Well, Kenneth, truth of the matter is this: Men have worn the un-bifurcated garment since time began. It IS a male garment. Think logically if you can for just a moment. Why on earth would man want to pinch off his ‘package’? THAT is what’s not normal. No wonder there is such a high incidence of testicular cancer, sterility, e.d., and a few other things. Question. Do you like your testicles being pinched, twisted, jammed, hit, separated? I hardly think so unless you have a fetish for that sort of thing, and yes there are men out there that do have that kind of fetish. Do yourself a favor and study up/research the history of the un-bifurcated garment, aka, skirt, kilt, sarong, and many other names. TRY to not keep your mind closed, as the truth is, that those of you that keep your minds closed are the reason for the issue to begin with. You have been brainwashed all your life, just as the rest of us have. In the 1700’s, thanks to a shrink from Austria, if I remember correctly, women were coerced into believing they were the only ones that should wear skirts. I can speak from experience at 65 years of age, I would in a second go anywhere in a skirt over pants. I DO shave my legs, as my leg hair constantly got pulled by the fabric of my pants, and to me that was painful. I am not gay, I do not wear makeup or act sissified in any way, I do not have desires to have intimacy with a man, so any assertions you may have to the contrary are just that; assertions, and they are based on incorrect information. So, in the future, kindly research things before you ‘speak out’ and truly look the fool you currently do with your baseless assumptions. Thank you. EDUCATE YOURSELF. Here are a couple of links for you to read. I sincerely hope you actually read them, and find out the truth. http://www.msgr.ca/msgr-3/unbifurcated_garments%2000.htm http://kiltedfarmer.blogspot.com/2010/01/brave-new-world-of-male-unbifurcated.html
Thank you for putting it so nice , yes I wear a skirt and dresses as much as possible . I would hope to do more soon as the public gets more at ease with the idea of men in skirts . it will be a long hard road to go back to comfortable wear as the churches seam to really hate the history of clothes . hope the public will be more open minded soon
John…well said. My research has shown that men who are negative on the idea of me wearing skirts have never tried one on! It will take the right kind of skirt to set well. Some are very restrictive and others offer freedom of movement unlike any traditional “male” garment.
I was lucky to have tried on a “Cargo Mini Skirt” (a class of skirts. Not a brand) on a hot day to make my discovery after many decades of watching the chicks wear them. I found the plain looking short skirt with many pockets very useful and not give a girly appearance. Now have many and some denim short skirts as well and all have pockets I use. I don’t want or try to stand out but do appreciate the comfort and practicality short skirts often provide as an alternative to pants or shorts. I don’t wish to be a peacock, wear other girly clothes, nor wear heels (I find as highly impractical) in my daily activities. I see skirts as a alternative to pants especially since men have worn them far longer throughout time than women have…they will be vogue again soon!
Well, Kenneth. Not trying to be antagonistic here, but, YOU ARE the very mis-informed one, and your comments have made YOU look stupid. I guess you’re not capable of thinking logically, or even past the end of your nose. Perhaps you are the one that has is a bit homophobic. You see, Kenneth, the un-bifurcated garment, aka kilt, skirt sarong, lungi robe tunic, and numerous names HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A MANS’ GARMENT!! True fact!! THINK about this: have you ever had your testes pinched, smacked, twisted, separated, jammed, etc? Have you ever caught your willy in the zipper, or even your testes? If you say no I will call you a liar, as the truth is that all men have experienced that. Why? Because we are wearing a garment that IS NOT DESIGNED for men. Men have an external package that is sensitive, at the least, so WHY ARE WE BEING ‘FORCED’ TO PINCH IT OFF??? That is exactly what pants do. Also, men have a much higher rate of prostate cancer, testicular cancer, sterility, e.d., and numerous malaises these days. Why is that? Due in part to excess heat build up in the groin region. So, in short, GET OVER YOUR HOMOPHOBIC mentality, RESEARCH and find out the truth, and get liberated from the childish, immature thought processes you have.
Just try it. Feel it. Then tell me you don’t like it. It’s great. Wish it were socially acceptable.
The argument saying skirt are women clothig just for women is weird. Men shave there face is it to look like a women or just because it is more for hygiène (be clean no dirt or bacteria a wc bolw is more clean compare to a beard. If there werre no stupid ashole to complain about men who wear a skirt. Maybe a lot of men will wear them or utility kilt.
You would be very surprised at the number of men that shave there body’s. Legs . I been doing it for years and yes I wear skirts and love them along with short shorts.
It’s not a matter of being happy on the inside, so much as a matter of your personal package getting squeezed in tropical heat, as happens where I currently live and work, in Thailand. It’s one thing to spout bold contrivances about what men should or shouldnt wear, from the cool and drafty recesses of your attic den in New England—-but quite another to cope every day w/ heat and humidity that most Westerners cannot imagine.
This is why I damn well DO wear a sarong at times, especially during the hotter season here. Another option men have, though—-and one that I exercise—-is the slightly roomy, ever-so-svelt , circa 1950s dress/casual slacks, often found in rayon or poplin and designed to work in the heat…..But you can still move freely in them, even run, etc. Sure, you are open for some criticism when wearing them BUT you still are in pants—-pants that function well and give the nether regions their deserved break.
So yeah, guys, the sarong is not the only option, and it’s not the wisest one either, if you are doing certain activities BUT, as I say, it has its place in my quiver—-and in the quiver of a whole lotta very tough Burmese laborers, too
[ tell THEM what you told us, Ken ].
Wear what works.
Why can’t people just do their own thing? I feel perfectly comfortable wearing a skirt, and I like fluffy mini skirts, with shaved legs and frilly panties underneath. What right do others have, to tell me what I should wear?
I go out in public once a week wearing 6″ blk stiletto high heels, suntan pantyhose, gold anklet, tight micro mini spandex skirt, blk panties, blk bra, sheer white long sleeve blouse and an open vest. I look hot. I get great comments and smiles. I feel sexy myself. I am a happily married man for 50 years. I Love it!!!
Yeah! I wear 6″ blk patent high heels, tight spandex mini skirt, taupe pantyhose, gold anklet, sheer white blouse and black bra. I go out in public on occasion. It feels good and sexy. I get a lot of positive remarks and smiles. I feel and look very sexy and I am only 67 years old. Guys, try it sometime. you will get hooked on it.
Bra on a man? How masculine is that? Yuck! Double yuck!!
Dave, I do agree with you but if some guys like that, that is their choice. But I think this has nothing to do with men wearing skirts
Who cares if it’s masculine or not? Go Mr. Bo!
Thanks for the support Veronica. I think next I will replace the tight spandex skirt for a mini flirt skirt and add stockings and garter belt over the pantyhose. The rest of the outfit will remain the same. This sounds kind of exciting. Hmmmmm! Can’t wait to see what kind of reactions I will get with this sexy little number.
Hey guy there are some of us guys with tits yes I said tits , I my self wear a 36 B bra everyday and enjoy it . My wife even pic’s some out . I’m not a girly guy but with bra and a thong and a med length skirt and a nice shirt I feel very good about my self , imt proud to be a man in a skirt.
There are only two pieces of clothing designers say make NO sense for the opposite sex to wear… the bra and jockstrap! All else is just clothing and considered unisex. (I suppose if a guy has big boobs a bra could be necessary but that is very rare). Guys wearing bras are likely to have fetish or mental issues or are “Cross Dressers” trying to look like women.
A man in a skirt is not a cross dresser. See these guys and note they still look like guys just as women in pants still look like women: http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/22064674 Obviously they are NOT cross dressing!
Any guy who tries on a short skirt on a hot day will not give it up unless he is sexist, homophobic or sexually insecure… my 2 cents!
I vote for short skirts. I go out in public in short black micro skirt, sheer taupe pantyhose, panties, gold anklet, 5″ black patent high heels, white long sleeve transparent blouse with black bra and a black vest. I look so great it almost turns me on. Go for it. You will love it.
By the way I forgot to mention that I am a happily married man with a great family. Straight as an arrow..
Men will always be masculine unless they choose not to be.Even Viking men wore skirts how much masculine can a man get. I don’t wear skirts myself but I would try it. But society is so messed up men or should I say people can’t be themselves because we have to conform to societies wishes. That’s where transformation would have to begin. I wear a nightshirt when I sleep and half the the time I sleep naked. My kids thought that to be strange but I’ve been doing that for years. They’ve accepted it and life is good. One should open their mind and accept the change.
It seems to me that it’s hard for people to differentiate between women’s clothing and men’s clothing. Men want there own skirts not their wives or girl friends skirts. Unless you’re a cross dresser so be it. But I are to wear skirts I want a mans design not flowers with little petals on it. Preferred with pleats and above the knee.
Your statement contains contradictions and nationalities. Pleats are considered a frill, and frills, “female.” No Scot would wear anything with pleats in front, as they’d say, “that’s what the other sex wears.” Polynesian men have been seen wearing floral print styles in many publications such as travel agency brochures. Your notion is just more male inhibition confused with masculinity.
Pleats are not a frill. Kilts have pleats in the back. They give you more freedom of movement and pleats in the front do make sense as well.
Agree… most of the Utilikilts do have pleats (www.utilikilts.com)and they call them kilts. (Of course a Kilt IS a Skirt by definition). They can be very practical and look good on guys. Some skirts men can easily wear are here and there are some pleated ones: https://es.pinterest.com/patagoniakid/skirts-men-can-wear-miscellaneous/?etslf=11095&eq=men(All a matter of style and opinion). In my opinion mini and micro mini skirts work best for men but obviously depends on the occasion.
Wear my skirts almost daily and depending on how i feel I’ll slip a pair of tights or pantyhose on with a nice pair of womans riding boots. In fact i would rather wear a skirt any day over a pair of jeans and own more skirts than jeans. I don’t feel any less a man in a skirt.
It’s summer now here in Tennessee , got all my skirts unpacked and will be wearing them a lot more . Glad to see more guys wearing skirts around town. Hope the guys stay strong and fight for rights to wear everything we want.
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.
I have an odd point to make. I have never worn a skirt in public but I am considering it. However, I would find it possibly more difficult to wear a colored vest. I am very conservative about the colors I choose to wear, finding most bright or light colors to be too effeminate for my taste. That might sound ironic but it is not so strange. I don’t care a whole lot how I look as long as I don’t look slovenly (which itself would draw attention to me, which I try to avoid in clothing that I wear). Why then would I be drawn to a skirt? Because I do care about comfort, and while the attention a skirt would bring would be a negative for me, the comfort of it might just outweigh that negative. So for me, the skirt might come long before any colored vests or even brightly colored shirts or pants.
Jim, your thinking is influenced by things that happened many generations ago. Male genetics is not causing these thoughts you have. Your views on bright colors have nothing to do with being masculine. First, any man wearing a bright red T shirt is going to draw way less attention than you in a plain looking skirt. You do understand that? Now for the history lesson which I fear will be lost on you due to ego. I give it because it will help others avoid the confusing cobwebs of psychiatric fables about masculinity. Noblemen, kings and rich men for thousands of years, did wear all manner of bright colors. “Solomon in all his glory” was a reference to his clothes—not his palace. The upper class eventually developed “sumptuary” laws, banning lower class men from wearing bright colors and fancy apparel. It was also often a matter of money. A man couldn’t wear what he couldn’t afford, and fabrics left their natural color cost less than dyed fabrics. Dyes were mostly from plant sources, and it took time and effort to gather these. By the time the Puritans gained influence in England, circa late 1500s, they developed in their view of God, that bright colors were “of the devil.” The Puritans were famous for wearing drab colors—black, brown, grey and dull white. You’ve heard the term puritanical in reference to people who think having a good time at anything is sinful? Jim, you ARE infected with Puritanism. If God was against bright colors, why are diamonds dispersive of white light into the spectrum? The next blow against bright colors on men came from the awful French Revolution in the late 18th century. After the Reign of Terror and Madame Guillotine executive great masses of people, bright colors and fancy clothes on men became associated with political repression. The nobility in France were overthrown, and generally, they were the only males, due to sumptuary laws and the simple cost factor, who could afford brightly colored clothes. However—did not Chairman Mao and Joseph Stalin wear drab colors? Yes. Did they not both engage in political repression of the masses? They sure did. Therefore, the bright colors have nothing to do with social injustice. As for bright colors having to do with effeminacy in men—that’s just crazy. In spite of your skirt ideas, you are still stuck in the mud this other way. You’re in this mental trap of thinking “the more restrictions there are on me and on what I can wear, the more masculine I become.” Jim—that’s a CON JOB. Finally came the Industrial Revolution just a generation after The Great Masculine Renunciation caused by the devil inspired events in France. When men went into coal mines and factory work, they quickly decided to wear mostly black, dark brown and dark gray, because smudges and stains wouldn’t appear so drastic as on a garment of a bright color. Avoidance of bright colors has absolutely nothing to do with being masculine. The Scots frequently use bright colors in their weaves, and the Greeks wear red caps, and red or blue vests—with lots of fancy embroidery. Have you seen the brightly colored skirts male Tanoura Dervishes wear in Egypt? Color is not sex specific, that’s ludicrous. You need to get away from equating inhibition with masculinity. Be aware of the historical social forces which have “colored” people’s thinking today regarding what they think men should wear, and stop painting yourself into this tiny little corner by restricting yourself. The dumbest move men ever, ever made is abandoning the stage and the spotlight entirely to women, as regards sartorial display in clothing. All museum curators and costume historians back up my remarks, Jim. So does over 100 years of the National Geographic monthly series, Jim. I mention these points in case common sense isn’t enough to get you over the hump.
Excellent! With colors you have to be extra careful to do a proper match of those colors so you don’t look like a clown. But it is also true when you have to match patterns. Say you wear a plaid skirt, then you have to make sure that the other color do match but there is no new or additional pattern introduced.
I didn’t notice this reply until now. Charles, thanks for the history lesson, some of which I knew, but you filled in a few details. You misunderstood my post and where I’m coming from.I know perfectly well that bright colors have nothing to do with being or not being masculine. I’m just talking about inner impulses that I was conditioned to have. I can’t help my conditioning, even if I see it for what it is. I have actually allowed myself to branch out to new colors. So the issue has nothing to do with what I think but just with the reflexive impulses that have been conditioned into me. If you want to call that infection with Puritanism, ok. But I would note that I am of Jewish background, so I’m not sure the Puritans are really to blame. Really my comment was only meant to show that what counts as big or baby steps for one person may not be so for another, may in fact be switched, just as what one person likes is not necessarily to the taste of another. We need to respect each other despite or even in celebration of our differences.
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 [email protected] 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.
I have the problem, I wear skirts when a lone and for the last year,I don’t change before getting out and going inside , so far neg. comments, just a few strange looks
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.
There are skirts that are designed for men availabled. Just google for dress2kilt, skirtcafe.org, Midas Clothing, hiatus etc. Mountain Hardwear offers the Elkommando hiking kilt.
Female skirts are cheaper and can be altered but if you looking for a particular male design, you have the choice.
There is no need for female skirts to be “altered”. Anyone can wear a skirt period. Clothing designers have stated anyone can wear male or female clothing with the exception of just two items that doesn’t make sense for the other sex to wear… the bra and jockstrap since those are the only sex specific items of clothing out there.
You just need to get the skirt in the right size and it will if perfectly on male or female figures (It’s just a tube of cloth).
Marketing is the cause of “male” skirts. Obviously to make them ok for males to wear but it is still a skirt anyone can wear. I have found the best skirt for most males to wear is a category of “Cargo Mini Skirts” found on E-Bay for cheap. They have lots of pockets, belt loops, plain and often come in heavy twill materials. All the chicks have given a thumbs up and say no more stupid looking mens shorts!
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
Well said. I wear a skirt it’s only a piece of clothing. So guys go for it
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.
Hmmm. Charles your comments re psychologist and psychiatrists contains so much venom and you express you thoughts with such gusto that one can only be drawn to the conclusion that you have had exposure to the mental health system. As you mention Chicago I presume you are in the US. Now things may be different on your side of the pond but from my personal experience, what you state has no bearing to reality.
I’m posting again re the rights or wrongs of skirted men so I wont repeat that here.
“I have had exposure to the mental health system” you are a CRASS BOOR to make such a comment. Answer this you reeking imbecile—by what legerdemain does possession of a degree in a mental “health” discipline, confer on its holder immunity from this interminable and immeasurable plethora of “illnesses” which they go about inventing? Do you think any dentists ever needed a root canal? How about a dermatologist? Does his/her degree immunize them from sunburn, abrasion, blisters, insect stings? How does having a psych degree insure that mental “illness” can never “strike” them? You must be descended from the British who got canned at New Orleans in January 1815.
Heck, it doesn’t even have to be a short skirt—-a longer, sarong-style number will give you amazing ventilation and a nice bellows effect when walking, something that the shorter skirts do not provide. This is part of WHY you see men in hot climates wearing them routinely ; it’s because it WORKS for you.
You get an around-the-ankle type, and instantly you have good venting AND a modest yet stylin’ look that will blend in places where flashing your skin is not happenin’ , socially.
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.
Interesting comment JohnN though perhaps a little of topic. My thought on your comments is that you may well be right but for one minor flaw in your argument i.e. we don’t actually watch much of the crap that your production companies sell to our broadcasters. C’est la vie.
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.
I also wear skirts, high heels, pantyhose/stockings. My usual outfit consists of: 6″ black patent high heels, tan pantyhose, gold anklet, short tight spandex skirt, white transparent long sleeve blouse with open vest. Sometimes I will wear gartered stockings over my pantyhose to give an alluring look. I get nothing less than positive comments and smiles of acceptance. It really feels great. I enjoy it. Those men who have not tried dressing up in skirts etc. should try it and see what they are missing. A powerful and exciting feeling.
OK MRBO, this is the third time I have read your postings which all say roughly the same thing. I think we have the message 😉
What do you think of my pic? Hmmmmm
I wear skirts occasionally, shorts a lot, depending on the weather. I wear support pantyhose under both. Women don’t seem to have a problem with it, but there is the occasional scowling man. They sure are comfortable.
i am wearing a skirts for 3 years now in doors some times to the shops now when are they going to make it the fashion for men to where it in public as a every day wear because it is getting boring to wear pants and shorts everyday come on guys make a plan speak to the fashion designers on the moment i wear denim skirts and is straight cuts and it is so comfortble I wait for the first men skirts in the stores on the shelf tha day i will shop till i drop it is money for fashion clothing indusry and they can make a kill alot of men around the world will go for it.
I too wear skirts, I am 28 years old I have shaved legs, Apparently very girly legs.
What gives women the Right to wear Jeans, Shorts, Trousers, Skirts etc and we cant?
Wear what ever we want.. I wear very short skirts with boots, trainers etc.
I have never been attacked, I sometimes get the odd comment but 99 % of people just aint bothered any more..
Go for it..
We need to be asking the men’s wear corporations to market skirts for men more so that more men will purchase and wear skirts “for men” from a men’s wear retailer. This will bring back the trend as it will not be purchasing and wearing a woman’s skirt made for a woman from a woman’s wear store.
Then and only then will men wearing skirts become acceptable again. You guys with the stockings, high heels and feminine jewelry and all, well, you’re just not men so you can’t be included in the “Men in Skirts” movement.
“you’re just not men so you can’t be included in the “Men in Skirts” movement. You’re an imbecile, James. King Louis XIV of France invented high heels for himself. Jewelry? Since when is jewelry only for women? When have you seen any man wearing “feminine” jewelry? Did you know Super Bowl rings have been made with marquise shape diamonds, which are usually thought of a “women’s diamonds?” Stockings? NFL players like Joe Namath used to wear them on cold days. What’s unmanly about being warm? You are truly an ignorant boor and I wish I could make you verbally read out loud my entire 332,482 word documentary on the history of sex typing apparel and why this is wrong. Greek Evzone soldiers wear “stockings,” you’re so uneducated, they also wear fancy embroidery, does that constipate you? It’s presumptuous to a bizarre degree of you to dictate to others they’re “just not men” when you have no historical background, no awareness of contemporary realities, and are not tolerant of nonconformity except in a very limited degree. Retailers aren’t going to change the scene, that’s been tried, they won’t invest money to attempt change. Any skirt a man buys which was marketed to women, if he has it altered to fit—it is now his own male garment, because he has legal title to it. The only irrationality, past your inhibitions and uninformed mentality, are intolerance and men wearing bras and padding their hips. If men were raised with human choices the incidence of female impersonators would fall by 90%. Get this straight—high heels (I personally disfavor as unhealthy) are for people with feet—not just for women; stockings are for people with legs—the body parts they interface with—not just for women—and jewelry is also for people, and it’s for each person to define what their taste is—not for you to come in like an obnoxious, overbearing, uninformed boor and dictate your very dim picture of reality to others. How about fancy shoes, James? British Beefeater guards at the Tower of London, a tradition for over 450 years, wear shoes frillier than just about any you can find on women. They also wear pleated neck ruffs. Don’t be telling us these guys are “just not men” because puritanically, you think men should be plain and drab like grave diggers, while women are free to loo0k like tropical fish. James, when I was up in high altitudes climbing, I wore tights under pants. A pox on you if you say I was wearing something female because layering is standard practice in mountaineering. Women wear all styles of skirts. That’s how many skirts men should have the choice of wearing, because men wore innumerable skirt designs for thousands of years. Why are you acting like a mouse born in a grain bin who can’t get the big picture? I hope pride will fade so someday you can see things as they are. Style restrictions aren’t right for either sex. Choice is a wide spectrum and is “human individuality”—not “femininity.”
Bravo, Charles!
“This will bring back the trend as it will not be purchasing and wearing a woman’s skirt made for a woman from a woman’s wear store.”
There is not much difference in sizing with a “women’s” skirt. It is all about the style. Don’t fool yourself with labels. The folks on the street doesn’t even know the difference.
Manliness is biological factor, nothing else. The people make the clothing.
I wear pleated skirts and kilts all the time now. I go to Church in skirts with no issue. I do get a lot of compliments. I basically go everywhere with no issue. My wife and kids got used to it and they were able to see that it was not the end of the world. In fact when I wear a nice wool sweater with a skirt I look way more dressed up than anybody else and I am comfortable. But some days I prefer to wear pants or shorts. For me wearing a skirt is another option that I have. If I wear pants, they must be loose and comfortable as well. We men are the problem… I have already seen a difference since I started a few years back. A man in a skirt is no longer a big deal!
Variety is the spice of life. Clothing for me is how I express who I am and how I feel that day or moment. I should not be confined to society’s limited box of choices, colors, fabrics and styles when it comes to clothing. After all, they are only clothes. They serve to keep me warm and protect my modesty. I am a human first and a gender second. Also what is between my legs should not define my gender or who I am as a person.
So wearing a skirt or dress should never be seen as weakness but as a strength. My sisters are not weak for showing their femininity or masculinity. So why should I be seen as weak when I show my femininity?
I look the other way when some sneer. That’s their problem and not mine. Life is too short to be concerned about such things. So I wear my skirt with a smile and go about my business. Most everyone loves a happy face and people who are true to themselves.
From conversations with female friends over the years, I reckon most women have no issue with men wearing feminine clothing as long as its done tastefully and respectfully. Sadly, round here it’s other men that are the problem, and I’m still fearful of the abuse to which I’d be subjected if I went out wearing my skirt and tights.
Skirts aren’t feminine clothing but clothing. Femininity is a subjective and cultural matter. It is not your or some womans business what other people wear.
“I reckon most women have no issue with men wearing feminine clothing as long as its done tastefully and respectfully. ”
Interesting, you know most women and use empty vessels to describe your disdain for some fashion choices.
If we could wear them year ago it should be alright to wear them now. In some cases I think men look good int them and feel more comfortable wearing one. Why should the ladies have all of the good stuff and we have to use the same old thing day after day. Their is nothing wrong with them, you might have to do a little more personal care to wear one, but it would be worth it to be comfortable.
I wonder why it’s ok for females to show a lot of bare skin but not males. Surely the male shoulder is often as good-looking as the female. Why are there no cool one-shoulder free T-shirts? And men’s legs are often good-looking, my families’ are, sometimes I get compliments from women. So show them. Perhaps knickerbockers or lederhosen. Business shorts are normal year in Australia, with long socks. Why can women’s swimsuits me almost negligible but mens trunks enormous. Women can show off their sexual characteristics, but in the US at least, men should not. A pair of speedos or a bikini brief is much more comfortable.
In the US, society and in particular women have denied man beauty. It is not the case in Europe. Women have also a double standard. They want fashion freedom and have attained it but do not want their men to have that same freedom. Men need to have the courage to change fashion by wearing what they like. Unfortunately, I read that many men are for a change but I do not see many men wearing skirted garment when I go out. If you wear a skirt or a kilted skirt or a kilt in your home, get out and wear your skirt! Don’t be afraid. If your girl friend or your spouse is giving you problems with it, don’t try to avoid a conflict. Trust me, if your wife or girl friend is happy in your relationship it won’t be a problem, if she is not happy, there is something else going on.
I have encountered many women who HATE a man in a skirt, because such a man is “tresspassing into their monopoly.” Women raved for generations that skirts were/are a “badge of servitude,” many of these same women, seeing a man in a skirt, now they act like sow bears with cubs. UNITY CHURCH—are you LISTENING? Dallas Folk Dance Co-Op—are you LISTENING?
I go out in skirts and tights never had any problems! Once had a shop girl say I had great legs and asked what tights I was wearing.
I bought what I thought was a bath or after swimming wrap. It is labeled sleepwear. I started to wear it around the house. Very comfortable. Now I have 4 kilts. When I wear one out women seem to accept them more than men. The are the best thing for a man to wear if driving on a long trip. I have also seen comments about the benefits of wearing one on an a plane. The key is not to be self conscious about it. When doing work in the yard I have energy longer.Very comfortable and cool.
That’s a nicely written and well balanced article, Dunja, and thanks for writing it.
First and foremost, it’s worth noting that “skirted garments” are actually fairly common around the globe, especially in the South Pacific. It’s the types in what we term “Western Civilisation” that tend to cause the ruckus.
Skirts make a lot of sense for guys, and not just on the grounds of anatomy alone. As a long-time skirt-wearer, I can categorically state that skirts are one heck of a lot more comfortable than trousers. Depending on length, they can even be practical everyday garments. Whilst I would avoid going up ladders in one, it’s not so much the thought of “exposure” but rather that of stepping on the hem — pure practicality. Depending on the construction of the skirt in question, they can be very cool in summer and surprisingly warm in winter — I routinely shovel snow from my driveway wearing a skirt and actually find that to be warmer than the trouser option.
Skirts also offer something else that trousers do not — a large surface area that allows one more freedom of expression than would otherwise be available. Contemplate, for a moment, the notion of the bohemian tiered skirt — they’re very attractive and practical garments, but try translating that into trousers and one is going to have a joke in poor taste on one’s hands (or, more to the point, legs). Prints on skirts work very well whereas prints on trousers don’t.
The other thing is that, as the saw goes, as a guy “it takes balls to wear a skirt”. If a bloke can carry it off with panache and confidence it sets him apart from the crowd around him. Confidence in this is key — if one skulks about like he’s doing something wrong, folks will pick up on that in a heartbeat; however, if he holds his head high and walks that stage with grace and force, then the world is his oyster.
We are looking for support for designers and fashion houses to promote and draw market skirts and dresses with skirts designed for men , for the discomfort of pants has always been unbearable , just that most of them fellow was afraid to talk their discomfort and NEEDS. Some thought they would laugh or ridicule if the expressed its dissatisfaction and discomfort , and preferred to live with the greatest discomfort.
The coverall or trousers was proclaimed for specific tasks , but now we have imposed this torture to the point that unequivocally is affecting the health and quality of life of men and their families.
The pants are the least suitable garment for a man underpants boxer , acts as a splint on the genitals ( propitiating dysfunction and disabilities) , the center seam of abusive pants, bruised and uncomfortable the whole time the genitals; belt or belt acts as a tourniquet , and forces the heart to pump blood more effort ( to overcome the contraction makes the tourniquet ) , and poor blood irrigation affects : the digestive system, the urinary system, the reproductive system. In addition to the use of pants man has finished urinating standing which is totally unnatural. Skirts and dresses with skirts for men are supreme mind – HEALTHY , FRIENDLY AND COMFORTABLE . The pants , underpants set, the center seam of the pants, and belt or belt , are promoting modern diseases of men : impotence, infertility , PROSTATE PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE CANCER TESTIS .
No part of the male body are abused more than the genitals.
For better health and comfort wear SKIRTS OR DRESSES WITH SKIRT
Men can wear skirt if they wish. I do not get a hard on when i see a man in skirt. I do not wear skirt in public because i do not wish to be injure by men who may realise they get a hard on when they see men in skirt.
I don’t need to see anymore nasty man legs than the short-shorts fad has already exposed me to. There is a much larger percentage of women with nice legs than men, and too many women wear skirts already… legs lookin’ like cased cottage cheese.
Skirts show off legs, and flirt with the peek-a-boo and upskirt fetish, so if a man isn’t gay, he is sending the wrong signals wearing a skirt. Then again- excessive sagging also sends the wrong signals for straight men, but mostly straight men sag, go figure…
You are making unfounded assumptions. I presume you have no problem then with maxi-skirts. If you do, then you are not being honest as to your real reasons for opposing men wearing skirts. Though your remark concerning “gay” kind of gives away your homophobia.
Just check out the pick of Mrbo on this site wearing his short tight micro mini spandex skirt, 6″ heels, pantyhose etc. Photo speaks for itself. Men look great in skirts. If you cannot locate the pic, let me know and I will repost or send to you.
I wear a skirt on hot days and enjoy the freedom ove movement and ventilation I think more men should were theme as long as it fits right and doesn’t let anything hang out. Every man should wear a skirt at the same time it may get the trend back then there won’t be as much Sarkazem. My skirt is above the ankles and looks good with a tee shirt.
It’s all a matter of degree really. I wear a skirt as often as I can but otherwise wear normal male clothing – to wear too many other female garments at the same time strays into the realm of being accused of cross-dressing. I DO NOT cross-dress, ever. I wear skirts because they are comfortable, look good on me and because I can. My wife is not thrilled about it, is not pleased that I wear them out of the house and at the moment wouldn’t be seen with me wearing one. But I think that she is realising how much it means to me and is becoming more tolerant.
To pull off the skirt wearing successfully you need to exhibit confidence for to feel anything else people will pick up on that. I feel no shame in wearing a skirt but I would wearing other traditionally female items such as a dress or high heels so I don’t wear them. If I’m not comfortable wearing them then I will exhibit that discomfort. The weather is so warm at the moment and a skirt is soooo cooooool! I wonder why it has taken me so long to find the brilliance of the skirt and why women wear them less now. Men, let’s embrace a garment that was made for us.
I am a male who wears females panties and skirts. I am not gay. I find that female panties are a better cut and fit better. They are comfortable to wear and skirts give more freedom of movement. Females I have taken out or who know me have no problem with me wearing these items. A little lace feels good too. After all, a lot of females wear mens underpants too.
Just wanted to say although I’ve never worn a skirt as a guy, I think in the summer months it may be nice & comfortable.
I do like to wear support hosiery, but wearing them under dress slacks can be warm at times. That’s why I won’t wear them during the summer months.
I’ve just recently tried wearing panties & as Stan said panties can be a better cut & fit.
Better late than never, I guess? Only very recently did I come across the link for this article (don’t ask how – I have no idea). When I clicked on it, I despaired! Why, why, WHY did you, and why do others, use such a god-awful photograph? Four of the most miserable, unhappy-looking young men, clad as though they have just come from the nearest op.shop, wearing what I suppose could be called skirts, but with clumping Doc Marten-type boots, totally lacking in elegance and style. Elsewhere one will see pictures of men supposedly wearing skirts, but usually so hammed up as to be laughable. There is no need for this, unless, of course, the editors wish to ensure that men will not wear skirts. I am now too old for trail-blazing, so my skirt-wearing is restricted to in and around the house. Usually a ‘sensible’ skirt, actually rather ‘mannish’ in style. Worn with stockings in the evening, with my usual slip-on brown shoes and a shirt, there is nothing outré about it, nor should there be. Why not let your readers see men similarly dressed, to show how acceptable skirts on a man can be? Just for once, forget the ‘send-ups’. The fact is, something like 85% of the world’s male population wear skirts or skirt-like garments. Only in the puritanical, uncivilised West are they frowned upon, and then for no valid reason. I must add, I do sometimes wonder will the peacock ever reclaim his plumes from the peahen, who has progressively filched them and regarded them as her own?
I notice throughout the replies a common vein. “They.” What do “They” have to do with what one wears? Questions like “When are they going to let us wear what we want?”, imply that others determine how we can be. This is not, in reality, the case. Others don’t decide. You make the decisions but are not taking responsibility for them. There is absolutely no reason for not wearing whatever you want IF YOU DECIDE TO!
However, you must take responsibility for what you do. If you want the anomity of being a sheep in the huge flock and following all the others in jumping imaginary obstacles and not standing out as an individual, then that’s YOUR decision. If you want to wear a skirt but your wife doesn’t want you to and so you don’t, then it’s your decision. She hasn’t made you go without.
If you decide to wear a skirt and go about in public, be prepared for the reactions of sheep and un-enlightened souls by considering “what has it got to do with them?”.
The posters who wear female underwear and become aroused by the activity should accept that they have some sexual hookup and that it has very little to do with practicality.
All the reservations of wearing skirts in public are in the minds of males and it is up to the individual to overcome that limitation and decide to do what they want and fuck fashion, prejudice, conservativness, and all the rest. You have only one chance, one life, do what you want now or be a slave to other people’s beliefs and limitations.
Wow! You can immediately tell which guys replying here who have never worn a skirt!
After decades of watching skirts and a challenge I tried on a “Cargo Mini Skirt” on a hot day and was instantly hooked! Scheesh you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to realize a skirt makes more sense for the male anatomy than for a female (no crotch binding inseams) and the freedom of movement (in a short skirt) can’t be beat and still be covered. (Shorts don’t come close). Cooler than shorts in summer and best of all the chicks have all approved and agree skirts look better on guys than mens shorts. Sooo guys it’s win win but if you ate sexist, homophobic, or sexually insecure skirts may not be for you.
Also never understood the relation of men in skirt to being gay! Gays don’t wear skirts (last I heard they are looking for other men and they wear them on TV and movies for an effect). Obviously it takes a real man to wear a skirt before they are vogue again and fortunately many women realize that thus most find guys in skirts intriguing… another win… (Gays, TV’s, Trans, etc. are all minority and not the issue here).
See these guys in skirts and not they still look like guys just as women in pants still look like women: http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/22064674 Obviously they are NOT “cross dressing” trying to look like women.
Men have worn skirts far longer than women throughout time so it is nothing new. Hopefully skirts will soon be an option for men to wear in the Western World like they are in nearly 70% of the world today. Get a cool cool cargo skirt and enjoy life…
PS: Kilts ARE Skirts! See any dictionary. They just happen to usually be tartan, hot, heavy, and costly and yes, women’s skirts fit men perfectly without mods. Just get the right size. Women will ALWAYS look better in skirts than men with their curves but skirts can look better on guy than many clothes guys currently wear.
I have been wearing skirts for almost 20 years and really enjoy them and yes I agree if you just try on a few you will get to know sizes and find out how comfortable they can be.. my wife completely agrees guys look good in not only skirts but dresses to . I with my wife encouragement started picking up sun dresses and some normal summer dresses and I love them . I can’t tell you how comfort they are I don’t wear them out in public yet but at home there wonderfuf .. I have many skirts some long that are nice for cooler weather but mostly wear the mini that come just above the knee 1-4 inches . My hope is America gets more understanding and the homophobic guys can understand its just a way to dress not to be scared of it. Hope to see more guys out in skirts soon .
If I had to wear a Cargo brand skirt, I’d be hit with the most severe wave of boredom I can imagine in my worst nightmares. Those are incredibly dull looking. However, I would not impose my view on others. A Cargo skirt does not get you “dressed like a tropical fish” status. A Cargo skirt does not get you “dressed like a diamond blazing in the sun status.” A Southwestern style “squaw” skirt with a petticoat—or a “male” skirt fustanella—ascends to those pedestals. Drab! Cargo skirts are drab! You just may have a touch of Puritanism in your thinking, and the Great Masculine Renunciation tracing to the Reign of Terror 1789-1793, and the dullness of the Industrial Revolution. I much prefer the “Solomon in all his glory” look. Cargo skirts? Sure—for mowing a lawn. No way for stepping out. Thin edge of the wedge? Watch out you don’t get permanently stuck there. Have a LOOK at skirts worn by Egyptian Tanoura Dervishes.
There are no reasons why a man can not wear skirts of any kind. I wear them a lot and enjoy doing so. They are very comfortable. I like wearing the mini skirts because they are less restrictive than shorts when walking. I am 65 and not gay in any way. So if you feel like wearing any kind of skirt, go for it. Have fun and enjoy.
Well, I see that quartet of miserable looking ‘men’ has gone, which I suppose is something, but I have to say the substitute doesn’t do much towards encouraging men into skirts. Maybe I’m paranoid, but wherever I look, there will be the parodies; the hammed-up send-ups, as though there is a conspiracy against sensible skirts for sensible men. Only once did I see a pc of a man turned out in such a way – if only I could find it, to point you to it.
Here was a man dressed for business. I am not sure, but he may have been a hotel manager. Crisp white shirt with neatly tied tie. Dark jacket, which I think was open to show his vestwaistcoat. Matching dark business skirt, I think to the knees and quite plain. There would be a kick-pleat, of course. Opaque black stockings. Man’s everyday black, lace-up shoes. There was nothing untoward about him, and why should there be. Nothing outré. No send-ups, no hamming, no stupid put-downs or silly poses so beloved by editors and picture editors – I repeat, just a man dressed for business. Well, big deal! Need I add, it doesn’t take an Einstein to recognise the possible variations on the theme.
I must add: about the pic you used. What the man is wearing is his choice, and why not, but it is not the sort of thing to wear to go to the office, or even the shopping mall, which is what you and your readers should be thinking about and planning for.
Men should be able to ware a skirt in public, and not have to feel like he is doing something wrong. They are more comfortable than a pair of slacks,and in some cases look better. During the hot weather they are a lot more comfortable because the air can move around you and be a little more on the comfortable side.
I have tried to ware one out in public and got a lot of heat from some ladies, because they say they are for them only to use. Going back in history men wore them every day, and nothing was ever said to them.I think it is time to go back to those days and let people know they are for every one that wants to ware them, and leave people alone, the are not hurting any one by one on.
Like it was posted pants for women and skirts for men I’m all for that. Live and let live enjoy them while you can.
People should be free to wear anything they want as long as it is decent. For the practical, knee length, pleated or kilt like looks the best on a man. It can be dressed down or dressed up, unlike shorts that do not look great for the office, those type of skirts do look professional and clean. Trust me, you can go anywhere with those type of skirts without any issue. Men needs to stop to being shy and just do it! Wear the skirts. I do!
Never thought of wearing a kilt until I found a bath wrap was labeled sleepwear. Now the kilt is my garment of choice. Unbelievable how much more comfortable it is driving. And hiking. Doing just about anything. Knee length or a little above. Tartans or modern. Don’t get tired as quick doing yard work. Reactions vary – there is no constant like or dislike. They are healthier for you and my health is more important to me than someone’s opinion. Sooooo much better on a hot day. Good a cool day as well. Swagger + swish = swoon
In many movie i saw, the women in a areme are in pants. Those women do not wear mini skirt they wear pants a d they are very submitive to there master.if we look at the past a man wearing pants will be submit to his master. For gime my french
Dans plusieur film que j ai vu les femmes dans les aremes portent des pantalons et elles sont toutes tres soumises a leur maitre. Donc si on se fient a l histoire un homme en pantalons serait soumis.????
Areme= harem
I only wear skirrts, they are beautiful to wear
skirts only time is at home inside and it has to be a mini skirt and I myself wear tights or pantyhose daily great fashion for legs that may be it man or woman can benefit from. I prefer women’s tights or pantyhose cause of color choices and styles
Not sure why you need the mini skirt and pantyhose. Just as easy to wear mens thermals and insulated long sleeve shirt in the winter. Summertime you could go with an oversized sport jersey.
Joe, I’d like to help you understand something here. The pantyhose/tights vs. long johns’ thing is this; Long johns are bulky and not very efficient. As for myself, it is next to impossible to find l.j’s. in my size, yet surprisingly, I am able to find p.h./tights in my size. They also allow pants to glide as opposed to gathering the material from the longjohns and causing bulkiness and bunching. They also offer greater insulation than l.j’s. do as the air is blocked from the legs better. Once again referring to my earlier comments here, the miniskirts offer less restriction and better freedom of movement. They also allow your legs less rubbing and less sweating. Finally, again as per my earlier comments, men have an external package. Are you one that likes that package twisted, pinched, hanging out one side or the other, mashed, pulled apart, etc? It is truly illogical that we are expected to ‘pinch off’ our package. That is one of the major causes of sterility from the heat, the damage caused by the unwanted results from wearing pants, e.d., cancers of that region, deformities, etc. Think LOGICALLY instead of what society has brainwashed you into believing.
Good reply. It’s been my experience men have this attitude because they never experienced a mini skirt (or tights). Once they do they are usually sold. It makes more sense for a male to wear a skirt than a female based on anatomy alone… no crotch binding inseams, cooler than shorts on a hot day and if short freedom of movement is outstanding. What’s not to like about a mini skirt? Men have worn skirts throughout time far longer than women have and many of those were micro mini length so no big deal. Top clothing designers are trying to put men BACK into skirts and say there are NO reasons for men not to wear skirts as an option to pants. It is society that is screwed up but it is changing fast now as more and more men open their minds and try a mini skirt for running, hiking and sitting. See these guys in skirts and note they still look like men just as women in pants still look like women: http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/22064674 Women with their more open minds made pants an option in a big way 55 years but men’s fashion hasn’t changed in 150+ years! (says something doesn’t it). More men in skirts here so people realize skirts work for the guys: https://es.pinterest.com/patagoniakid/men-in-mini-skirts/
It’s time to wear them out it may be better to go a little longer for public but as long as you have tights or legens on who cares , I if going to town where skorts but skirts are coming soon just like I wear around home , inside and out in the yard
I wear one of my skirts most of the time when at home. I live alone and feel very comfortable in my skirt. I will, on occasion, at late hours,go out for a walk in a skirt for an hour or so. Feels great. Wish it to become socially acceptable. I am certainly not gay and have been labeled as a “mans man” at times. Happy skirting.
Us guys definitely do have a desire in us to wear skirts, and if not dresses also. This is not just a national trend but one that extends the world wide over.Just Look at the multitude of examples that exist. The Catwalks of runways: Male models modeling lines of skirts for us guys.A few Top Male performers in the singing and acting industry wearing skirts on stage in front of the camera.Then there are guys who participate in the raising of funds for a women’s or girl’s cause. Where to participate in the raising of the funds the fund-raiser must wear a specific article of women or girls clothing. The two most note-able and well known ones are #1-)The New Orleans Red Dress Run. ( Held the 1st Sat. Every Aug./ All Fund-raisers must wear a Red Dress of their choosing. Then walk the set course ending up at a bar.Will have plenty of beer stops along the way.Yes,just wear the Red Dress, and walk the course,that’s all….#2-) Then there’s the ‘Do It in A Dress”. Ah Yes this is fund raiser to raise funds for poor African girls to attend school along with their peers.Without some type of financial help it’s sad to say,these girls would be left behind…Here the Fund-raiser Must wear a Gingham School Girls Dress of their choosing and do some sort of activity of their choice to raise the funds,and get it on the internet.IMPORTANT THOUGH. The fund-raiser first must get their approval that the activity that they had chosen has been approved.There’s a low threshold so they shouldn’t have a hard time. Both of these fund raisers have a huge amount of people turning out to help out raising the funds for these worthy causes. And it’s strange to note. more than half of them are guys.About 70%,to be accurate….And moving on –just how many times has a guy lost a bet where he had to walk around in a dress or a skirt outside in public somewhere? I’m guessing they probably could have really won these bets if they really,really wanted to. …Next up—The Great many Powder-puff Football games at schools where the Boys Dress the parts of the girl Cheer-leaders and do off handed comedy cheering routines.But they are wearing the Skirted uniforms,which they don’t seem to mind at all….And on we go to a Holiday that comes around one time a year. That being Halloween of course. Where plenty of guys will slip into some sort skirted or dress costume and gladly go around having a good time even though there a bit femed. up….And just recently, within the last year or two Congo Dancing (A Square dancing) type of dance,where you do plenty of twirls,spins and partner change-ups has seen more and more guys taken to the dance floor wearing a dancing Skirt. A skirt that would swirl high up into the air as the dancer was twirling around more and more…..And finally we’ll mention one more area of us guys showing ourselves in skirts and that would be right here on the internet.If you just Input or Google : Guys wearing skirts/Picture trails then you will be able to scroll down to where there are lots of pictures of ordinary, everyday guys (NO wigs,or any other feminine items) wearing plain looking skirts,such as blue jean,corduroy or perhaps cargo skirts.Yes there are 100’s of photo’s there where guys are out in the public somewhere having there picture taken.A few are even with there girlfriends or wives.
It’s contra dancing, not congo dancing. And, yes, many men war skirts at them. I was just at the NEFFA folk dance festival in Massachusetts. (Happens every year at this time and people come from all over the country.) Many men were wearing skirts (as was I). Look it up. You can find many pictures and videos of it on the internet.
I would like the idea of wearing a skirt in public, I just can’t get up the courage to do it. However, if someone were to design a short skirt that can be locked on. I’ll be happy to put it to the test and if I can’t get it off, I’ll have to wear it from then on.