Isabelle and Pooh deep in thought.
Women in pants. Does that really mean anything? Women and girls wear pants all the time. We wear cargo pants, carpenter jeans, dress pants and suits. It is no big deal. Perhaps to the Brits it's a little more interesting (pants = underwear), but that is just a matter of terminology.
Men in skirts. Now that means a whole lot. Questions arise. Is it a statement? It certainly was when my Freshman group leader at McGill dressed in a kilt for Halloween, went out for several rounds and passed out in the elevator later that evening or perhaps earlier that morning. Because he wore it in the true Scottish fashion with no undergarments.
For a while my husband always shaved his legs and he was really interested in a particular wrap-around skirt. If you look in his closet you will see an organized row of button down men's shirts, several pairs of grey, navy, black slacks and some sweaters and a couple of pairs of jeans. Where did the skirt fit in? The skirt in question goes with the leg shaving. It was for bicycle racing. The skirt would make it easy to change in the parking lot for my nude-phobic guy who won't even leave his bedroom without putting a pair of pants on first.
The bad news is that for now, our clothes and our children's clothes in particular are becoming more and more gender-specific thanks to marketing toys, names, brands, television shows, etc.. The worst aspect of this is that the clothes being made for little girls have become extremely inappropriate. The sexualization of girls and what that means for girls, women and gender stereotyping is a whole other series of articles.
The good news is that I've had some good men in skirt sightings around town in the last six months or so. Online I have found even more great pictures and discussions. I think it is about time that we give men and boys the freedom that we have to wear pants and skirts. This summer, at a mail carrier convention, men donned some new uniforms. Mountain hardware has a mountain biking kilt for men with great reviews. If you are more into the high fashion skirts, the Sartorialist has a couple of great photos followed by a good discussion about men in skirts. There is also the utilikilt. There is a great photograph of a cyclist in his kilt and tie at the Brompton World Championship. If you really want to get involved, there is skirtcafe.org, which is "dedicated to exploring, promoting and advocating skirts and kilts as a fashion choice for men".
Skirt Cafe,Sport Kilt, Men's Skirts in Wikipedia, New York Magazine, The BlogFathers discussion
Comments
I agree.
It is not just that men can wear skirts, it is about equality too. Yes, I also saw a couple times guys in skirts around Detroit, actually in Troy, northern Detroit Metropolitan Area, and I have to admit that this guys were looking great.
I checked "Men's Style.com" and found the new men's style for upcoming Spring season 2009 - see "Thom Browne". You'll see.
Any reasonably enlightened or even logical person should be able to see that there is no good reason, actual no reason at all why women are 'allowed' to wear skirts and men aren'. If you accept that a woman wearing pants is perfectly normal and acceptable, that what possible objection could you raise to a man wearing a skirt? I think most people accept this argument, accept that people should be free to wear whatever they want, but they still feel the need to qualify this by saying "but I think it looks stupid/I wouldn't do it/I find it unattractive when men do". Reaction to a man wearing a skirt is some diferent to our reaction to a woman wearing one. I've been wondering why that is and I can't help but feel that it has something do with residual attachment to illogical norms, despite our professed enlightenment. And it is against equality at all, and against emancipation for women and men.
I remember that I read long time ago that the first "Men's Society" was formed in 1894 in Boston, targenting the same rights wearing skirts like women.
And if you want to think about one sentence which a honorable woman in the Netherlands said at Women's Day 2005:
"The Emancipation is successfull finished when men wearing skirts".
That really would say that we should encourage our men to do so. It is nothing wrong with men in skirts, just a new/additional way of dressing.
I would love to see men in skirts in public, particulary also my husband. Last year I bought him a typically male A-line skirt with a lot of pockets. He looks great in this and so I felt to buy some more for him because he would not do it by himself. He looks great with skirts, way better than with pants. But he don’t want to go out in public, and so far, I could not encourage him to do so, I was unable to go skirted out with him. But skirts and dresses for men are in fashion {see Men's style.com} and more than 20 years skirts are offered for men. But only few men wearing skirts today, it is an increasing number of men who feeling free to show their calves with an un-bifurcated garment, but there are so little number of men. Why? Are men not interested in fashion, or are they afraid to come out with new dressing ideas, do they do not like comments what they are wearing or are they just not encouraged enough? In fact, skirts are more suitable for men than pants, there are fitting exactly what male bodies need, there are more healthy for men and much more comfortable as any kind of pants or shorts. So, why only few men do wear skirts in public today?
Women, for instance do what they want, they wearing what they like it or feel comfortable in it, and I think men should do the same. It is a question of equality, liberty and freedom. There is no reason at all that men cannot wear skirted garments. The most important thing is to encourage the and our men to start coming back to that what we call: "Real Men", and real men wearing skirts and they are not staying back to go with the new skirted fashion.
Isn't it an old story? Gaultier started it 1984 to dress men in skirts and dresses. It was "trend-fashion" par excellence, but most men did not pay any attention to it. Now it is an ongoing issue, and when the New York Magazine ask for if "we are ready" for men is skirts?" I have to answer: Yes, but this question shows how helpless we are acting with unknown issues.
Skirting for men is not an issue for all, it is THE issue for men only. If they decide to go with it, it is fine, it would make the every day life more colorful and interesting.
That's all, just do it! Men who did it, even Robbie Williams in public, had have success with it, there are more admires than most men think. Why men are afraid to step into a new "dressing area?"
I would love it if people would stop finally worrying about sex and skirts. A skirt isn't feminine, although traditionally feminine clothes in the past 150 years; but can we look past tradition and embrace these men expressing themselves as they see fit?
No!
They extend bautiful silhouettes that challenge our existing conceptions of fashion and gender in a way that seems completely natural to them. That is the secret to fashion, in my eyes and my understanding, owning what you wear and making other people see your point of view. It includes that people have to go their own way, and for men: It is time for a change.
Cultural appropriation needs to be enacted with respect and awareness then it can look ok on 'pale westerners'. How the gentleman's legs look is much the same as for shorts and also for women; but skirt looks better on men as shorts, definitely. Go, men…go, with your skirts, let’s see your legs!
I hope so – skirts for men, why not?
It is not the question if America is ready for her men to be traipsing around the streets in skirts; it is the question if American men encouraged enough to wear it as a daily garment.
I personally see no problem with a guy wearing skirts, as long he doesn’t mind it. I have always felt it’s unfair that as a woman I can wear just about anything I want in the way of men’s/women’s clothes, while men are much more limited by social norms.
Does a skirt fit for men? Absolutely yes, I think, mostly better than pants, and men have the best comfort in it. I find a man in a skirt to be quite sexy, really. And I cannot find any single reason why men should not wear a skirt. Just one little request I do have: Seeing as most guys tend to sit with their legs open (I guess that men learn to sit like this to avoid the discomfort of the crotch of the pants-) you might better want to wear proper underwear or pantyhose under the skirt, so as to eliminate any risk accidentally seeing your manhood. ?
The skirt-issue is exploding because the skirt for men finds an epidemic distribution after reseachers found out, that every fith man in the age of 30-40 years already suffers of Testeron.
Testeron is produced in the testicle. Through squeezing and pressure through the crotch of a pair of pants, less masculine hormone is formed substantially, obesty and high blood pressure are some of the consequences.
I think that is an aspect of health but it does not tell anything about how does a skirt look at men, but it would be interesting to see more on the streets.
Anyway, I want to thank Leah Klein for this article, I think some men are getting awake now.
Nothing wrong with skirts on men. I would love to see more men wearing a skirt or kilt.
I do not think that is necessary that men have to explain/excuse why they want to wear this garment, just HOW to wear it because it should fit. No more or less.
I have some fab skirts and petticoats from EBAY. Wonderful pleats, metallics, ruffles. I wear a skirt to dance performances at SMU (as a spectator) never asked to leave after nine times. My preference is to not own any pants.
Not much reaction anymore I can see, that means all are already agree what has been said about men in skirt. The other point could be, nobody is really interested because nobody cares what men wearing. So, men just let's see your legs, I can't wait to learn more about "real" men who have the courage to wear skirts in public.
As already been said, nothing is wrong with skirts for men, just men have to go on with it.
See more men in skirts around Troy/MI now. It looks like some are encouraged enough to go in public.
I must admit that men really looking very good -don't want say 'beautiful' - in skirts.
Why men asking if they can wear a skirt or dress? If they want to they should do it. Just do it!
March is 'women's month' and it would be a great sign when more men would wear skirts. It only shows the equality -please that has nothing to do with feminism- between the gender and sexes.
Men, just be a real men and wear what you like, a skirt will look great on you.
Recently I watched TV and there was a bunch of guys different ages wearing skirts and dresses, and I was surprised how good they really looked in their new outfit. I don't want to say in general men looking better in skirts, but some do.
In case of men's new handbags they presented - I think most are too big, no elegance at all, looking like little smaller briefcases.
We are talking about trend fashion, men’s skirts and we don’t know how a skirt is looking on men. We are judging just about our past experience and narrowed imagination. What a lie, grand lie we are doing to us, and we do not feel ashamed when we are giving our ‘opinion’ about this new issue.
Everybody knows that the skirts, or even dresses, on men, is a beginning of a new area of dressing choices for men since they were put in pants after the French Revolution. For male’s body shape, on further their health there is no better garment for him than a skirt. We are saying in public NO, because skirts are women’s garment because in western societies used by women the past 210 years, even we know that more than 50% of all men on this world still wearing skirts because those men just follow the rule that clothes have to adapt to the body, the body to climate and environment – form follows function.
We are continuing lying because we are saying that we will do the best for our comfort, health and practicability. Men don’t.
Keep going on with lying is, that we really do not care what is going with health and comfort of men when it touches our imagination of sex-related dressing. It seems to me a very single-track what we are doing and it is not the truth nor does it reflect the reality. To come to the summit we women go about that away to assign all rights to us what pleased us, and get full support from men, mostly our husband. We name that then generously emancipation but lament our self that we do not have all the rights such men have. Do we not have the same rights, do we use more rights compare to men because we are women?
Please stop lying and start thinking critically. The truth would be closer and we could see that new men’s fashion is just one step in the right direction. We should support men when wearing men’s skirt and dress, because they are helping to get rid of old unwritten fashion directions and false statements.
It is not about lying to us, it is about the change. Nobody thought about skirts for men since generations, and now the change to skirts.
I do not think it is wrong, it is just so new. I think a lot of people already thought about this topic, but I did not consider at all. But I must agree that there are so many true words in the comments, and it is true and correct that men should have the possibility to wear what they want. It is absolutely correct. Equality? Does it mean equality to women - because they fought for their rights and equality for a long time.
I think we should talk about equality between men too, because everybody should acknowledge that everybody is different and should be accepted as he is. That includes dressing and wearing different clothes.
Since I read the main article I did consider all parts of pro's and con's, and I found that is right that men should/can wear skirts too.
We don't know what's coming up next, but for sure I want to support this idea of dressing men comfortly in skirts.
Too much talking, discussing, but no result. Just do something, means guys going to wear skirts. Nothing wrong with it. Check it: "That is not men who are feminizing, that is the skirt which is masculinizing."
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