Are You Ready for Men in Skirts?

Question

In recent years, from Paris to London to New York, no men's runway show has been complete without a few skirted looks for men.

The cuts are often decidedly masculine, evoking traditional Scottish kilts, but the materials aren't always what you'd expect for a guy -- take the clear purple vinyl skirt Jeremy Scott presented this week in New York.

Designers from Givenchy to Balenciaga have all sent man skirts -- or their close cousin the skort (a skirt-shorts hybrid) -- down the runway. Marc Jacobs has even made it a staple of his personal style. And then there's the American company Utilikilts, which sells utility kilts for manly men.

Not quite sold? You're probably not alone -- while skirt-like garments for men aren't uncommon in other cultures (kilts, caftans), it's still considered taboo for a man to wear a skirt here in the states.

Does the man skirt have a future, or is it just wishful thinking on the part of designers?

Answer 1

There are guys, although few, who come to school (college) in the coolest looking kilt I've ever seen and they look cute, even **** ;-) I'd like to be sitting on the stairs when he walks by me.

Answer 2

Scots are not known for shaving their legs. That's for body builders and swimmers. Shaving is a matter of personal taste only and is in no sense a requisite for wearing anything in particular---that's just arbitrary.

Answer 3

Not about the location of the zipper. I personally don't think it looks right. The pics ive seen just didn't look right. And the designs I've seen so far for men were very feminine.

Answer 4

"the designs were very feminine," shows you're still affected by mass hypnosis. The ********** is that anything decorative, expressive, flamboyant or frilly is innately female. Not so. This is all learned behavior and the ongoing bombardment of suggestion (mass hypnosis) we get from our society. Look at the shoes worn today by British Beefeater guards. They're frillier and fancier than almost any shoes being marketed to females. Look at the skirts of the male Egyptian
Tanoura ("skirt") dancers. Very few skirts marketed to females are as decorative or colorful. While you're at it, I suggest you read the PDF file at www.dfwseekwoman.net to learn about "The Great Masculine Renunciation," caused by the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution, Puritanism, and the Industrial Revolution. No gorm of expression in dress is off limits to either ***, and it remains the optimum way of doing things, that everyone present as the gender they are. That does not mean forbidding men choices. Image is of "petticoat breeches" worn by noblemen circa 1640-1685

Answer 5

Excellent response.....YOu are so true about the influence of Puritanism and the Victorian era!

Answer 6

A Kilt IS a Skirt by definition! The "nay sayers" need to look it up. A kilt is just a particular "type" of skirt and there are many thousands of types. A kilt is usually tartan, hot, heavy and expensive and completely unnecessary where there are so many women's skirts available.
Leading clothing designers say skirts are unisex (like pants) and anyone can wear one without modification and in fact the only items that are *** specific are a bra and jock strap.

Guys can look great and have a great feeling in short skirts (no friggin crotch seams is a big deal). Check these guys in skirts and realize they still look like guys just as women in pants still look like women! http://www.picturetrail.com/s...

Answer 7

You're preaching to the choir my friend. I just wish other people would get with the idea. The major clothing companies need to actually start selling them marked for men. Then it may take off. But without that, we are fighting an uphill battle against social restrictions and nearsightedness.

Answer 8

You're stuck with the "thin edge of the wedge" and can't see that the whole wedge, needs to be wedged in. Arguing against certain types of dresses/skirts, in light of the fact of women wearing all trouser styles, and in view of the fact that men wore dozens of distinct skirts/dresses across history (and today, see National Geographic Magazine), is as antiprogressive as the colonists/settlers who said "don't go farther out than the Ohio Valley!" Bhutanese male dancers wear attire very different from utilikilts, which are just GD boring, drab rags!

Answer 9

no offence, but most guys don't have the legs for it. and they'd have to shave

Answer 10

well, in my personal taste, showing off leg hair isn't particularly attractive

Answer 11

You're preaching to the choir here. My opinion on dresses for men is No. leave them to the ladies. the just don't look right to me. As for the rest, I agree with you. Just wish the rest of the country would catch up to modern times and get rid of the old outdated social stigmas.

Answer 12

Your taste governs your actions only. And it's to an extent conditioned behavior "I shave my legs because women shave their legs," I see most will never progress past circular thinking. In this sense it's an argument for men to not shave their legs if wearing skirts---the traditionalist may then look low to ascertain the presence/absence of leg hair and maintain his ************ ("no hair" = "something can be penetrated.") I followed the line of thought to its reasonable conclusion. However, any interference with the sole control of the individual over the clothed body is antithetical to civilized ideals. You pursue happiness in your own way, and others in THEIRS!

Answer 13

okay, i would not have a problem with a man wearing a skirt, i would just say that if i was advising a man on style, it wouldn't be something i'd recommend

Answer 14

AND in classical Greece, you would NOT have recommended any man to wear pants. It's brainless social conformity, the cohesiveness of the herd, that you wrongly find so dear. No man should have any reason for not wearing skirts other than he chooses not to. It sure shouldn't be, because others are coercing him against it---which does happen to be the case. Women got free from stupid *** typing, men are still stuck with it. Dumb.

Answer 15

I don't see why legs in a skirt would have any difference appearance than in shorts. You are right...Research has shown that by far most women prefer guys without hairy legs and bodies. So for some it would be advisable to shave if they are on the prowl... There are however plenty of guys that can get away without shaving in a short skirt. It is interesting to note that a Micro Mini Skirt of 10" long is the same length as some men's running shorts and a regular Mini Skirt 12" to 13" long is the same length as men's gym shorts so "mini" doesn't mean too short for anyone!!!

Some women are jealous because guys legs look better and thus don't want men to wear skirts (keeping the style to themselves...selfish)! Others are ********** like most men!

Answer 16

only when its a kilt

Answer 17

No one gets to say no other than the individual for his own personal decision. I'm not Scottish, DON'T try to draft me into that culture. It's like saying to men, "all overseas travel is limited to being for women only, except for Scotland. Males may only travel to that one destination." The swing of the kilt is no thanks to its sad, sad flat front. That way of styling is also held to be a *** difference. Nonsense! The white skirt worn by Greek men is pleated in front, and they very correctly do NOT consider the presence of pleats all around to be "female." All tradition is arbitrary and unreasoning. Yes, the kilt should have been pleated all around ("which would make it a pleated skirt") well it's a pleated skirt regardless, even if not completely around.

Answer 18

I'm not from Scotland. and I have no problem with it if men want to wear a skirt. But personally I do not like skirts for men. But all it is up to himself whether he wants to wear a skirt or not (I am also not the type who wears skirts often --> I am a girl :D).
But maybe I like it someday, when man wears skirts.
But right now you have to accept that I only like men in kilts and not in skirts (although the difference between a skirt and a kilt is not big.)

Answer 19

And all you have to accept is men who want to wear a skirt are gonna do it whether the **** you like it or NOT. You are DISREGARDED!

Answer 20

Your opinion won't regulate those who dispute it. Just design the dress to configure with broader shoulders, no ***** etc. There's nothing womanly about a 1 piece garment! My father wore "jumpsuits" and was never challenged about it. Men wore dresses since ancient times. I think you fear something that today usually zips up the back! I won't agree that a zipper's location correlates to gender anatomy.

Answer 21

Taste varies, I'd never wear a tight skirt, it's defeating much of the purpose. Designers compete to offer outlandish styles. There's still no diff between a skirt and a dress except it's a top and bottom together! Get over it! A one piece garment with a skirt bottom, that zips up the back, would really be a new experience. I own no dresses yet but lots of skirts. "Feminize the man" betrays a misconception of *** roles. I suggest you research "rhinegraves" on Google. A conflux of social forces combined to produce the idea that fancy clothes on men are unmanly---that decoration is a female only thing by nature. But have you looked at nature? Male peacocks and male lions are the decorated ones, not females. The influence of Puritanism (religious zealotry) held that dark, drab colors alone are acceptable--black, brown, gray. The French Revolution capped off the "great masculine renunciation." Over 400,000 people died in the French Revolution, most during the Reign of Terror starting in 1789 on the guillotine. Commoners who could not afford lace and fancy clothes (Google "The Sun King") hated the nobility/aristocracy who had fancy clothes. Elaborate attire became a symbol of repression, and so became ********** only with females. Next came the Industrial Revolution...

Taste varies, I'd never wear a tight skirt, it's defeating much of the purpose. Designers compete to offer outlandish styles. There's still no diff between a skirt and a dress except it's a top and bottom together! Get over it! A one piece garment with a skirt bottom, that zips up the back, would really be a new experience. I own no dresses yet but lots of skirts. "Feminize the man" betrays a misconception of *** roles. I suggest you research "rhinegraves" on Google. A conflux of social forces combined to produce the idea that fancy clothes on men are unmanly---that decoration is a female only thing by nature. But have you looked at nature? Male peacocks and male lions are the decorated ones, not females. The influence of Puritanism (religious zealotry) held that dark, drab colors alone are acceptable--black, brown, gray. The French Revolution capped off the "great masculine renunciation." Over 400,000 people died in the French Revolution, most during the Reign of Terror starting in 1789 on the guillotine. Commoners who could not afford lace and fancy clothes (Google "The Sun King") hated the nobility/aristocracy who had fancy clothes. Elaborate attire became a symbol of repression, and so became ********** only with females. Next came the Industrial Revolution, factory work making plain clothes more practical. You are SO WRONG about "feminization" and fancy clothes on men! Today we have Tanoura (skirt) dancers in Egypt in skirts way more fantastic than almost any you'll ever see on females. Same with Bhutanese dancers, Indian Kathakali, Turkish Kocek, Greek and Albanians in pleated tutu like skirts, blouses and pantyhose. These men all have in common that they present as men, not as women, they never ever wear any bra, but often wear facial hair. Pleats, ruffles, lace, etc., are just female ************, when in fact that men think they're unmanly, is just tradition, convention, ***********, and MASS HYPNOSIS!

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Answer 22

No, and I never will. Skirts are for women, and men who try and change that are honestly just pathetic.

Answer 23

Women ****** wear dresses/skirts anymore. If some men start wearing them out, and do it correctly by presenting as men (phooey on hokey female impersonators) they will preserving a species verging on extinction---the skirt. If the future unfolded in such a way that women made the same mistake men made ages past, that of completely abandoning skirts, mark my words in any time capsule---PSYCHIATRY will at that point call any women in a skirt "deviant" and "disordered," because they equate social conformity with normal liver function! Psychiatry is the deadly enemy of all civilized persons, no more of "but Judge, the disorder made me do it!"

Answer 24

You fail history forever.

Answer 25

You wear skirts what percent of the time? Oh and you have TAMPONS (female) mixed up with SKIRTS (*** neutral).

Answer 26

I feel it's okay for a guy to wear a skirt or dress facial hair no facial hair I do it.

Answer 27

It's true skirts are a RETURN fashion for men because men have worn skirts far longer than women! A skirt obviously makes more sense for the male anatomy than for a female so society has it screwed up! Leading clothing designers have stated there is not one reason for men not to wear skirts. The only thing stopping men is their ********** (fear a skirt will make them *** or weak)...can't get dumber than that, yet women with their more open minds have adopted men's pants just 50 years ago and now look...that's about all they wear... if you want to look like a woman wear pants!

For those who don't think men can rock skirts check these guys in skirts and note they still look like guys just as women in pants still look like women. They are obviously NOT "cross dressing" trying to look like women but are enjoying a change: http://www.picturetrail.com/s...

Some day men will grow up in the Western World and join the 70% of the worlds mens population that wear skirts as an option! There is not one reason not to do so...

Answer 28

I think you should be free to wear what ever you want. my husband wears short skirts every day. he shaves his legs and has muscles, i think he looks ****. he gets lots of positive feedback in our town. and to the small minded few, i'd say stop trying to control others.

Answer 29

I hope your investments pay off and your taxes go to zero.

Answer 30

Skirts are a man's garment only before women borrowed it in 17.-18th century. So men reclaim their right to wear their own garment again, and there isn't anything wrong with it.
Women in past only wore long dresses but men only wore short skirts (mini-skirts in new-English). We can't change the history but we can open our mind and welcome new ideas, creations and innovation to step out of our old, dusty and grey every-day wardrobe (also called suits, ties and jeans) and try the most comfortable garment for men again future.

Answer 31

I have the legs for it, and they look great in skirts.. and I shave anyway.. Not a big fan of body hair.

Answer 32

Ive seen pictures of some of the dresses made for men...they look awful. The big fashion designers are still trying to feminize the man instead of masculinize the clothes. Besides, personnally I dont think dresses on guys would look right.

Answer 33

because a no is simply a sign of intolerance towards something different. Black people were refused to go on some buses a while ago... this is now shocking, but it was considered as normal a while ago. This is just to say that people that says no for men in skirt, would probably have said no for black people on buses if they would have been born 100 years ago...

Answer 34

But the real biggie of the situation is people fear, very greatly fear, social change. Religious fundamentalists were terrified of the television set when it came out. Playboy Magazine once reported a tribal chief who went back to his people after getting educated in the civilized world. He was denounced and beaten due to his new idea about public nudity---he was against it.

Answer 35

only if it is a kilt

Answer 36

Only if it's something that's already some part of your mentality. Yeah, you're narrow minded, like a mouse born in a grain bin who thinks the whole world looks just like that. You get to travel anywhere on the planet, you tell men they can only go to one destination. Why don't you set an example by wearing the exact same skirt for the rest of your unimaginative life? That's what you're wanting to limit men to, because you think they shouldn't have the same basic human liberties you have. But then, it could easily be that you don't even own a skirt or a dress and always wear pants. Kilts are for ethnic Scots and for men too afraid to go past the thin edge of the wedge.

Answer 37

Skirts have never been considered strictly masculine or strictly feminine, and some cultures still utilize the skirt as an integral part of their fashion. And I personally love the images of men in kilts. The problem arises when men try to make themselves look like women. And for that you do not necessarily need a skirt. There's a big difference between a man who cross dresses and a man who wears a skirt.

Answer 38

Men who vote no are entitled to control their clothing habits. They aren't entitled to control MINE. Same goes for the style selfish women who see their skirt monopoly as power over men---which it is! When I wear a skirt, I GET THE POWER. No way can pants ever match the aesthetics of skirts, except when skirts are made ugly like plain tube skirts and trousers attractive (Mexican Mariachi outfit). People who express outrage, nausea, contempt etc. about men wearing skirts, don't realize that their counterparts in earlier generations made the same statements against WOMEN wearing PANTS. Women have largely abandoned skirts, except on the occasions when they want to remind society about their STYLE MONOPOLY, and men are being forbidden to wear a basic, ***-neutral lower body garment which they wore for thousands of years, until horseback traditions in transportation and warfare caused them to adopt trousers. A real, rather than invented, *** difference in appearance is facial hair on men, and none on women. But if skirts are a *** difference that men should not wear them, where does that leave women, wearing both styles? BY ***, THEY HAVE TO BE HERMAPHRODITES! And as the religious fanatic says, "all women in pants are going to a devil's ****!"

Answer 39

**** yes! I am a skirt wearer and love the idea. Those of you saying "Kilts, yes. Skirts no!" May not have ever priced a kilt. They generally cost around 170.00 USD. I don't know about you, but with 3 ********, a mortgage, and a car payment that's way too much to pay for one article of clothing. As for people who think its *** or emasculating, do you call you girlfriends ******** because they wear pants? ****! A woman can wear anything she wants from either department and no one cares. Why is it that people want to keep men in clothing that is inherently uncomfortable for the male physiology? Kilts are fine for those who can afford them. I can't. So a skirt, not a dress(those should stay for women) is an economical alternative. As for the. crap on the runways, I wouldn't touch them myself.

Answer 40

Only thing that makes sense is to get down to bedrock facts. A man can wear a dress same as a skirt. There's nothing about a one piece garment that's other than human. Men sometimes wear "jumpsuits," slacks with a top and a zipper higher than usual. In the case of obvious female/****** tailoring in the bodice, those can be called female. I bought some of those and had them reduced to skirts only. But a male tailored dress is nothing faulty in concept. Men wore gowns/robes/dresses throughout long, long ages. *** differentiation was never an issue, because men also wore facial hair. Our crazy society encourages men to shave off all the evidence of masculinity. So, mine is no female impersonator advocate argument.

Answer 41

Now to thrown in the proverb grain of salt.
People did eventually accept women pants/trousers, so it isn't impossible in 10 years that all the no's will be giving different answers.

These were scandalous in the 1930's, for example Marlene Dietrich,
Katherine Hepburn may be the 1940's