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Friday, January 17, 2014

Skirts For Males

John B. Marine | 2:58 PM | | |
(UPDATED: May 30, 2016)

Males wearing skirts today would disgust most average people. LONG before they became a staple of feminine fashion, males have worn skirts. Some fashionable types wonder how come males in skirts isn't as acceptable in today's society as it has been in the past. Some fashion designers have tempted to try to make skirts for males and to show that skirts may one day be as acceptable as any average jeans, pants, or shorts for males. Will skirts ever be acceptable for males in today's society? My blog post takes a look at skirts for males.

This blog post is an exclusive post here on "StyleSpace by JBM" that is a spinoff of one topic from a "John's Blog Space" post I did called "Males Wearing Feminine Fashions." I must warn you that some of the material in this blog post may not be suitable for all audiences. This isn't an entirely dirty post- there are just a few things that may discomfort some people regarding this topic.


LATEST UPDATE(S)/REVISION(S):

MAY 30 2016 - multiple edits and updates






Skirts For Males


It will not be easy to explain this topic. I will do my best to properly discuss this topic.


Skirts for Males at a Glance.

The skirt is a staple of feminine fashion today; but for the longest, males have worn skirts long before then. Skirts today exemplify feminine and graceful charm. These are free and loose bottoms that can be worn with any number of tops or any other sort of outfits. Short skirts (as well as short dresses) are often times uniquely and exclusively feminine. Our sex-crazed society sees skirts as garments only to be worn by females- which includes the discomforting upskirt moments that would make females extremely skittish... and such moments that would make perverts extremely happy. As with those who wear skirts, some females even enjoy the girly charm of twirling in a skirt or a dress.

For what I know, I usually think of personalities like Jean-Paul Gautier to try to make skirts fashionable for males. Back in 1998, a woman named Jennifer Minniti wondered how come no attempts at romanticizing the beauty of the male body weren't made. Jennifer designed skirts for men. Jean-Paul Gautier also attempted to make skirts for males fashionable.

When it comes to skirts for males, the term "manskirt" or "man skirt" are used in describing these skirts. I personally dislike slapping on "man" to certain trends or fashions just to make them acceptable for males.




Skirts For Males: Obstacles


What is holding back skirts for males a reality? A number of issues. Take a look at this section and get my thoughts on what is making skirts for males a reality- and an acceptable reality.


Skirts for Males: Not Just Kilts.

Many people immediately associate males and skirts with kilts. One doesn't have to be Scottish to wear a kilt. Kilts have been the most acceptable male skirts today. For some reason, kilts have been more acceptable as far as masculine skirts are concerned than males simply wearing feminine skirts.

Not many males could wear skirts without looking the least bit awkward.


Phobias and Gender Stereotypes.

Because many associate skirts with females, there are certain mindsets regarding if skirts will ever be as accepted among males as they are among females. According to modern society, only females should wear skirts. People can look at it in two ways. Either skirts are only for females either because (1) only females should wear skirts and feel beautiful in them, or (2) males shouldn't wear skirts because a male wearing one automatically makes them gay somehow. Skirts have been so much a feminine staple that they've been more than acceptable as feminine fashion. If a male tries to look fashionable in a skirt or wear a skirt, however, he somehow is gay.

Skirt wearing offers a one-sided argument in this case. Consider the following for a moment. A male wearing a skirt is seen as girly or gay. As if men aren't supposed to wear skirts, even though males have worn skirts historically for much longer than even before they became a staple of feminine fashion. Believe it or not- males even wore high-heels before they became a staple of feminine fashion! Maybe not killer five-inch heels or anything, but males have worn high heels before.

But for as much as males in certain feminine garments would be frowned upon, hardly anyone argues against females wearing masculine garments and masculine-inspired outfits. Like it's okay for a female to wear masculine clothes or dress up in a masculine way or with masculine garments, but it feels like a federal crime for a male to attempt to look feminine or wear feminine fashion pieces. This goes back to a double standard in fashion.


Skirts for Males vs. Society.

Society will frown upon a male who wears a skirt because (according to modern society) only females should wear skirts. The mindset expressed is that males are gay because wearing a skirt is like wearing panties- almost basically making a male sissified in the eyes of society. It will be tough to try to convince males to wear skirts on the standpoints of fashion and society. That is, unless someone makes a serious pitch that works.

Females are the ones who exemplify the beauty and fluidity of skirts. For many people, that is a one-sided view on skirts. In fact... males would argue that if males can't wear skirts, why do females wear certain masculine clothing and be able to get away with it or not be ridiculed as much (if at all)?

There was one instance where boys at a High School in Wales disapproved of a "no shorts" policy in 2013. So what these boys did in protest was wear skirts. Wearing shorts was a way to stay cool despite warm temperatures. When these boys were bummed they couldn't wear shorts, some of the boys wore skirts in protest. Here is some video insight on these boys wearing a skirt in protest:


^ "Schoolboys wear skirts after shorts ban"


Sex Appeal of Skirts.

Maybe the biggest obstacle of skirts for males is in how much we romanticize the skirt- especially with upskirt moments. Skirts that seem too loose or are a bit too short could provide some uncomfortable moments for any males wearing such skirts. This is very much a legitimate concern about males in skirts, because for as much as any female would dislike such moments wearing skirts or dresses, males would feel equally concerned giving others a peek under a skirt.


As you can tell, there are TOO many obstacles to skirts for males an acceptable reality. Will it ever happen? It depends on who you ask and how you feel about these in general.




Skirts For Males: The Quest for Acceptance


It is now time to ponder about skirts for males ever being acceptable.


Will Skirts for Males EVER Be Accepted?

Whether or not skirts eventually become accepted is almost as debatable as accepting gay people- some will accept and appreciate a concept; many others will not. Accepting things is a part of life. Like for example, a lot of people love Beyoncé while many others can't stand her. Same goes for male skirts. Some are going to enjoy the notion of a male wearing a skirt while others will cringe.


What Will it Take for Acceptance?

Not as many males are conscious or caring about fashion as females are. Think of curvy females who want to see a curvy female beautifully wear a certain kind of outfit or trend to instill confidence in wearing them. One such example is the notion of plus size females trying the cropped top and a skirt- something I've previously covered here on "StyleSpace by JBM." Can the same be done for males? It's going to be very tough doing so. Making skirts for males an acceptable reality will maybe require a well-respected fashionable male figure proudly and confidently wearing a skirt to maybe spark some interest.


Making the Case.

As I have tried to explain the appeal of skirts, the most obvious question to ask next is "why bother?" Skirts are so free and easy to wear. I think us males can agree that it does feel good to wear some bottoms besides our underwear that isn't hugging our crotches. And if you look at skirts only as some kind of sexual thrill, then you're only making out skirts to be feminine-exclusive rather than a wearable and fun garment to wear.


Other Considerations?

Here is a unique idea to consider. Some males who find their best fit wearing a pair of skinny jeans may end up wearing feminine skinny jeans- just trying to have a good-fitting pair of jeans to wear (let alone good-fitting skinny jeans). Is it possible that skirts specifically designed for males become a reality, could it be possible that some males would find a better-fitting skirt for their bodies from more feminine-type skirts? Or maybe a fashionable male just wants to wear more feminine skirts rather than any skirts made for an average male. Hey- if females "borrow from the boys," it may be possible for males to "borrow from the girls" in this respect. It's a realistic double standard.


Not to say I'd advocate for males wearing skirts, but if us guys want to wear skirts, there are too many obstacles right now to make skirts for males an acceptable reality.




Skirts for Males: Final Thoughts


I am someone who does believe in making skirts acceptable for males. A lot of people will make complaints ranging from "males shouldn't be wearing skirts" or "skirts for males is gay." The appeal of skirts lie in the fact they are loose and free to wear as bottoms. Too many obstacles make skirts for males an acceptable fashion reality. So while there is a community and a desire for male skirts, it will be very difficult (but not impossible) to make skirts for males fashionable and acceptable. In the sense of males wearing skirts, it is more a double standard regarding fashion. Why is it that it is okay for a female to wear masculine pieces and seem to get away with it, but if a certain male wears certain feminine fashions, he gets hated on and looked on as a crossdresser? That would be the case a male who wants to wear a skirt would make in defense of males wearing skirts. Skirts have been worn by males historically before they became a feminine fashion staple. While times have obviously changed since then, it is still interesting to know some males still have at least some interest in wearing skirts.

If a guy wants to wear a skirt, he should be able to do so with no prejudice or discrimination. That is what makes fashion different from any social values. A quality of fashion is the ability to express oneself however he/she chooses. If that means going against social norms and mores, then so be it.

There may or may never be a day where skirts for males will be an acceptable reality in society and in fashion. But for now, one can only dream male skirts will be accepted among society.


Online Insight.

I usually offer related posts of mine related to certain topics. This time, however, I will share you some blogging insight from others. These posts feature male fashion bloggers who wear skirts. Take a look at these posts for more insight on this topic you just read about:

(His Black Dress) - This male fashion blogger wears skirts and dresses.
Pencil (HOUSE OF JEROY) - an animal print skirt worn by a male.
Boys Will Be Boys Skirt (House of Alexzander - a cute leather skirt worn by a male.
John Laughlin (LOOKBOOK) - a husky male who wears skirts.





That covers skirts for males.

What do you think about this topic? How do you feel about the prospect of males wearing skirts?

Your comments are welcome. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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5 comments:

John B. Marine said...

I have absolutely no problem with men in skirts. I think fashion should be about what one loves and what is comfortable to the person wearing it. I completely agree that our gender roles keep male skirts from being a fully accepted reality or making it a norm. That said, times change, and there may one day be a time again when men wearing skirts is the norm. If it was the norm at one time or in a certain part of the world, odds are it will circle around again just as pretty much everything else has done!

Great post!

Cassie
http://stylecassentials.blogspot.com

John B. Marine said...

I remember a relative of mine wearing a skirt during the summer and he obviously didn't feel self conscious about it (as far as I know there were no negative comments from anyone). He is rather tall and muscular as most of my family members so maybe that helps him to be so relaxed and casual about it. (not self conscious at all)
Another example I can think of is one Croatian high school professor who had some kind of surgery and decided skirts were more comfortable. (I've read about him in an article, he wore mostly denim long skirts with dr. martens shoes) He too as far as I remember didn't face any problems. Those are two let's say positive examples, but I cannot swear that there aren't people who would react with prejudice, there probably are.
I think the prejudice is mostly present in the west (with the exception of kilts but they are also not always acceptable , aren't they?). On the other hand, in many countries it is totally acceptable for men to wear skirts...especially in those countries where the climate makes skirts such a better solution.
All in all, it is a very interesting subject and I think you have covered many interesting points. You're right about the gender issue...and we should ask ourselves why is it more ok for women to wear man's clothes then the other way around?

R.ChamberofBeauty said...

Men in skirt??
Strange but still nice! You are right that fashion should be about what one loves and what is comfortable to the person wearing it. Have a very nice day John <3

John B. Marine said...

Amazing post!

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John B. Marine said...

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