Whats the difference??

[Hemitom]

Whats the difference if you went out and bought a denim/jean type skirt from say the Goodwill/second hand store or taking a pair of jean shorts and make them into a skirt???

[azhiker]

the jean skirt would look nicer as it was mfg that way. i remember seeing girls take shorts and turn them into skirts. you could certainly tell. but that is the only diff.

[David]

Hemitom,

I assume that you mean converting a pair of men's shorts such as cargo shorts. In my opinion, the short conversion will give you a better and more presentable skirt if you use wide leg cargo shorts (which are getting more difficult to find in recent years) and you have some sewing abilities. You will have larger and perhaps more pockets. There will be decent belt loops. There will be a zippered front fly that is actually functional and faces the proper direction. The material will probably be heavier and will not "give" like woman's clothing usually does (I.e. it will be free of spandex).

David

[couyalair]

I've never succeeded in making anything that resembled an acceptable skirt out of shorts (not enough cloth for easy movement, very hard to sew up the front so that it will lay flat), although I have done so using trousers, since the extra cloth from the lower legs can be used to make a smooth front and a box pleat at the back.

I recently found a denim skirt that I like, and I do appreciate the presence of elastic lycra for ease of movement and a better fit. No fly, but what does that matter?

Martin

[Since1982]

if you use wide leg cargo shorts (which are getting more difficult to find in recent years

Extra and normal wide leg cargo shorts with velcro attaches are very easy to get at any Tall and Big Mens Shop. They come in lots of colors and here's an idea...say you're a slender man and can't find wide cargo shorts for you. Buy cargo shorts for extra wide men or "fat Men" then just take in the waist when your taking out the crotch. You'll have a nice open area around the legs and huge pockets and comfort around the waist. Check it out!

Online the phrase "Tall and Big Men" will get you lots of catalogs for exactly that.

[Hemitom]

My question was basically asking not necessarily making one but the difference between the two. a skirt is basically shorts without the legs. so why do people have so much problem with it.
if i take a pair of shorts and make a skirt out of it and wear it out, would the reactions be the same???

[STEVIE]

A much vexed question, to which there is no real answer.
The world would really be a much better place, if it did not bear asking.
Steve.

[crfriend]

My question was basically asking not necessarily making one but the difference between the two. a skirt is basically shorts without the legs. so why do people have so much problem with it.

In deference to Stevie's comment, my observation is that a skirt, unlike shortened trousers, cuts completely across the silhouette whereas shortened trousers do not. It seems possible to camouflage this effect (e.g. by using denim), but it can't be gotten rid of entirely. Furthermore, since most western blokes only wear trousers (long or sort) the lack of the vertical line from floor to crotch tends to attract attention since it's different and the normal human mind tends to be drawn towards "different", likely as part of evolution rather than of conscious act. So, a bloke in a skirt will tend to stand out somewhat in the Western millieu. I will not label this as "right" or "wrong", "good" or "bad", but simply "is". We cannot escape that.

So we need other mechanisms to counter the visceral evolutionary "fear" that an onlooker might feel (and that fear can take on a multitude of expressions ranging from curiosity to revulsion to "must kill now!") and that's where bearing and demeanour come into play. I've written in before, and here we go again, "If you're not comfortable (at a number of levels) in what you are wearing your confidence will not be up to the task of dealing with potential detractors, and I suspect that even humans at the visceral level, like dogs, can "smell fear" -- and know that something rotten may be afoot. The key is to be absolutely comfortable with your look and to have the confidence that stems from that, and then you'll be able to really carry the style well! In short, don't "half do it" and for gods' sake don't skulk about like you're trying to hide because you're doing something wrong!

if i take a pair of shorts and make a skirt out of it and wear it out, would the reactions be the same???

Yes, the reactions would be the same because the line and aspect of the garment has been altered. Skirts are no more shorts than shorts are skirts. Also, be aware that skirts can be more complex than "simple" trousers because it may take more thought and effort to make a skirted look "work" than it might to simply chuck on a pair of shorts.

Face it, there's nothing remarkable about a bloke in shorts, but there most certainly is something remarkable about a bloke in a skirt.

[RichardA]

Shorts into skirts - trying to make a silk purse out of a pigs ear

[skirtyscot]

a skirt is basically shorts without the legs. so why do people have so much problem with it.

You're defying the onlooker's expectations, based on centuries of social convention. Whether many people actually have a problem with that, I don't know, but most people are surprised.

if i take a pair of shorts and make a skirt out of it and wear it out, would the reactions be the same???

If you had done a good job, people would not be able to tell that your skirt had started life as a pair of shorts. (Unless of course they had a good close look at your flies, but I'd say that's not likely to happen very often.) So why would you expect a different reaction?

[crfriend]

If you had done a good job, people would not be able to tell that your skirt had started life as a pair of shorts. (Unless of course they had a good close look at your flies, but I'd say that's not likely to happen very often.) So why would you expect a different reaction?

Actually, if one looks closely, the vast majority of denim miniskirts are manufactured with the fly in the "men's" configuration with a left-over-right orientation. Since all the manufactory is now done mechanically, why bother to fiddle with the mechanical bits for sewing flies into garments?

[rick401r]

The big difference, in my mind, is that it would be a man's garment (shorts) to begin with and not a skirt made and sold as a female item. I would think that would make it somewhat acceptable in the public's eyes.

[skirtyscot]

The big difference, in my mind, is that it would be a man's garment (shorts) to begin with and not a skirt made and sold as a female item. I would think that would make it somewhat acceptable in the public's eyes.

Rick, you should go and help Dans-le-Vent with his sociology essay. He can wear the skirt, you can wear the shorts-turned-into-skirt. There may well be a difference in your mind, but if it is not visible to the passers-by, do you really think you would look any less surprising to them?

Note I said surprising, not acceptable. I've no doubt we all draw stares from people around us, but do you think that after a moment's reflection many people consider our attire to be unacceptable? Most folk probably think "wierdo"; hopefully a good few, either straight away or on reflection, think "well why not, if he wants to?" And judging by what other more experienced members say (nobody has stopped me in the street yet, so I don't know), some think "cool!".

[GerdG]

Changing some shorts into a skirt would mean that I would lose some valuable time doing so, a time I could have spent better in a skirt.

Greg

[straightfairy]

I'm currently on my fourth attempt to turn a pair of shorts into a skirt.
My first attempt (on here) was so bad I've since thrown the item away.
My 2nd attempt has taken 3 goes, still isn't completely right, but should be OK.
My 3rd attempt has been good enough that I've bought another to convert.
The difference is that the 3rd attempt was actually a pair of culottes and has much more fabric to play around with. On the other hand it has a side zip, but also has a slightly 'kilt' look about it.