Out and About -- In the World at Large

[azhiker]

Here is my latest corduroy skirt and painted nails.

[luvtoskirt]

I think that is a good casual look. Nice.

[Eborian]

I went shopping in Taunton and Glastonbury a couple of days ago wearing a knee length brown cord skirt and brown opaque tights( as it was a cold day). I had a few people stare but no bad comments. Indeed I was told by a few people that they liked my style.

[crfriend]

2012-03-06: My new floor-length black pleated skirt is getting some active mileage now, and I seem to have managed, somehow, to get the hang of not stepping on it (usually) when traverssing obstacles like stairs and not getting it caught beneath the wheels of my office-chair.

Yes, I wore it to work today, and for the most part I was on one floor of the building I customarily work in, but in the early afternoon I had to wander over to another building for a meeting -- and this involved several curbs and a flight of stairs. I find that going downstairs is usually easier than up (although one can trivially screw either one up), walked up the stairs to the second floor for the meeting, and when it was done opted for the stairs back down as I was then in the company of several co-workers. I'm not sure how many steps above and behind me it trailled, but a couple of jokes were made about "not stepping on him" and "You step on Darth Vader's rig he's going to kick your a$$". It is worth noting that these were all in good plain fun; I rather like where I work.

After work it was time to go and vote. Today in the US of A is "Super Tuesday" -- the single largest day of voting in the presidential primary elections -- and I have a strong negative impression of the current presidential candidate who used to be Governor (mostly in absentia as he ran for national offices) of the small state I've lived in virtually all my life. So I went to vote against him, wearing the same rig I wore to work; down and up the stairs went without a hitch. One of the strange things about living in a small New England town is that everybody knows everybody else; I didn't even have to announce my address when I arrived at the polling place -- the only question I had to answer was which party's ballot I wanted. Sapphire had it even funnier when she voted whilst I was at work: she was asked where her co-conspirator was!

[skirtyscot]

Glad you got the hang of the skirt.

What I can't get the hang of is your system for choosing a president - does it have to take quite so long? (Wouldn't mind if it wasn't all over our news for about 2 years.) Not having studied the Gubernatorial history of any of the candidates, I presume you mean Romney? Can't see how the north-east would ever elect any of the others. But from reading your posts over a few months, I'm surprised you are voting for any of them - aren't they all in the wrong party? Do you get to vote in the Republican primary even if you are a Democrat? And if so, what's to stop you voting for the most unelectable one so that the Democrat wins in the end? And how can you tell which one is worst, out of the current lot? It's a pretty close call, isn't it?

[crfriend]

Glad you got the hang of the skirt.

Many thanks! It's taken quite the amount of work. Sapphire states that it swirls and moves very nicely. (I asked her specifically to see how it behaved behind me as I descended a flight of stairs earier, and she elaborated on that.) Whether I really have it is still open to debate. Time will tell.

[...]Do you get to vote in the Republican primary even if you are a Democrat?

In Massachusetts, yes. If you are an independent voter (I am), one gets to pick which ballot one votes on in the primary. It's a bit of a strange rule, but it's useful from a strategic perspective.

And if so, what's to stop you voting for the most unelectable one so that the Democrat wins in the end? And how can you tell which one is worst, out of the current lot? It's a pretty close call, isn't it?

According to the rules, there is precisely nothing to keep anybody -- on either side, mind, so long as they are registered as independent -- from voting for the least electable.

As far as the "end-game" goes, it's not a close call at all. I've been of majority age for 30 years, and with the precise exception of one election I have been voting for the "lesser of the evils" (and I'm torqued off about the last election, mind). So, as an independent, I voted "for" the least of the evils on the "Republican" ballot (there's no competition on the "Democratic" one) as I see it. Interestingly, I could have cast my ballot for folks who have dropped out of the race, and more interestingly there is a tick-box for "none of the above"; since the latter choice counts statistically as a "blank", I ticked one for an active candidate -- the lesser of all the evils. I think it'd be nice to see a "None of the above" box in the main election, and if that one "won" everybody'd have to go back to square one, but that's just wishful thinking. What would happen in the interim?

If this sounds Byzantine to you, you begin to understand the process. I need to go wash my hands -- and my mind.

[skirtyscot]

I think it'd be nice to see a "None of the above" box in the main election, and if that one "won" everybody'd have to go back to square one, but that's just wishful thinking. What would happen in the interim?

Don't worry, you could have some of ours. Maybe Osborne and Gove - no need to give them back after you'd finished with them!

[straightfairy]

Out and about today in a skirt was me, for once.
I was in a trouser suit for a workshop in Manchester and changed once we had finished to drive home (some 2 hours inc. traffic)
Unfortunately I was playing fuel-light bingo and lost, so had to stop on the way home.
OK, so there were only 4 people who could have seen me, but no-one seemed to notice, or said anything, which was a kind of relief, especially as the skirt (charcoal pin stripe) didnt match the jacket (plain black).

'll be doing much the same thing tomorrow, without the fuel gamble, but with a matching skirt.

[MrUtopia]

I made a prototype for The Original Freeman using a combination of a men's shorts pattern and a women's pleated skirt pattern. While I am waiting on the real professionals to make my sample I am wearing the one I made. I have got acceptance from my family and now wear it around home and to the local shops as much as I can. The past weekend was a long weekend and my son (11yo) and I had a 4 day camping vacation to Kangaroo Island (internationally popular holiday destination off the South Australian coast). On the first day we went sand boarding, so shorts were the order of dress. On the second day I wore the prototype Freeman and it was great. So comfortable during lots of walking and sightseeing in 27+ degree C sunny weather. So comfortable, I wore it for the next 2 days. I got quite a few second looks, but no comments. I chatted with many of the other holiday makers, just like normal, but with no comment or reference to what I was wearing. Some of the time I was wearing my 'The Original Freeman' T-shirt and that may have stopped some questions.

This time out and about in the prototype Freeman has given me the change to really road test the design and the energy to wear it more often. I am happy with the length for me and the material is light enough to be comfortable and cool and heavy enough to be safe even in a reasonable breeze. I will consider how big and where the pleats are.

10032012366a.jpg

Only disappointment now is that I can not wear it to work. Even the women at work do not have a skirt in their uniform, only shorts or pants. Another reason to consider changing jobs...

I hope to have the professional version in about a week and will add a video to my web page for your comment.

Peter

[skirtingtoday]

Only disappointment now is that I can not wear it to work. Even the women at work do not have a skirt in their uniform, only shorts or pants. Another reason to consider changing jobs...

I hope to have the professional version in about a week and will add a video to my web page for your comment.
Peter

I do not think it would be allowed in our office for me to wear a skirt either . However, over the past year, three of my work colleagues could or did spot me in a skirt going to work or going home from it.
One was cycling past on his bicycle and called "Hi!" as he went past - he may have thought I had changed into shorts (black cargo skirt 14" long).
Another saw me going into work but didn't even look down so he may not have spotted it. We both walked upstairs together and he made no comment on the alternative clothes. I had black tights on as well. Yesterday, I met up with a third one crossing the road to work just as he came round the corner. No escape so carried on and we both went upstairs. He did look down a couple of times but his only comment was "Bit cold on the legs". On both these occasions, I had on my 20" khaki cargo skirt with fake pleats.

[skirtyscot]

So where do you get changed into your work clothes, ST?

We have the Equality Act 2010 which basically says an employer can't discriminate against any employee for anything at all. The definitions are wide enough for you to argue that if women are allowed to wear skirts, then men must be allowed to as well, unless there is some very good reason why not. The obvious reason is "it would freak the clients out and lose us business", and that would probably hold water.

Of course, there's no way the law can stop your employer from marking your card. It is still possible to make a career-limiting move! I havent tried wearing a skirt to work, and I have no plans to either.

[Tassierob]

We have the Equality Act 2010 which basically says an employer can't discriminate against any employee for anything at all. The definitions are wide enough for you to argue that if women are allowed to wear skirts, then men must be allowed to as well, unless there is some very good reason why not. The obvious reason is "it would freak the clients out and lose us business", and that would probably hold water.

Of course, there's no way the law can stop your employer from marking your card. It is still possible to make a career-limiting move! I havent tried wearing a skirt to work, and I have no plans to either.

Its a shame that more of us don't turn up to work skirted or kilted. I have been wearing kilts full time to work for the last 4 years and have had an excellent response from clients. Interestingly my job keeps me in a mainly male environment and involes meeting with professional people from councils, schools and government all the time. I have never had a negative response and in fact at trade shows and when on site visits I find it a positive advantage as I am remembered straight away. It also draws people to notice our displays at shows as quite often they notice the kilt and only then look up to see who I work for.

So for me there are many positives and I also might add that doing this has given me a huge amout of confidence to wear kilts and skirts all the time

[skirtyscot]

Sounds great, Tassierob. Do you by any chance work in the public sector? And do you deal with people who are in a position to be able to take their business away from your employer (or steer clear of them in the first place)? The reference to trade shows suggests the first answer might be "no" but I thought I'd ask anyway.

[ethelthefrog]

Looks like I'm back following the usual winter hibernation.

I had an interesting conversation with the lady in my local petrol station, last week, that went something like "Sorry, I just have to ask: why the skirt?" "Why the trousers?" "Good point." It led to a positive conversation about comfort and practicality: she found trousers to be more comfortable; I find skirts to be more comfortable.

As usual, the night security guy at work didn't make any comment at all...


Paul.

[straightfairy]

I've been in my garden for much of today in a dark green cotton skirt that just above the knee.
I spent a good while chatting to one immediate neighbour in both our gardens and borrowed a couple of items, so he couldn't have missed it, but made no comment.
The other neighbour also saw me while i was chatting and must have also seen the skirt (but didnt have the chance to comment).
The builder in the street popped in to check some work he's doing for me and has to follow me up my steep stairs, so he definitely saw it! and still no comment.

I think that's a positive day!