"Unisex". Let's just stop it.

[Stu]

We should take the opportunity to correct the misuse of words associated with our own particular field of interest whenever the opportunity arises, so as to help to dispel some of the ignorance that is holding back our cause.

You won't succeed. There is masses of research which shows that trying to impose philological change (changing a language) is next to impossible, even for governments. The French government has tried to eliminate the word "weekend" from the French language. Even though French is a regulated language though the "Académie française ", it has spectacularly failed - and English has no corresponding regulatory body. People will use language as they like and they will continue to use their own words as they see fit - especially if their usage is confirmed by a prestigeous dictionary.

I would rather direct efforts towards the acceptance of clothing options for males that are not trousers rather than worrying about the semantics of it.

[TheSkirtedMan]

Unisex - designed or suitable for both genders. Clothing is simply that clothing. It doesn't define gender. A bit like Darryl states. I'm happy with unisex. Burficated is too much a mouthful, can never remember how to spell it and it doesn't imply what it means - for me.

As Stu says, word meanings are hard to change.

Best do what the female gender do when they want something to apply to them. Hijack it and use the term confidently and all the time. It will eventually stick. It's a bit like the opening of the male wardrobe over the latter years to allow anywear for women. That has in effect allowed the term unisex to be used by women for any style of clothing they choose to wear. Now there's a term, anywear, but I do quite like 'ambisex'.

I agree with Sinned's observation of 'ultrasex'. Hope your teeth are recovering well.

[wsherman]

Pan-clothing? Well after reading that one again all I can say is please excuse the silliness of the word concoction! "red faced"

I'll let the rest of it stand though.

Slainte'
Bill and Sir Brinkley the Exubrant

[dillon]

I can recall seeing "Deadhead" kids, male and female, at Grateful Dead concerts wearing nearly identical tie-dyed long dresses, styled basically like pullover robes. This would have been in the late seventies or early eighties, so I guess there was in fact a uni- or omni- style, albeit in an esoteric population, that can meet the less typical definition of the term.

[denimini]

Damn, I am meant to be working - but can't help putting in my two bob's worth.

Perhaps the uni is from universus - meaning that the actual one item would fit all genders (3 in Australia).

However, I think the terms pants, jeans, skirts, shorts are non gender specific but the cut or shape of each would generally be different for male or female shape; hence "women's jeans" and "men's skirt".

A loose fitting skirt with an elastic waist could be called a unisex skirt at a stretch.

[Sinned]

Tm, although the plate I have is a conventional one MOH used to have one made of metal "lattice" that left the palette mostly uncovered. I was under the ( erroneous ) impression that they had stopped doing these but MOH ( she's had so much dental work done that I don't know why she didn't take it up as a profession, very knowledgeable ) tells me otherwise. I may ask for another " metal" plate when I go next time. As for an appointment to adjust this plate - I'll let the swelling go down ( it's definitely swollen where the molar was extracted s the plate doesn't sit right yet. She indicated that she could fit me in anytime as the adjustment is a quick process and the swelling may take days or weeks to recede. I'm not so worried about this at the moment - I have other things that are more important.

As for colours - I have and wear yellow trousers so why not a yellow skirt? My decision not to wear the yellow skirt was based on the fact that everything else I was wearing was black and I felt more psychologically comfortable with a black skirt. The yellow skirt will be worn soon. I graduated from York wearing mostly yellow so why not? If clothes are what they are then colour is what it is, de-saturated or not, fluorescent or not.

[crfriend]

A loose fitting skirt with an elastic waist could be called a unisex skirt at a stretch.

Indeed a loose-fitting stretch-waistband skirt makes a perfect garment for a guy, especially if the skirt was originally designed for the "ideal" modern boy-shaped woman.

Most of my skirts, in fact, are of that design, including the two custom-builds I commissioned from The Mouse Works.

[Grok]

A loose fitting skirt with an elastic waist could be called a unisex skirt at a stretch.

Indeed a loose-fitting stretch-waistband skirt makes a perfect garment for a guy, especially if the skirt was originally designed for the "ideal" modern boy-shaped woman.

.

These skirts can fit men without alteration?

[Caultron]

These skirts can fit men without alteration?

Just about any skirt can fit men without alteration.

It's true, though, that women's clothes vary much more in size, shape, and style than men's skirts do. So not all women's clothes fit all women either, even in the woman's usual size. Women are just accustomed to picking through the racks and finding a size and shape that fits them.

If you need practice, bring a tape measure to your local thrift store, find some skirts with your approximate waist size, and try them out. Here in Arizona, at least, thrift store skirts usually go for $5, cheap enough to experiment.

[crfriend]

These [elastic-waist] skirts can fit men without alteration?

Yes. Caultron nailed it pretty well.

Other options include those that have drawstring-waists. These designs are very forgiving for size, stay up properly, and are just generally workable. The added benefit is that they're also made in fabrics that drape and flow well, which is quite unlike the usual denim.

I have two such skirts from The MouseWorks, both of which were executed to my designs for them (one is a burgundy veleveteen and the other executed in fleece). The original intent was to use the fleece one as a heavyweight petticoat for winter temperatures, but in practice that's not necessary and both get time "out and about" on their own. Both have elastic waists.

Other skirts I have sport a combination of elastic and drawstring, sometimes with the drawstring only tightening one half of the circumference of the waistline. In the latter case, with the drawstring snugged up a bit, it not only helps to keep the thing up, but also creates a bit of a bustle effect which I happen to like; in the former case, the entire waistband is tightened which can be useful if the wearer has narrow hips compared to the waist (in this mode it can double as a belt).

I have a few skirts with rigidly-fixed waist sizes, and accommodate donning and doffing by way of buttons or zippers. I find most of those skirts problematic as I can shrink or grow a size or two depending on how much I've had to eat. If I know beforehand that I'll be having a robust lunch I'll definitely wear one of the elastic-waist ones.

[freefire]

you could replace the word with Omniwear,no?

[skirtyscot]

Omniwear, I like that. Trouble is, we have to get the concept into people's heads before trying to get them to use a word for it.

[Jim2]

The term "unisex" is already being used by some clothing stores to indicate clothes, including skirts and dresses, that can be worn by males. It is rare, but it exists. The site http://tootsamacginty.com/ bills all of its children's clothes as unisex, and that includes the dresses they sell. In their description of dresses it started with, "A wearable, beautifully designed dress is a wardrobe essential for any girl". I wrote to them about this inconsistency and they changed "girl" to "child". I recently also saw another site like this, and I think it also had adult clothing and said that men could wear their skirts. However, I can't find the url. Like it or not, I think the term is the one that will be used if skirts get to be seen as something men can wear. I personally see nothing wrong with it. I think there is an increasing use of the term and that it is being used to indicate a discomfort with segregating male things from female things, mostly with respect to children. I think a movement to get men wearing skirts to be more acceptable can make use of that sentiment. And as Stu said, you won't succeed at trying to control the words people use. Why not turn the word to our advantage and demand that the term be used consistently? And I wouldn't worry too much about "sex" versus "gender". That's a different battle.

[crfriend]

The term "unisex" is already being used by some clothing stores to indicate clothes, including skirts and dresses, that can be worn by males. It is rare, but it exists.

My objection to the "word" is borne entirely in the way that it's been historically used, and I've been alive an conscious throughout the whole span. That there are newer uses of the term emerging I find interesting, but the historical baggage drags like an anchor on sandy ground.

If the term can shake off its history, I'll be happy to embrace it. 'Til then, I'll be looking for another term.

The site http://tootsamacginty.com/ bills all of its children's clothes as unisex, and that includes the dresses they sell. In their description of dresses it started with, "A wearable, beautifully designed dress is a wardrobe essential for any girl". I wrote to them about this inconsistency and they changed "girl" to "child".

For the win!

And as Stu said, you won't succeed at trying to control the words people use. Why not turn the word to our advantage and demand that the term be used consistently? And I wouldn't worry too much about "sex" versus "gender". That's a different battle.

Personally, I find it easier to reject some things outright and try to forge new paths rather than trying to retrofit those rejected. This act also has the effect of removing certain words from my vocabulary in such as way that I refuse to use them (whilst retaining knowledge of them, mind). If challenged on the street I'll rise to it (so long as intellectual discussion is possible) and frame my opinion/thesis rationally. This would have a natural consequence of somebody, quite honestly, calling my rig "unisex" getting a denial of the notion as I do not view it so. ("Nope, it's just what I like.") If conversation subsequently ensues, then a real exchange of ideas becomes possible.

It's actually easier to "steer" language -- and especially slang -- than it would first appear. A good friend of mine has formal credit for coining the phrase "The September that never ended" in regards to USENET, and I've had a couple of my "contributions" come back from outside the "immediate circle". Actively steering things is definitely on the table -- just look at the political sphere in the USA (those outside the USA, beware, and have a barf-bag handy).

[Stu]

The term "unisex" is already being used by some clothing stores to indicate clothes, including skirts and dresses, that can be worn by males. It is rare, but it exists. The site http://tootsamacginty.com/ bills all of its children's clothes as unisex, and that includes the dresses they sell. In their description of dresses it started with, "A wearable, beautifully designed dress is a wardrobe essential for any girl". I wrote to them about this inconsistency and they changed "girl" to "child". I recently also saw another site like this, and I think it also had adult clothing and said that men could wear their skirts. However, I can't find the url. Like it or not, I think the term is the one that will be used if skirts get to be seen as something men can wear. I personally see nothing wrong with it. I think there is an increasing use of the term and that it is being used to indicate a discomfort with segregating male things from female things, mostly with respect to children. I think a movement to get men wearing skirts to be more acceptable can make use of that sentiment. And as Stu said, you won't succeed at trying to control the words people use. Why not turn the word to our advantage and demand that the term be used consistently? And I wouldn't worry too much about "sex" versus "gender". That's a different battle.

Tootsa Maginty are hypocrites. If you look at their pictures, every garment is accompanied by two modeled images showing it being worn - by both a girl and a boy - EXCEPT the dresses, where it is modeled in two poses by the same girl. Basically, everything is unisex, but they have to keep some special bits for girls only (nothing for boys only, of course). In other words, their claim that everything is unisex is really a sham. They are trying to show themselves as radical and ethical, and "feminist" and are against gender stereotyping etc, when really they are just stereotyping discreetly - favouring girls, of course.

From their website, it looks like they are running out of stock generally, so my guess is they will be having a Spring 2015 range out fairly soon. Let's see if that's the same.