How short is too short for men's skirts?

[crfriend]

Those rules where set by the American Puritan Club, who took advice from the board of advisors of the North Korean government. Power to the sexual immature oppressors.

Well, there's an interesting alternative world-view that fails to take basic history into account.

True enough, the USA is home to more than a few "Puritans" who actually got kicked from Europe because the official policy of the time was tolerance. They were delightful folks, if one cherishes asceticism that is. North Korea didn't arise for a couple of hundred years after that, so there could have been no cross-fertilization.

What we have in the USA at the moment is closer in mentality to the Taleban. The North Koreans have precisely nothing on that -- they're rank amateurs by comparison.

If you cannot move without flashing, it is too short, but if you live in a more free country like the USA in this particular case, e. g. the Netherlands, the problems are minor. The main purpose for micro mini skirts is to emphazise the female ass + even on short guys it doesn't looks right.

I'll concur on this assertion although I'd be a bit less blatant on the anatomy.

From this writer's point of view, "micro-minis" (aka, "belts") are only even remotely workable by a tiny subset of the population -- and that's mainly the "size zero" crowd that likely cannot breed anyway because their bodies don't have the resources available to do so (which kind of defeats the purpose of the garment, no?).

Some guys have the frames to carry short skirts and some don't. I fall into the latter category and no matter what I do to try to adjust things it just doesn't work. So, I take the adult approach and eschew the very short looks (even if I find them wonderful in the summer months) in public. I find that maintaining my dignity is more important than either "making a statement" or transitory comfort from one air-conditioned space to another. This does not -- most emphatically does not -- mean that I would deny the option to other guys.

[Sinned]

During all this good weather I have been, unobtrusively and innocently I hope, observing girls and women in skirts and dresses in normal movement. You know, walking around, picking things up and running around, that sort of thing. Let me explain further. We men are so concerned about flashing our bits and perhaps showing one's underwear that, at times, we seem paranoid about it. The other sex somehow seem a lot more comfortable and less self-conscious about it. With even short and flared skirts the display of more than just a little thigh seems remarkably difficult to achieve. On the whole they just seem relaxed or maybe just have the confidence of years of wear and don't seem to worry so why should we? Oh, I know that there is a difference in that a woman can flash and get away with it and a man can't without getting arrested. But what I am getting at is that it is remarkably difficult in normal use to actually flash one's underwear. In another thread in this site someone actually showed in pictures looking up a kilt when going up stairs that it is really difficult to see very far up a skirt. Perhaps someone will add the reference to this. Needless to say I shall discontinue the observing before I get accused of something else. Just adding my tuppence worth.

As for skirts I just wear the skirt that I feel happy with at that time. I have a short, white cotton one that would normally be quite feminine but I have a similar shirt that just goes right along with it and softens the feminine effect and I think looks quite good. I tend to the over the knee skirt but I have some longer ones for winter and plenty of tights to wear as well. Each to their own.

[dillon]

My short answer is to wear what makes you happy, but if the look concerns you, then start by wrapping a towel or cloth around yourself at various hem lengths, and photograph yourself. Then decide what looks best.

[Kirbstone]

I don't remember where I saw this first, but it's a guide to the impression on others of wearing skirts in various lengths. They do illustrate a female leg, of course.

For my sins I tend to favour something between proper and flirty.

Tom K.

[Jack Williams]

I guess I range from "Proper" to "Prudish"!

[Milfmog]

I guess I range from "Proper" to "Prudish"!

I guess my range is pretty wide... Somewhere below prudish to provocative. (I guess that if you count my preferred swimming attire I go somewhere north of slut )

Have fun,


Ian.

[Sinned]

I do the whole lot from Prudish to Slut but nothing shorter than Cheeky in public and then only in the few days that we call summer.

[crfriend]

What's the callout for ankle- or floor- length? The indicator scale doesn't seem to go that far south.

I rather like the "cheeky" length but don't have the body-type to pull it off well; most of my stuff is between the "old-fashioned" and "prudish" designators.

[partlyscot]

So many ways of thinking about this.

Most of my skirts are around knee length, I've got a couple that go maybe 7-8" above the center of the knee, which puts them about 4" from the crotch/bottom of buttocks. Would think very carefully about wearing them outside, though I could see situations where they would work. I've been interested in the running skirt thread, for that, even shorter could be OK.

Location, location, location! Where, when, and who, that's the determining factor. Also underwear/legwear choices. The comments on body shapes are relevant too. I think, for most males, where a short skirt might not work, a Roman, or Indian style tunic could be a workable look, as a a male dress, if you will.

To illustrate my comment about location, I would not walk out in the street in my preferred underwear, which are bikini briefs, what the Europeans would call a mens slip, but I have no issues being seen at the beach or pool in fairly brief speedos, which don't cover any more. Though, in North America, I tend to get funny looks unless the pool in question is populated by competitive swimmers.

It's what people are used to seeing that keeps coming up, I've said it before, we just aren't used to seeing men dressed like some of the styles we see on here. I've come up with some looks, that I know aren't indecent, work from a colour/line/shape perspective, are very effective at displaying what I want to display, but just don't look right. If the clothing in question is shaped to show off female shapes, then to my mind, it's not what I'm looking for. For others, that may be the case, but I feel that is crossdressing, and is for another forum. (your choice, I mean no criticism) What I'm getting at is that while some looks that do work from a style perspective, general society isn't ready for them, and I would like to see that change. It's partly about how men and women, and their expected roles and behaviours, are percieved.

When describing lengths of skirts, information about where the hem ends up is probably more useful than overall length. A 12" skirt on one guy could look good, whereas on another it would be displaying far too much!

[crfriend]

When describing lengths of skirts, information about where the hem ends up is probably more useful than overall length. A 12" skirt on one guy could look good, whereas on another it would be displaying far too much!

A good case in point for that argument can be had by looking at the pictures of Jack Williams in his regular-length Macabi and me in my long-length one. His regular almost grazes his ankles and my long is calf-length. This, of course, is down to our very different geometries. A 12-incher on me would amount to a belt; a 44-incher is a floor-sweeper (and the ones of those I have look great in motion but are a bit of a pain when it comes to managing them).

[skirtyscot]

Partly, general society isn't ready for any men's skirts, except the kilt and some other traditional items from other countries. So don't go restricting your style based on that!

[skirtyscot]

Back to that photo. "Prudish" is nowhere near low enough. I'd have have marked "old fashioned" there and put "prudish" way down at her ankle. That's the longer limit of my range, with "cheeky" being the upper end, though anything shorter than "flirty" has Hazel complaining!

Keep on skirting (whatever the length)

Alastair

[Sarongman]

I'll admit my gear ranges from "proper" to skirtyscot's "prudish", though I do have a couple of "asking for it's" for around the house in the hottest of weather, but never out to town.

[crfriend]

[...] though I do have a couple of "asking for it's" for around the house in the hottest of weather, but never out to town.

Tom, look what you started! Are you proud of yourself? (I hope so, as I've gotten more than a few chuckles from this thread already, and it looks like it might keep going.)

[Kilted Musician]

[...] though I do have a couple of "asking for it's" for around the house in the hottest of weather, but never out to town.

Tom, look what you started! Are you proud of yourself? (I hope so, as I've gotten more than a few chuckles from this thread already, and it looks like it might keep going.)

I haven't posted here in a long time but just had to comment... you're right, Carl. Tom found the PERFECT chart! Thanks, Tom!

My skirts and kilt that I'll wear in public are between Flirty and Prudish. The rest stay in the house!

--Rick