Sightings "in the wild"

[Mugs-n-such]

Well you never know, Jaden Smith may start a trend. As I recall, it was the Beatles who got the long hair for men going (though there were others less famous before them iirc), so maybe Jaden will do the same thing for men. Yes, it is nice to be different! I suspect there are a lot of men who would like to wear a skirt who for one reason or another, don't.

[dillon]

Well you never know, Jaden Smith may start a trend. As I recall, it was the Beatles who got the long hair for men going (though there were others less famous before them iirc), so maybe Jaden will do the same thing for men. Yes, it is nice to be different! I suspect there are a lot of men who would like to wear a skirt who for one reason or another, don't.

I think that's actually an inciteful example, but there are some clear differences for us. The mop-top hairstyle was a fashion that "bubbled-up" and spread virally among youth, which is normal among fashion trends. It's definitely a generational phenomenon. Once men, who would be the essential purveyors of our style, reach a certain age, they are not especially susceptible to fashion trends. Older men didnt rush out and leap into "mod" fashions, and long hair was more a source of contempt than attraction for the generation of men born before WWII, at least until they began to adopt the "sixties bastard children" fashions that emerged between the "flower child" and "disco" styles, during the early seventies. Remember brightly patterned rayon shirts, gold chains, and (dare I speak it) the wretched "leisure suit"?

Beatles fashion bubbled up from the young. Why? Because young women were tearing their clothes off and throwing themselves at the Fab Four. That fact was not lost on young men at the time, so it is likely that the incentive provided by teen girls helped drive the fashion adoption among teen boys. It does make me wonder what the social propulsion among the kids today may be, should skirted fashion catch fire in their generation. They do think much differently than we did, though I presume the hereditary forces of nature have not been yet lost from their deepest unconscious drives.

So will Jaden Smith make skirts attractive on the socio-psycho-sexual basis that happened with the "mod" fashions? Or is it just too far astray, in a gender-representative way? We need to remember that it took ages for older men to accept that long hair on a male didn't imply femininity. It will be interesting to observe. One thing that will be clear is that if young men begin buying skirts from "across the aisle" in any substantial number, the industry will take notice.

The next question is whether, should skirted fashions catch on among young males, it will make any difference to our generation, in our lifetimes. I personally think the answer is yes. I have long contended, without the benefit of data to either defend or refute my thesis, that for each of us who ventures out skirted, there are ten or twenty men who would like to do the same but fear to break the invisible chains of inhibitory convention. Maybe if the trend emerges, even on an avant-garde basis, in the generation(s) below us, it may give some of our peers the license to experiment. Not to offend anyone, but we graying, balding, and variably rotund gents aren't exactly the fashion models that will begin a cascade, though every common wearer does help.

[Mugs-n-such]

Hi Dillon, I read your post with interest and I agree with about everything you say. You sound like you know what was going on in the 70's better than I, which is because at the time I was pretty much a head-in-the-sand type person, and didn't keep up much with what was going on. I still don't keep up like I should, but I am trying to do a little better at keeping up with the news at least. Fashion I have never kept up with hardly at all, I more or less wear what I like, ergo coming to this site.
I also completely agree that if skirt wearing does catch on with the younger men, a lot of older men will follow suite, at least hopefully so. I say this because (in the early or middle seventies?) when pants wearing began to catch on with the younger ladies, then also a lot of older women followed suite, as I recall. Well I guess I've showed about enough of my ignorance for one post, lol.
edited for the inevitable(?) typos

[skirtingtoday]

Back on topic (for a change!)

I was walking to work and saw a cyclist (looked to be a courier) unchaining a bike from some rainings. I initially spotted that the person was wearing thick grey tights and a faded and scuffed, dark pink miniskirt. Just as I walked past him, he turned round and only then I realised it was a bloke.

No-one else around seemed to bother or notice (Didn't bother me obviously)

I have seen reports on a cycling forum for the Edinburgh area (He is known as Jim the Courier) that there is a bloke who wears a skirt on a bike for his business (one report from a few years back has him wearing a denim skirt and "purple" tights) I think it must have been him!

Ross

[skirts4me]

Hi Dillon.

Remember brightly patterned rayon shirts, gold chains?

I remember well the days of brightly coloured (though not patterned) shirts and other bits which got attached. At the time there was a requirement that male shift workers (note the sexist tone) wore ties during "office hours", and none of us liked the idea. To comply with the policy we had brightly coloured ties on each desk so that we could put one on if needed. The thought of someone in a shocking pink shirt wearing a lime green tie quickly resulted in a change of policy - and the ties were never worn.

Whilst I agree with nearly everything your wrote, I am concerned about the comment

the wretched "leisure suit"?

When I arrived in Australia in the 60s it was common to see adult men in "walk shorts" and "walk socks". It was considered a professional appearance for all but senior management, law makers, and those who sit in Houses of Parliament. These days if you threaten to put on walk shorts you are likely to be publicly denounced as a fool. The same applies to the "safari suit" made famous by a prominent South Australian politician, and worn by large number of men here because it was far more suitable to the Australian climate than a three-piece tweed suit made for a European winter ever will be. Fashions change, and we need to be careful not to denigrate those who consider an outfit which was suitable a number of years ago to be still suitable. You never know, our skirt wearing might just fall into the same category.

[Couya]

Older men didnt rush out and leap into "mod" fashions, and long hair was more a source of contempt than attraction for the generation of men born before WWII,
(...)
We need to remember that it took ages for older men to accept that long hair on a male didn't imply femininity.

Hair grows rather slowly, so it would have been difficult to rush into the new style, but in the parts of Europe that know, very large numbers of men (those that still had enough hair to frame their faces) grew their hair long -- and looked after it -- both odd bods such as myself and more important public figures, politicians, sportsmen, audiovisual celebrities of all ages.
I don't think long hair was regarded as feminin in those distant days; it was more than just a trend.
I for one still enjoy watching old films and tv shows from that period and think how good the men look compared with today's close-shaven youth.

... if young men begin buying skirts from "across the aisle" in any substantial number, the industry will take notice.

How will the big bosses know that women's skirts are being bought to be worn by men?

Martin

[Jim2]

How will the big bosses know that women's skirts are being bought to be worn by men?

Market research, which I would think involves interviewing people on their buying habits. That's how Selfridges knew that a large number of women were buying men's clothing for themselves and that men were buying women's knitwear for themselves. That is what I've read. It's part of what led them to create their "Agender" buying experience. Am I wrong?

[crfriend]

I don't think long hair was regarded as feminin in those distant days; it was more than just a trend.
I for one still enjoy watching old films and tv shows from that period and think how good the men look compared with today's close-shaven youth.

Indeed there are still a few die-hards alive today who firmly believe that a decent mane is a sign of masculinity and who wear it long very proudly. There's a distinct subculture in my own profession where having a ponytail is regarded as a very powerful sign of stature. (It shows "you've 'been there, seen that'" and won't put up with much -- if any -- BS.)

Plainly put, I think that most everybody looks better with a nice head of hair. The close-cropped look reminds me of conscript soldiers and convicts or worse.

[Kirbstone]

One reason why males of my sort of age tend to wear caps is because what hair they once had has largely disappeared, never to return. I am one so affected/afflicted.
The caps/hats are purely practical to keep body heat in.

The young and not-so-young bloods who can grow impressive manes we can only admire and perhaps a few of us will grow an impressive beard to compensate, so to speak.

Tom

[Couya]

... perhaps a few of us will grow an impressive beard to compensate, so to speak.

Tom

Oh, no ! That is a look that I find really ugly : roughly shaven skull with bushy unshaven chin.
In favor, for some reason, with certain religious extremists.
To say men should grow a beard because that is the way god made us, but to shave the rest seems to lack a certain logic.
Not casting suspicion on Kirbstone or anyone else who did not actually choose to become hairless on top !
Martin

[rick401r]

At 65 I still have hair down past my shoulders and it's still blond! The beard, however, is totally grey. My wife liked the beard short and neatly trimmed. Since her passing I've been letting it grow wild just to see how it will look.

[r.m.anderson]

Well Holy Moses but I picture you like Charlton Heston as Moses and certainly not Yul Brynner as the Pharaoh (no hair here!) LOL !

[dillon]

I once had thick hair and a thin middle. Roles have reversed.

[RPF]

I saw a fella wearing a cargo kilt at the supermarket about 2 weeks ago (early April '16). No one stared but there were a few double-takes,

[Caultron]

I saw a fella wearing a cargo kilt at the supermarket about 2 weeks ago (early April '16). No one stared but there were a few double-takes,

That's fairly typical. It helps if you find the double-takes amusing and sincerely wish a nice day to anyone who makes eye contact.