Ties and skirts/kilts

[JohnH]

Horse in bourbon - what does that taste like?

Now that's a waste of perfectly good bourbon - for Americans like myself it would be like using Scots whisky to marinade meat.

John

[pelmut]

I think that next week when the nippers are all back at school I will get a piece of scrap material and see what size and shape the inserts would have to be to produce a skirt that would fit me as that will determine whether ties are suitable for use at all. And take it from there.

When you have added up the widths of all the panels, don't forget you will lose at least an inch for each French seam (0.5" from each side) or a little bit less for a zig-zagged or overlocked seam.

[Sinned]

JhnH, it's Scotch whisky, not Scots whisky.

[dillon]

OMG...Scots/Scotch...is this political correctness run amuck, or are Scots(?) really that sensitive about cultural identity? These are just words, after all, bandied among friends and without malice. Personally, I don't care all that much what anyone calls me; Yank, Gringo, "Firenjay" (Frenchie, what whites are often affectionately called in Ethiopia)... whatever...because I feel pretty good about my national identity and no errant name can take that from me. Perhaps I have dampened my expectations for the rest of the world to understand me, and find a shrug and chuckle the most fitting response...not taking myself too seriously. Perhaps words hold more significance where there is fear of losing identity, I suppose, than they do in the alphabet soup that is America, constantly evolving and reinventing itself. Celebrating your culture is splendid, IMO, but it seems to me that heightened sensitivity toward whatever identity one holds bears the scent of insecurity and impending stagnation. I gather that France is also wrestling with the same issue.

[rick401r]

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Here's a thought. If one had sewing skills (not me) one could use various ties inset into box pleats. It would be a way to display your favorite ties.

[skirtingtoday]

...As anti-skirt as MOH is I would go ballistic if ever MOH disposed of items of my clothing in such as fashion as she would if I did the same to her. Such behaviour to me comes over as very controlling, bullying and almost amounts to abuse! There is a recent term for it - intimate terrorism. There was an article in the Daily Mail recently - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic ... s-all.html. I showed the article to MOH and told her that her behaviour amounted to bullying. I don't believe that she has actually read the article but her behaviour has been less extreme lately. I even managed to wear a skirt all day yesterday without any snide comments from her. A person from my Church called to see me and I talked briefly with him at the door and afterward there was no reaction from her at all which was a bit unnerving as I expected something akin to Etna's eruption. I'm hoping that she will see how much this means to me, is now part of what makes me, me. Sometimes I feel much like this: ...

Sinned. Thanks for the article. That is very similar to my own situation though I am sure she won't consider it dominating or bullying phrasing her comments as, "I'm only protecting you from ridicule." Not something I have experienced on my trips out skirted (either mini or knee-length skirts). I couple of double-takes, one wolf whistle (from a bloke!) and a few looks from a couple of women. It has been very much either no comments or thumbs up.

And on my clothing, several years ago, when she found out about the skirts (I wanted to try it out first to see what reaction I got whilst skirted before carefully bringing it into the conversation), she physically ripped up my denim mini-skirt with scissors and her bare hands no more that a metre or two from me. I half expected that once she finished with ripping up the skirt, I would be next to get "the point." Nuff said but that was a really bad day

Indeed my current avatar is that first denim mini-skirt - I have since replaced it (the skirt not the avatar) with another one virtually identical to it in length but with a frayed hem and not a stitched one.

And same as you sinned, I have also recycled my other short 11-12" skirts.

[Sinned]

I showed the article to MOH but as far as I know she hasn't read it though it's headline must have set off some train of thought as she hasn't been so domineering lately. I'm sure that she wouldn't think that she was so overbearing either. You had more self-restraint than I would have had - I would have quietly left her in the room, gone upstairs, selected one of her coveted garments and brought it down and done exactly the same thing only being of a lighter material it would have disassembled more easily. I admire her strength in being able to rip apart denim with her bare hands! That is awesome.

MOH's favourite mantra is that I would get beaten up for skirt wearing. I don't try and wear a skirt when she's around but wear one when she is at work - if she arrives home when I'm still wearing one then tough. Not going to hide these things away - just try and wear sensible skirts that I don't feel that I look ridiculous in. I have spent the odd day around the house wearing a skirt with her in attendance and there's been nary a snide comment or any comment at all. We did have a brief chat yesterday and she said that she didn't feel attracted to me at all in a skirt although she admits that I have nicely shaped legs and she does like to see them. Can't win - seems that she's the only one in our family against my skirts now!

I had bought some hot pants during the phase when I thought that to wear a skirt I had to have the full monty ( and have since sensibly realised that you don't ) but I offered them to my granddaughter the other day and she said that they nearly fit and she would have them. She has expressed an interest in a couple of pairs of my high-heeled shoes but at the moment they are three sizes too big for her. Not going to offer her the really short minis - they'll go to the charity shop. I had only bought them as sexy clothing to be worn for MOH when we were alone. No point in them now.

[crfriend]

IMOH's favourite mantra is that I would get beaten up for skirt wearing.

This is a favourite line, and it allows an expression of overt power whilst under the guise of caring. Put bluntly, the only place you're likely to get beaten up whilst wearing a skirt would be where you'd likely get beaten up whilst wearing trousers, and it's a safe bet you avoid places like that. Most guys have more sense than to expose themselves needlessly to serious risk of injury without very good reason. So, the objection is a meaningless one.

We did have a brief chat yesterday and she said that she didn't feel attracted to me at all in a skirt although she admits that I have nicely shaped legs and she does like to see them.

That's a game again and can plainly be seen through.

Can't win - seems that she's the only one in our family against my skirts now!

Is anyone willing to come to your aid on the matter?

[skirtingtoday]

I showed the article to MOH but as far as I know she hasn't read it though it's headline must have set off some train of thought as she hasn't been so domineering lately. I'm sure that she wouldn't think that she was so overbearing either. You had more self-restraint than I would have had - I would have quietly left her in the room, gone upstairs, selected one of her coveted garments and brought it down and done exactly the same thing only being of a lighter material it would have disassembled more easily. I admire her strength in being able to rip apart denim with her bare hands! That is awesome.

... Not going to offer her the really short minis - they'll go to the charity shop...

Yes sinned, it was quite staggering having something you liked ripped apart in front of you! I didn't reciprocate as you suggest, nor do I think it the correct way forward. I don't believe MOH will put to much credence in anything the Daily Wail publishes as I feel she will simply dismiss it as their usual right wing nonsense. Not sure if it is worth the aggro I'll get if I do show her the article... It's good to hear it may have resulted in an improvement in your own situation though.

I had a surreal thought if your grand-daughter was offered and did accept the miniskirts. Her friends could ask, "Hey! Like the mini! Where did you get it?" to which her reply could be, "They were my grand-dad's!"

[Sinned]

Is anyone willing to come to your aid on the matter?

Crl, I think that my greatest supporter is my youngest son's partner as in frank discussions with her she has always shown encouragement and she has seen me skirted. With the others of my children I think that there's a bit of saying to MOH what she wants to hear when I'm not around and some support for me when she's not around. They would probably call it diplomacy. The major things I have been asked is not to wear a skirt around my youngest son's two children as they live with their mother about five hours drive away and she is the blackest of black Cruella de Ville Witch Queen. She would do anything to make my son's life sheer hell ( and has tried so hard in the past ) and since his daughter is a rather forthright person there's no way that she could keep anything like this secret. So I respect this situation and understand completely. I suppose wearing a skirt at Halloween or New Year would be different as that may be allowed as "dressing up". The other thing that my daughter said to me is not to wear a skirt around her son as she doesn't want him influenced!!!! But since he has seen me skirted loads of times with little comment I'm not sure this applies any more. Otherwise they have all said that it doesn't bother them at all.

skrtngtdy, You were probably right in your reaction as to do as I suggested would probably have inflamed the situation. It must have really hurt though, not necessarily for the loss of the skirt, because that's just money and can be replaced, but because she showed such a violent and vehement way of expressing herself. I really do feel for you. The reason that I didn't offer the mini skirts is that at 10 to 11 inches in length they are rather too immodest and she's only 12 so I don't think it appropriate. The situation that you gave wouldn't bother me and I have said to her that if any of the other kids tease her about me wearing a skirt to just agree with them that I'm a crazy old fart. You only get into an argument if there's disagreement and the way kids are nowadays I wouldn't want to put her in any risky situation. I know that you are going to say that the hot pants probably don't cover up much more but to me there is a difference and the pants are a bit too big for her at the moment. The mini minis were bought for anticipated erotic value indoors ( to put it rather delicately ) but with MOH's opposition that has rather become redundant.

Not sure that her opposition has lessened - it's just that the snide remarks have stopped and she doesn't say anything about it any more. This is a sort of improvement I suppose but I would like a bit more acceptance from her.

[dillon]

(Sinned) The other thing that my daughter said to me is not to wear a skirt around her son as she doesn't want him influenced!!!! But since he has seen me skirted loads of times with little comment I'm not sure this applies any more.

An individual's sexual identity or gender identity depends on very little beyond his/her inherent (presumably genetic) predisposition, and science understands very little about that; if it were otherwise, then people who adhere strictly to the sex roles and gender trappings assigned by social norms, folkways/mores, would never have gay or alt-gendered children would they? I think your daughter's fears are unreasonable and totally unsupportable by any empirical evidence or stretch of logic. A child will likely develop as he/she is predisposed to develop, as to gender identity and sexuality. All your daughter can do with her absurd protectiveness is to create one more generation of social ignorami and tiny bigoted minds. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but...

[Sinned]

dlln,

Logic has really no place in any of this and her feelings, however unreasonable are real to her, just the uncertainty and disconfidence ( made up word ) that all us parents lack in a project called parenthood that we pass through with very little training. I attach no blame but understand and try to educate. We all sometimes rely on our gut feeling which can often be wrong,

I have an African Grey parrot who talks but picks up and repeats what she wants to repeat. She can use a word/phrase that she has only heard rarely and yet ignore completely something said to her over and over. Youngsters are very much like that. I am not saying that he is oblivious to my skirt wearing it's just that Power Rangers and such are higher in his values at the moment.

[MrNaturalAZ]

Ah ha! A "kindred spirit"! I did field service for most of the 1980s and had a great time at it. I gave it up when the machines started telling me what to do and ability to use an o'scope was no longer appreciated -- or even understood.

Yeah, component-level repair is virtually non-existent in the computer field anymore. I still get to keep myself in practice from time to time working on audio and radio gear, though.

Ties at the time were "optional", but encouraged. This usually meant that they got tucked into the top button-gaps in the shirt almost immediately, however, as some of the devices in use were positively filthy to work on (e.g. electrostatic plotters).

I imagine an "electrostatic plotter" is like a laser printer - full of black powder to get everywhere? I well remember tucking my tie in between buttons of my shirt when I was "lucky" enough to have to go on printer maintenance jobs. The place I worked for had contracts with several large warehouses and industrial firms and twice a year we'd go and do on-site PM of all their PCs and printers. Definitely a roll up your sleeves and tuck in your tie kinda job.

[crfriend]

I imagine an "electrostatic plotter" is like a laser printer - full of black powder to get everywhere? I well remember tucking my tie in between buttons of my shirt when I was "lucky" enough to have to go on printer maintenance jobs.

You're used to the xerographic process which is dry -- these things used wet technology where the toner particles were suspended in a liquid similar to kerosene, and everything to do with particle-replenishment and whatnot was done with plumbing, pumps, and solenoids. The "dream outfit" for working jobs like that would have been a pair of throwaway black trousers (common) and a black dress shirt (unobtanium at the time, but common now (go figure)); the tie gets tucked in, so it probably wouldn't get messed up.

The black-and-white ones were bad enough -- the colour plotters had four times the amount of plumbing and then all sorts of extra optics to keep everything straight. (Blast it, I'm having flashbacks...)

[MrNaturalAZ]

You're used to the xerographic process which is dry -- these things used wet technology where the toner particles were suspended in a liquid similar to kerosene, and everything to do with particle-replenishment and whatnot was done with plumbing, pumps, and solenoids.
[...]
The black-and-white ones were bad enough -- the colour plotters had four times the amount of plumbing and then all sorts of extra optics to keep everything straight. (Blast it, I'm having flashbacks...)

Wow - sounds like quite the clusterf--k. While I'm sure I would have been fascinated at first, I imagine the initial fascination quickly wears off.