How short is too short for men's skirts?

[kiltsrawesome]

So I've been trying out different lengths, since my comfort zone is knee length, and I was just wondering what your guy's opinion is on how short our skirts should be. Or what lengths are your favorites? Just for kicks I bought a demin mini skirt, and at the moment I wouldn't dare wear it without stockings, haha, as I like my calves but I'm afraid people might be put off by showing too much leg. I'm all for promoting men's skirts, but would mini skirts turn people off from accepting them?

Thanks!

[Kilted_John]

Since I'm also a traditional kilt wearer, I usually prefer knee-length or above-knee skirts. I do have a couple minis that I'll wear for around the house, or sleeping, but, I've yet to be brave enough to actually wear one publicly. I also have a box-pleat mini that I've worn over a knee-length pleated skirt while out running errands... I might wear that alone with a pair of trouser socks this summer. Looks like this summer might actually be just as warm as last year's summer was. Prior to the current selection, the shortest I'd worn publicly was a light green Head tennis skirt, which, when worn on the hips, was just above the knee.

-J

[zizkov]

Done in a certain way a short skirt looks relatively interchangeable with shorts, so in theory if we wear shorts and do not frighten the horses we should be able to wear a short skirt. I like myself in a short skirt as does my wife but it's what to put under it that is my problem. As yet this look is strictly for the house and garden.

[cessna152towser]

Shortest one I own is the Midas splashed bleach denim mini, which is seventeen inches long. Compared with a twenty three inch length kilt which would reach the centre of my kneecap. The Midas denim mini has two kick pleats either side which gives sufficient material that it doesn't ride up when sitting. I've been out and about two days recently wearing my Midas denim mini during the warm weather. No adverse comments, a few people said it looked good on me, and everybody who commented on it referred to it as a kilt. I wouldn't wear anything shorter than this.

[Eborian]

I like skirts of all lengths. I think that there is no problem with wearing mini skirts as long as they are not so short as to be indecent.

[crfriend]

I think that there is no problem with wearing mini skirts as long as they are not so short as to be indecent.

I suspect this is the case, but a lot of it boils down to matching the skirt with your body type and what sort of shirt one is going to wear.

Guys tend to have broad shoulders and "barrel chests" which can make them look "top heavy" in short skirts the way that women don't. Not that this is a bad thing, mind you, but it does have the power to complicate the look when one wants it to look seamless and effortless. Even being thin, I definitely fall into this category, and even though I like my minis a lot they're not a terribly polished look on me. As AMM once pointed out from a photograph of me in one: "It looks like you decided to go bottomless". Ouch. The fact that I was wearing a waistcoat and necktie at the time certainly didn't help matters.

I suspect that minis on guys will pretty much be a public look for the younger set who haven't "filled out" yet -- kind of like they are on the ladies...

[AMM]

I'm all for promoting men's skirts, but would mini skirts turn people off from accepting them?

When people here speak of "promoting men's skirts," it somehow comes across like a flea talking about how he's going to train elephants.

There are such a tiny number of men who wear skirts, especially if you exclude Orthodox Crossdressers(tm) and drag performers, that for most people, it isn't a question of whether they accept "men in skirts" as whether they accept the one man they've ever seen wearing a skirt. To the extent that their reaction has anything to do with the guy in question, it will depend more on how he behaves than on his skirt length. If he gives the impession that he thinks it's no big deal and that it doesn't occur to him that it would be a big deal to anyone else, and the folks he meets are likely to adopt the same attitude, if only because it's easier than inventing a different one.

[AMM]

I suspect that minis on guys will pretty much be a public look for the younger set who haven't "filled out" yet -- kind of like they are on the ladies...

The original point of miniskirts was to be sexually provocative, by raising the thought in the mind of the (presumed male) observer of what the wearer would look like with no skirt at all. This is why they were so controversial back then. And since male observers were presumed to be only attracted to young, perfect-10, female bodies, miniskirts were considered appropriate only for shapely young women.

I suspect that by now, most people over the age of 25 have seen more than they want to of nearly-naked bodies, so that a miniskirt no longer has the same effect. There's a guy who posts here occasionally who routinely wears a "kilt" that stops well above the knee. He owns a small business, interacts regularly with customers, and he reports that the response he gets from people is uniformly positive.

[PatJ]

This is a very interesting thread. My first thought was the length should be age appropriate.

I've seen pictures of Veletron in short skirts and he looks perfectly fine. Having said that, I have seen pictures of others who post here that wouldn't look so good in a short skirt like one worn by Veletron.

I have no desire to see a grandmother wearing a short skirt - as a grandfather - I don't think anyone wants to see me in a short skirt.

There is also the issue of varicose veins - nobody wants to look at legs that look like road maps.

I must conclude that how short of a skirt one chooses to wear is dependant upon many many factors. I don't think that there is a "one size - fits all" answer here. But, I have enjoyed reading these responses.

[RichardA]

In a nut shell if you have the legs flaunt them

[Colin]

I think that it depends upon what you are doing as well as your general shape. Walking or standing can be comfortable in something shorter. If you are likely to have to pick things up from the floor or put plants in the garden, something at least knee length would be better.
Horses for courses, as they say.

[RichardA]

I wouldn't go any shorter than this and I would wear underwear

[skirted_in_SF]

. . . and I would wear underwear

I would hope so.
Just out of curiosity, what is the length of that skirt?

[Milfmog]

Length is really a matter of personal comfort (both physical and social). I reckon that so long as the skirt is not socially unacceptable (imodest or just plain inappropriate for the circumstances; say, a miniskirt at a funeral...) any length the wearer is happy with should be OK. The problem comes when people wear clothing they are not really happy about; their lack of comfort will show and observers will always pick up on that. Conversely self-confidence is a very effective way to take the sting out of other peoples reactions to our sartorial choices.

The shortest skirts I own are 15" long, one of them is pictured in my avatar (and can be seen larger here).

Have fun,


Ian.

Edited to correct typo - Ian.

[RichardA]

. . . and I would wear underwear

I would hope so.
Just out of curiosity, what is the length of that skirt?

15 inches long with 32 inch legs