skirtcafe.org

Hello,

I live in the southwestern part of Virginia, less than a mile north of Tennessee. I found this site while looking up information on mens skirts and I myself have begun donning skirts in my free time just over the last few weeks and I love it!

Like many, I am not trying to look "like a woman", but rather I think that men can look nice in a skirt. Depending on the skirt, I feel that many men can still maintain a masculine look while wearing a skirt, especially considering that from my research, men have been wearing skirts for millennia. Plus, as we live in a world where women can pretty much wear anything they want, it seems only fair that men be allowed to do the same.

My first "skirt" like garment was actually purchased a number of years ago, but I seldom wore it outside of the house or yard. Nobody from the public has seen me in it, and it technically isn't a skirt, it was a Wiccan robe, which is designed more like a dress than a skirt. I walked in it once in the mountains and was impressed with the airflow, how it kept me cool, and it's style in general. However even I'll admit, it looked too "religious", and I was wanting something more "everyday".

I finally talked to my wife about it, and got her blessing, and a short time after that, I ordered a Macabi skirt for hiking. This was the skirt I ordered a few weeks ago. I reluctantly hiked up to the Channels State Forest a few weeks ago on a Sunday. I remember being almost scared to leave the house. I felt very silly.

However about half of the way up the trail, I fell in love with the Macabi, and even though I passed several hikers, it no longer bothered me. I was actually rather proud to wear it. After the hike, my wife and I went to KMart in Abingdon, where aside from a few curious stares, and one nasty stare from an old man nobody bothered me.

The following week I wore it all day Saturday and Sunday. Saturday we took a ride to Roanoke where I walked it through Valley View Mall, then to the Roanoke Star. down the parkway then back home again. We even stopped at a truck stop, and a rest area. I'll admit it was somewhat awkward going into a busy truck stop bathroom to pee at the urinal. I expected someone to say something, but nobody did. Nobody really seemed to mind, nobody said a word about it, and I only caught a glimpse of some redneck looking guy standing at the door that looked as though he would have loved to violently murder me if he thought he could get away with it. But he never actually said anything.

Sunday I walked about 4 miles of the Appalachian Trail with it, down the Creeper Trail, and then a stroll through Damascus VA on the sidewalk. At this point I feel I am perfectly comfortable wearing it where ever. In fact, I am wanting to get a few more of some different colors.

I'm not really into kilts. Even when I wear trousers and pants I normally don't go for "shorts" because I'm somewhat modest. Any skirt I wear would have to come down at least half way between my knee and ankle. The Macabi I purchased seemed to be sized just right for me, it hangs just a few inches above my feet, just enough to where I don't trip over the hem when hiking. I also like the fact that I can button it up a little if I'm in some rough terrain. Combine that with my sandals and I feel like gives me a "laid back hippie" look that I really dig on me.

In addition to that personal preference, I feel the Macabi is stylish on men as well as women. It's just a good all around unisex skirt. It's not really masculine or feminine, it's just what it is.

I work in maintenance along side of a crew of burly rough neck, dirty joke tellin' men, so it's going to be interesting when word of this gets out at work. But it is what it is.

Aside from the Macabi, I'd like to find a plain black pleated skirt with at least front pockets that comes down past my knees. Most of what I've been able to find in department stores are just no my style. They either use flowery fabrics or are just to short for me.

I look forward to getting to know you all and sharing stories.

Congratulations on expressing yourself, moonshadow, both in public style and in this board.

As you've discovered, for you to wear a skirt in public is simply not a big deal for the vast majority of people you encounter. If they notice you at all, their reaction will generally be a pleasant smile or a bland, "Oh well." And as for the disapproves, that's their problem, not yours.

You 're very fortunate to have an understanding wife. It hope it draws you both closer.

And of course, welcome to the board!

Welcome to the adventure of wearing a skirt.

Uncle Al

Hello Moonshadow and welcome to skirtcafe.

Good to hear about your skirting exploits out and about in public and with the support of your partner as well. Another true individual with choice and expression.

Welcome, Moonshadow. I have a Macabi also. It's a very good and spacious garment. I also like knee-length skirts by ExOfficio and Merrell for outdoor stuff. You live in a beautiful part of the country and I love the New River area. I have good friends near Sparta, NC, and family just east of Galax. And now that my daughter works in Mount Airy, I will be in that region more often. Maybe a meet-up will be possible in the future.

dillon wrote:Welcome, Moonshadow. I have a Macabi also. It's a very good and spacious garment. I also like knee-length skirts by ExOfficio and Merrell for outdoor stuff. You live in a beautiful part of the country and I love the New River area. I have good friends near Sparta, NC, and family just east of Galax. And now that my daughter works in Mount Airy, I will be in that region more often. Maybe a meet-up will be possible in the future.

I agree that I live in a pretty cool place. Lots of outdoorsy stuff to do. The actual location of my home is pretty good, in my front window I see people on the Iron Mountain Trail, and in my back window across the creek, is the Appalachian Trail, Creeper Trail, and US 58. So I'm always watching hikers go by the house from the back deck. In fact, that's where I got the idea to start hiking in a skirt. I've seen other hardcore hikers doing it. Not a lot, maybe about one out of every hundred or so. I tend to see it more in May and June when the NOBO thru hikers are making their way through town from Georgia to Maine.

I do work in Galax. We don't have any stores in North Carolina yet, but there are always rumors of expansion. My wife is from Goldsboro NC and we were just down there a few weeks and plan to return. But certainly, when you're in the area, give me a shout. Maybe we can get together for a day hike or something. I'd like to start exploring the Boone NC area a little more. However on Labor Day weekend I really want to go into West Virginia around the New River Gorge area and stay for a few days.

I've often called Damascus a "conservative Floyd" (Floyd is a little hippie town just a little south of Roanoke. It's nice here and people are pretty open minded for the most part. There are some old timers who don't care for men in skirts, but there are always enough tourist and yuppies in the area that it really doesn't matter. I guess these folks have seen it all anyway.

Thanks to everyone else for the welcomes!

moonshadow wrote:. . . . I normally don't go for "shorts" because I'm somewhat modest. Any skirt I wear would have to come down at least half way between my knee and ankle.

In the last few weeks I started routinely wearing skirts out of my building and further than a block or two from home. I agree that right now my mid-calf length skirts are the most comfortable length. But stretching myself, I wore a bottom of the knee skirt today and the world did not come to an end. This was my second no pants weekend in a row.
Next goal is a skirt at work. It will have to be a casual Friday as I'm usually a suit and tie guy. Could be this Friday as several of my co-workers are scheduled to be on vacation. If I do it, it would also entail my first public transit rides in a skirt. That shouldn't be a problem since I ride an express bus mostly populated by younger, educated people.

Well I can't work in a skirt as we have company issued uniforms to wear, but at any rate, where I work on so many different pieces of equipment and high voltages, a skirt would probably be more dangerous. Could get caught in a machine, or drag a slightly wet hem over a 480 volt terminal block. But since my work place is a public place (it's a grocery store chain) I can, and have worn it in the store on my days off. After all my time is just that... my time.

My immediate co-workers have not seen me in it, although I did tell one guy about it, who I consider more open minded than most. I wore it to the store in my hometown, where while they are not my direct co-workers, the store manager, deli, and meat dept employees did see me in it. Nobody said a word about it, and they still seem to look at me the same way after the fact.

If they ever did, I have already rehearsed my reply....

"Well, I originally purchased it for hiking in, however after wearing it on some hikes, I can say this is the most comfortable garment I have ever worn, now I wear it every chance I can... so now I wonder why doesn't everyone wear skirts?"

And a response for the more bigoted questioner....

"Well, I figured, in this nation we are supposed to be free, now I'll grant that there are a lot of freedoms that we should have but don't, but according to my research a man wearing a skirt isn't against the law, and thanks to the 14th amendment, if they were to ever make it against the law, it would have to apply to everyone, men and women, you know, with that equal protection clause and all.... The way I figure, if anyone has a problem with that, then they can go over to one of those dictatorship countries where you are told how to behave, what you can wear, believe, etc."

And for the religious....

"I don't think Moses, Jesus, any of the disciples, etc wore pants"

For the haters...

"I'll agree, you have the right to hate, but your rights end where mine begin, and I have a right not to take your opinion under consideration. Be gone now!"

I could go on all day!

Hi Moonshadow
Last year I hiked thru Damascus wearing a skirt. I did not get much further because I developed a case of shin splints. My skirts are quite a bit shorter that the one you show on your website but I find the shorter ones are cooler and less weight I have to carry on the trail. I seldom get negative looks or comments when on the trail or in town. Those I meet either don't notice or don't care. What we wear is not important, it's what we do and who we are that is important. You are so fortunate to have a wife that supports you while wearing a skirt.

Skipper5551

skipper5551 wrote:Hi Moonshadow
Last year I hiked thru Damascus wearing a skirt. I did not get much further because I developed a case of shin splints. My skirts are quite a bit shorter that the one you show on your website but I find the shorter ones are cooler and less weight I have to carry on the trail. I seldom get negative looks or comments when on the trail or in town. Those I meet either don't notice or don't care. What we wear is not important, it's what we do and who we are that is important. You are so fortunate to have a wife that supports you while wearing a skirt.

Skipper5551

Awesomo! If you try that again, be sure to drop by. We live right on the trail right on the town/county line. I myself have only taken very small hikes. Nothing like what the through hikers are used to. But all the same, on my days off, my skirts are the only thing I ever wear. I've worn them all up and down the I81 corridor in Virginia, and throughout West Virginia. Not sure what part of Georgia you're in, but the grocery store I work at recently bought out a bunch of Bi-Lo's down in the Chattanooga market including northern Georgia. The boss man keeps saying he's going to send me down there for a week or so to help get our new help trained, but I'm not sure. If I ever go, I'll give a hollar.

Even off the trail, out and about I don't pick up hardly any bad vibes or looks. My first day out was iffy, but I think that was mostly because I was so timid. Now that I've gotten more used to it I don't notice it near as much. I even mow my grass in a skirt now..

We plan to be in the mountains the weekend of October 10th. I wlll pm you.

dillon wrote:We plan to be in the mountains the weekend of October 10th. I wlll pm you.

Cool, however be advised I'll be on call that week. Which means I may be home, may be in Galax, could be as far as Louisa Kentucky or into Tennessee. But by all means let me know when you're near. I'm sure something can be worked out.