Old-fashioned fashion enjoys a comeback: skirts for men

DEAR ABBY: Allow me to offer kudos to "Joe in Pennsylvania " , who wrote that he prefers wearing skirts at home, on errands and at church.

[Sunny03]

I'd like to know what exactly a 'kilt check' is! Would someone actually have the ba lls to lift up a guy's kilt?

[Erin]

Utilikilts are sexy as he ll. Give me a man in one of those, rowr!

[Misplaced Texan]

OK, so it seems like the most common argument supporting men wearing skirts is that other cultures do it. Ours, in general, does not. The argument should be able to go both ways.

I couldn't care less if some dude wants to wear a skirt, but they should be prepared for the funny looks and snarky (or even rude) comments that will certainly accompany the skirt. It's sort of like the people who get their entire body covered in tattoos and piercings and then complain that they get a lot of rude stares and assumptions about their character - you made a choice about how to present yourself, so deal with the ramifications!

[Equality for All]

Seriously...If a dude wants to wear a skirt..then more power to him. I am pretty sure it wouldnt hurt people in this country to be a little more open minded. Be ready for stares...but just smile and move on!

[Noir]

Scottish by birth, British by law,
Highlander by the grace of God.

[Bibliophilist]

Juxtapose this article with the brouhaha over the girl wanting to wear a tux to the prom.

[Pippa1]

Misplaced Texan wrote:

OK, so it seems like the most common argument supporting men wearing skirts is that other cultures do it. Ours, in general, does not. The argument should be able to go both ways.
I couldn't care less if some dude wants to wear a skirt, but they should be prepared for the funny looks and snarky (or even rude) comments that will certainly accompany the skirt. It's sort of like the people who get their entire body covered in tattoos and piercings and then complain that they get a lot of rude stares and assumptions about their character - you made a choice about how to present yourself, so deal with the ramifications!

Well, I sort of agree with your reasoning here. Personally it wouldn't bother me to see a guy wearing a kilt and I would not think he's strange. My husband has a problem looking past such things as blue or red painted hair, tattoos, and earings on guys. I've had the advantage of working with teenagers and know in many, perhaps most cases, those outer trappings are not indicative of the person inside. I've seen teens done up like the sweetest, most conservative kids that mommy and daddy could desire and yet the behavior and language of some of those kids are the exact opposite. However, you are correct that many people are going to make assumptions, stare and go so far as to make rude comments. Of course that says more about those people than the guy wearing the kilt. I can only hope the kilt wearer is able to deal with such situations calmly.

[Kevin]

Forget kilts, let's bring back the codpiece!

[Cass]

Misplaced Texan wrote:

OK, so it seems like the most common argument supporting men wearing skirts is that other cultures do it. Ours, in general, does not. The argument should be able to go both ways.
I couldn't care less if some dude wants to wear a skirt, but they should be prepared for the funny looks and snarky (or even rude) comments that will certainly accompany the skirt. It's sort of like the people who get their entire body covered in tattoos and piercings and then complain that they get a lot of rude stares and assumptions about their character - you made a choice about how to present yourself, so deal with the ramifications!

I sort of agree, but I wonder why people would care at all. So, some guy is walking down the street wearing a flower-print skirt, or three pounds of metal sticking out of their lips, eyebrows, and navels, or Sistine Madonna tattooed all over his body, or all of the above. Why would a total stranger care?

[Marsha]

Misplaced Texan wrote:

OK, so it seems like the most common argument supporting men wearing skirts is that other cultures do it. Ours, in general, does not. The argument should be able to go both ways.
I couldn't care less if some dude wants to wear a skirt, but they should be prepared for the funny looks and snarky (or even rude) comments that will certainly accompany the skirt. It's sort of like the people who get their entire body covered in tattoos and piercings and then complain that they get a lot of rude stares and assumptions about their character - you made a choice about how to present yourself, so deal with the ramifications!

Just as YOU could make the choice to avoid making a remark that displays your insecurity and ignorance re: clothing habits.

But, hey, that's Texas for ya, huh?

[Lady Jane]

I am just wondering what type of shoes these guys wear with these kilts? And what type of socks? Do they groom their leg hair?
Yeah- women wear skirts but they shave their legs or wear panty hose.

And the asian men who wear skirts usually wear longer ones and they wear sandals for the weather. That wouldnt look right here.Something about stark white men and their legs is sort of gross. When men are dark/tan it doesnt look too bad.

Just my honest opinion.

[Whatthe]

Misplaced Texan wrote:

OK, so it seems like the most common argument supporting men wearing skirts is that other cultures do it. Ours, in general, does not. The argument should be able to go both ways.
I couldn't care less if some dude wants to wear a skirt, but they should be prepared for the funny looks and snarky (or even rude) comments that will certainly accompany the skirt. It's sort of like the people who get their entire body covered in tattoos and piercings and then complain that they get a lot of rude stares and assumptions about their character - you made a choice about how to present yourself, so deal with the ramifications!

Right on Tex! I grew up in southwestern Asia like the dude in the first letter. If a woman wore shorts there or a bikini, even to the beach, she is confronted with a lot worse than rude remarks. So LW1, stop whining about how you can't wear a lungi in the US. Do in Rome as Romans do!

[AngelaMN]

L1 through L20: Boring. And while I don't care if a man wants to wear a skirt, a kilt, or a wrestling singlet while out and about in the world, no man of MINE is gonna wear one, unless he's Celtic and can prove that the kilt is a tradition in his family.

[moquif]

Nothing is more manly than a kilt. It says, "I'm ready to have sex at any time." When you wear pants you have to unbuckle your belt and push the pants down. When you wear a kilt, all you have to do is lift. See, it's much faster.

[shortshot]

Sunny03 wrote:

I'd like to know what exactly a 'kilt check' is! Would someone actually have the ba lls to lift up a guy's kilt?

Yes, they would, and they get at least a verbal smack down for it usually.
I've seen it happen and was amazed that anyone would have the nerve.

[k8ordie]

what? next women will start a fad of having their skirts rise above the ankle!! please, for decorum's sake, let's just keep the status quo- don't rock the boat with these crazy, outlandish, inappropriate outfits! thank god i never leave the house (except to get more beer).

[Another opinion]

Its interesting that in all the places around the world where "men" where skirts, toilet paper has yet to make an appearance.

[LadyJaye]

Lady Jane wrote:

I am just wondering what type of shoes these guys wear with these kilts? And what type of socks? Do they groom their leg hair?
Yeah- women wear skirts but they shave their legs or wear panty hose.
And the asian men who wear skirts usually wear longer ones and they wear sandals for the weather. That wouldnt look right here.Something about stark white men and their legs is sort of gross. When men are dark/tan it doesnt look too bad.
Just my honest opinion.

Yeah, but how different is the skirt from shorts, in terms of the leg shown? Nice screen name, btw ;)

As far as Tex's point about those who look different: I don't think the guys wearing skirt-type clothing expect people not to look twice, because you're right-- anything different is going to get looks. Adults should be able to handle stares from strangers. What they DO have a right to expect, though, is common decency-- that means no outright sneers, intrusive questions, heckling, harassment, etc. There's a big difference. It's not hurting anyone to have a tattoo or wear a skirt, and part of the American identity that you point out is *diversity*.

[Another opinion]

Cass wrote:

<quoted text>
I sort of agree, but I wonder why people would care at all. So, some guy is walking down the street wearing a flower-print skirt, or three pounds of metal sticking out of their lips, eyebrows, and navels, or Sistine Madonna tattooed all over his body, or all of the above. Why would a total stranger care?

Because most normal people are uncomfortable when in the presence of those who are mentally unbalanced.

[Another opinion]

Equality for All wrote:

Seriously...If a dude wants to wear a skirt..then more power to him. I am pretty sure it wouldnt hurt people in this country to be a little more open minded. Be ready for stares...but just smile and move on!

Most people would probably say that one of America's biggest problems is that we are open-minded to the point of being empty-headed.