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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Do you think men should be allowed to wear skirts?

218 replies

ciarafoley97 · 14/11/2020 19:46

This was brought up by an article I read in the DailyMail (www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8847579/Straight-married-father-three-reveals-hes-worn-skirts-high-heels-day-four-years.html)

Some would say the fact that people think it's ridiculous for men to wear feminine clothing but the reverse isn't true is because the patriarchy sees women as being inferior to men. Therefore in a true gender egalitarian society, clothes would have no gender.

What about dating prospects? Would you date a man who wore skirts/high heels?

OP posts:
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Love51 · 14/11/2020 23:48

Most men that wear skirts are performers of some description. Mostly vicars and rock stars. It isn't a social norm, you don't see many men popping to Tesco in a skirt, or working a wide range of jobs in a skirt. Does that matter? People who stand out against social norm need the norm as a measure of what they stand out against.

Kantastic · 14/11/2020 23:39

Yes they should be allowed, why not?

No to dating, for me personally. I wouldn't like to date an autogynephile, for many many reasons, and obviously men who wear skirts are more likely to have that fetish. Not generalising, just risk-assessing! If more men wore skirts then it would be less likely to signify a fetish.

DidoLamenting · 14/11/2020 23:35

@Goosefoot

Sure, no one is stopping them, at least outside of uniform related situations.

However, I thin the reality is that a majority of people like to have some level of differentiation of fashion for men and women. Maybe they don't really care what that entails, at least in a principled sort of way, but they like there to be a difference.

As long as that is the case, there will be some clothes or other accessories that are associated with a particular sex, and and if a person of the opposite sex wears them, that will be noted as unusual and possibly as an attempt to send some message.

I don't see it as a big deal though. No one really needs to wear anything in particular. I seriously doubt that 200,000 years ago people felt less authentic because their choices were a deer hide or a bit of mammoth fur.

I think you're right there on all points. The only trouser suit I ever owned was a dinner suit cut for a female body. I didn't wear it because it was comfortable or practical but because it was unexpected and stood out at a formal black tie dinner.

It's a little disingenuous for posters to say of course men can wear skirts and cite as examples kilts (a garment seen as masculine for 100s of years) sarongs - (culturally male in some cultures but certainly not mainstream western clothes. Look at the flak David Beckham got and he looked gorgeous in his) and a supremely confident outlier like Harry Styles.

The average bloke in the average office/ shop is at best going to get funny looks, possibly insults, possibly worse and that's setting aside all the armchair psychologists assessing whether he's a fetishist/AGP.

Goosefoot · 14/11/2020 23:17

Sure, no one is stopping them, at least outside of uniform related situations.

However, I thin the reality is that a majority of people like to have some level of differentiation of fashion for men and women. Maybe they don't really care what that entails, at least in a principled sort of way, but they like there to be a difference.

As long as that is the case, there will be some clothes or other accessories that are associated with a particular sex, and and if a person of the opposite sex wears them, that will be noted as unusual and possibly as an attempt to send some message.

I don't see it as a big deal though. No one really needs to wear anything in particular. I seriously doubt that 200,000 years ago people felt less authentic because their choices were a deer hide or a bit of mammoth fur.

AlwaysTawnyOwl · 14/11/2020 23:12

Look at portraits of aristocratic men in the 17th and 18th centuries. Note long hair wigs, lacy velvet jackets, bling, high heeled shoes with lace trim, fetching tights.

littlbrowndog · 14/11/2020 22:56

Anyway. Op. The question is not tha5 great. Should men be allowed to wear skirts

They like women are allowed to wear what they want

weaselwords · 14/11/2020 22:54

Every other man round by me seems to be wearing a dress as I live near a mosque. They look just fine.

Blibbyblobby · 14/11/2020 22:52

I really don't know why they don't. Skirts and dresses are way more comfortable than trousers. I've spent lockdown wearing my usual work dresses cos they are just so easy to wear.

Blindingly0bvious · 14/11/2020 22:47

People should wear what makes them happy. Break up those gender prison boxes!

NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace · 14/11/2020 22:41

Absolutely they should be allowed to wear skirts. And indeed they are.

Would I be interested in dating a man in a skirt and heels? Not unless he rocked them as well as I do, so ...... that'll be a no!

Duckwit · 14/11/2020 22:36

I think Harry Styles is a great example of a current bloke who plays around with clothes without any hint of fetish and still maintains his masculinity. He seems so confident with it as well, I love it! It's such a refreshing change from everything else we are being told at the moment and this need for validation from everyone, Harry just does what he does. I keep dreading that he is going to come out with some non-binary/trans stuff, but so far he seems to just be a bloke who sometimes wears stuff more usually associated with women, and looks good doing it. More like him please Smile

Do you think men should be allowed to wear skirts?
BettyDuKeiraBellisMyShero · 14/11/2020 22:08

I was quite partial to Kurt Cobain in a frock and eyeliner back in the day.

I wouldn’t date a man who wore skirts and heels if he gave off even a whiff of getting off over the perceived submission of wearing female coded items (because that is rooted in misogyny and misogyny isn’t sexy).

I’d happily date a man who did it as part of high fashion or alternative look, but there aren’t many of those about in the middle aged heterosexual category.

My favourite look on a man is ‘long haired rocker in a flouncy blouse’ but there aren’t many of those about nowadays either.

Do you think men should be allowed to wear skirts?
Do you think men should be allowed to wear skirts?
Do you think men should be allowed to wear skirts?
LadyMonicaBaddingham · 14/11/2020 21:58

I have a number of male friends who wear traditional Indian clothing that could loosely be described as 'a skirt' . I was brought up in Scotland, where kilts are commonplace.

altforvarmt · 14/11/2020 21:57

What if a woman was wearing it?

Ah, now if you’re talking about a women’s kilt, it’s constructed differently. It has the pleats at the back, but it’s constructed more like a skirt and looks like a skirt. No other elements of dress are “required” (though sometimes it’s worn with a tartan sash) so kilt and skirt are often used interchangeably for it.

A man’s kilt is traditionally constructed of 8 yards of tartan (it’s heavy!) and would always be worn with a sporran. Ideally, it’d be accompanied by other traditional elements like a sgian-dubh, kilt pin and flashes, but it can be dressed down and worn with an aran sweater and walking boots, or dressed up fully formal for a wedding. Anyway, women are just as entitled to wear this if they want but, if they do, it’s definitely a kilt and not a skirt.

Do you think men should be allowed to wear skirts?
Do you think men should be allowed to wear skirts?
audweb · 14/11/2020 21:54

Wear. Not were. Terrible auto correct.

audweb · 14/11/2020 21:54

Of course men are allowed. In many cultures they wear dress/skirt like outfits. Go to the Middle East. Men typically were long robe outfits, never trousers. And look amazing, might I add.

CorianderLord · 14/11/2020 21:52

I mean of course.... men around the world have worn skirt like clothing for millennia

MissAHannigan · 14/11/2020 21:51

Men can wear whatever they want.

BlackWaveComing · 14/11/2020 21:43

Man in skirt? Sure. Would make a lot of sense where I live - hot and humid 5 months of the year.

Hailtomyteeth · 14/11/2020 21:43

Men can wear what they want. I'm born in the fifties, teenager in the seventies. I like men in dresses and make-up... as long as they don't try to tell me what I can or can't be as a woman.

jj1968 · 14/11/2020 21:39

@NotTerfNorCis

Decorative, fancy clothing can look good on a man. Check out some of the upper class styles of the last centuries. But clothing that is entirely associated with women is a turn-off because he's sending out 'woman' signals that conflict with reality.
Are you suggesting your sexuality is based on gender stereotypes? How strange, I thought it was all about genitals and chromosones round here.
MadamBatty · 14/11/2020 21:39

I don’t give a rats arse what people wear so long as their bits are covered.

I wouldn’t date a man who wears heels. I stride & walk everywhere. He wouldn’t be able to keep up with me.

RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 14/11/2020 21:31

Fiji police...if we are doing pictures

Do you think men should be allowed to wear skirts?
Krazynights34 · 14/11/2020 21:31

Of course they can. I have a good friend who did (with my encouragement). He stopped after the village kids threw eggs at him, but he shouldn’t have had to. He found it liberating. I didn’t care for his taste in skirts but that’s by the by.
Anyone can wear what they want. I’ve still no idea why anyone would enjoy heels but then again, I wore PVC clothes (trousers mainly) for years. So I’m no expert

Lily193 · 14/11/2020 21:29

Men should wear whatever they like. I would have no problem dating a man who wears a skirt.