To wonder if skirts are inherently misogynistic and objectify women...

[Oakenbeach]

... and that women who continue to wear them are perpetuating the notion, albeit mostly subliminally, of a man’s entitlement to easy and unimpeded “access” to women.

Why are some people so determined to tell women what to do/ what to wear/ how to behave?

I prefer skirts and dresses for work. They are more flexible when I've lost or gained a few pounds (I find trousers too loose or tight a lot of the time). If I wear trousers I have to wear those pop sock tight things that just fall down. And I find dresses so easy as don't need to match anything with them. I always wear thick black tights though so I don't think that's very easy to access

I always think that as I get dressed in the morning and put a skirt or dress on 'here I go again, enabling the patriarchy with my irresistibly alluring outfits. Shame on me'

I have to say, my knob never looks good in trousers, it's why I opt for skirts

🔔 end

On colder days, skirts and tight layer up to keep me warmer. But I also wear jeans a lot too.

I wear skirts because they are comfortable, don't care less whether men like them or not (ask my dh, he hates my old fashioned comfortable dresses, he prefers me in jeans!)

What a load of nonsense! You do realise that men have historically worn tunics, togas etc? Was that in order to allow 'unimpeded access' for women?!

Not at all, DH loves his kilt. And no, nothing should be worn underneath. Everything should be in good working order...

YABU. I wear long, comfortable skirts all the time. They suit my body shape better than trousers - and by that I don't mean trying to look attractive to men, but being able to buy them in standard sizes without needing alterations. At this time of year I wear leggings underneath, and when it's really cold I have petticoats, too.

Your wonderings are very far off the mark.

But I can confirm a previous poster's speculation - skirts are definitely much more convenient when using a squat toilet. I imagine that where there are no sanitary facilities at all, you'd feel less exposed in a skirt.

Men wear skirts too. Perhaps not in our culture but in fiffeeent places and times men wearing skirts is common.

What a twat

Daft. Just a half baked theory. What is misogyny is telling women what they should or shouldn’t wear and the reasons they make those choices. I don’t know any adult woman who wears skirts to allow unimpeded access. What a silly idea. I’m trying to picture my colleagues husbands arriving at our team meeting to assert their right of way.

People wear skirts because they are comfortable, cooler, healthier or simply because they like them. If a women wants to wear a pretty, floral, floaty skirt to look summery or a faux leather micro mini that is entirely her right and her choice. I wouldn’t choose the faux leather but absolutely uphold any women’s right to do so. Except not to my place of work.

Goodness me, OP. What about the unfortunate females who are prone to thrush and might prefer to allow the air to circulate?

Do men wear skirts typically? Or would a man wearing a skirt automatically earn the title of 'brave'?

Given the answers to these questions (no and then yes) I believe that skirts are inherently misogynistic. Not because of the access to genitals issue though...that's bonkers.

Completely bonkers.

Sometimes I wonder how people go through life having picked up no cross cultural or historical understanding. Skirts are only a woman thing recently, and in this part of the world.
In the past women wore a lot of petticoats, boned undergarments , floor length skirts. These make it easy to do a discrete wee but were certainly not "easy access".
In most places, the wearing of a garment in the style of a skirt, like sarong, dhoti, Greek and roman robes were because they could be created from a single piece of cloth without tailoring and therefore inexpensive and easy to wear.

Actually research has reportedly demonstrated that when a woman wears pants, the first place a man's eyes go is her crotch. To me, THAT is demeaning to women.

Since my marriage, I have for the most part worn only skirts and dresses. In the past few years I have even purchased scrub skirts and dresses to wear when I teach practicum. During winter I typically wear leggings underneath and I also wear leggings if I'm wearing a knee-length skirt. My clothes are very comfortable and I have received compliments on my scrub skirts.

I’m 54 and have never worn trousers in my life, I hate the feel of anything on my legs so it’s long, flowing skirts for me... that must account for the hordes of poor men who have descended into madness driven by their lust for me!

DDIJ
How can an inanimate object be misogynistic?

I think you might need to get a life.

Men wear skirts too. Perhaps not in our culture

Who is “our” Racecar? There are plenty of non English people on MN.

I’m Scottish, 95% of my male friends and family (including those who are English) have a regularly worn kilt hanging in their wardrobes.

Where I live you see kilts in a daily basis. No one bats an eyelid. It’s not considered alternative or “brave”.

Have a quick look round the world OP there are millions of men wearing a skirt every day.