A little over a month ago in the quaint town of Poitiers in western France, a gentleman by the name of Dominique Moreau engages in a movement against the rigid, gender?based sartorial codes of fashion. He—in league with thirty other able bodied men—spends a good part of the day wearing skirts.
Why, you might ask? Well, it just so has it that, historically, the skirt has been a item of clothing not exclusively marked out for women and Moreau wants to instill that verve to wear skirts in men once again!
Hearken back a month and, quite frankly, we wished Mr. Moreau and his organization, Hommes en Jupe (Men in Skirts), all the best in their endeavors at culling legions of men to their somewhat gender-bending calling, but now we’re reevaluating. Based on the events that took place on Wednesday at New York Fashion Week, Hommes en Jupe’s male skirt movement will definitely gained some pep in its step courtesy of a new patron: Marc Jacobs!
Heroically clad in a red tartan kilt, Jacob’s gaily received accolades for his Marc by Marc Jacobs show. Tartan is seriously doing the rounds this season so the pattern was a pleasing nod to the enlightened, however, there’s no doubt in my mind that a flurry of men who are both expressive with their clothing and comfortable with their sexuality will begin to latch unto this skirt craze.
As is the case with androgynous trends, questions are sure to arise as per the acceptable length at which a man should don his skirt. Unlike the fiasco that currently surrounds men, shorts, and how short is too short, skirts on men and the appropriate length is more of a weighty matter that needs serious discussion.
Not too long ago, The Sartorialist quipped about whether men’s skirts should fall above or or below the knee. My response to that is keep in consonant with Mr. Jacobs—below the knee—and you won’t draw too many added stares!
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i was wondering when the rest of the male gender would join David Beckham in his sarong wearing craze..i am not sure if i entirely love the whole Hommes un Jupe fiasco..definetely challenging the status quo if nothing else..however if women are permitted to dorn trousers..i fathom its only fair that men wear skirts..at least for the time being..i wonder whats next though..bras for the male mammary glands?..lol kidding..
nicely done Ike
Amazing how important labels are, call it a Kilt and it’s masculine, call is a skirt and it’s not. The thing is one must have nice legs to pull it off, otherwise stick to trousers. Please.
I’ve been wearing skirts all the time in public and everywhere else since 2005 after joining SkirtCafe.org in 2004 and getting my eyes opened. I’d been wearing sarongs at the beach or pools or in my home before that since 1982, but no real skirts other than one fuzzy kilt which I hated. Now I wear cotton twill skirts manufactured by “Main Street Blues” and custom skirts sewn by me at home from fabric at eBay. I’m somewhat overweight and mature so a skirt gives me far far more support at the lower back, hips and upper thighs. All my skirts are straight or slightly A-line for the support. I actually was given a prescription from a doctor some years ago to wear tightly wrapped medicinal wraps. (hot, sweaty, uncomfortable) a friend suggested a sarong and I’ve never looked back. I can barely remember how uncomfortable trousers were and hope I never need to wear them again.
Uhmm… no, Marc dear.
Definitely in agreement Ian on the legs aspect. We’re not saying shave your legs, but make sure their well toned (i.e., get those calf muscles looking taut).
As for the labels comments, their significance is apparent across all layers of society and your spot on in your analysis. Skirts = femme, kilts = homme. Then again, you have to throw into the mix the element of culture that give these labels the glue fix themselves in our schema. A kilt is a skirt-like garment that reaches to/past the knee (or above if that’s your thing) so why all the gender factions? If I’d used kilt in the heading, I’m sure the reception of miss.fab would be entirely different by virtue of the masculine context in which the kilt is viewed. With movements like Homme en Jupe and isolated incidents like Marc Jacobs, cultures other than Gaelic ones will hopefully no longer see skirts, kilts or what have you in a purely feminine lens.
Personally I don’t see the problem. I have never heard a single good reason why a man should not wear a skirt. A skirt is far kinder to male anatomy than pants, where this would make no difference to a woman. If skirts had anything to do with gender, they would be considered man’s attire and pants would be the exclusive domain of women.
I have been sitting at my desk all day hot and uncomfortable in my trousers and can’t wait to get home to put on a skirt.
I think Since1982 has the right idea. Unfortunately it is still not considered acceptable for me to wear a skirt to work – but for no good reason.
Hey its not that bad!!
What is wrong with men in skirts? Just let me one single reason (of course which has a real base) why men should not wear a skirt?
I’m not talking about that women can wear anything they want, but it seems that we practice sex-racism when measure the same topic purposely with different scales.
I must say that I do not understand the (in my opinion) somewhat useless and eternal discussion if men can wear skirts or not. Of course they have the freedom to wear what they want, the difference between male and female clothing is not about the question skirt or trousers. It is the shape, the fabric, and so on!
Who is most to blame for obstructing men having freedom of dress? Clergymen and psychiatrists. However, psychiatrists are easily the worse of the two, with the sickening terminology they coin for nonexistent “disorders.” Then there’s the fashion selfish woman who wants no competition in display from men. Men outsmart themselves with the erroneous equation “skirts are female and females are inferior therefore I don’t want to be inferior by wearing a skirt.” Just tell that to Alexander the Great or any typical Roman general.
Nothing is wrong with skirts for men. I can’t follow the discussions in almost all corners of the internet anymore.
Beleive me, I thought the whole time that our wonderful country is finally out of isolationism – but when I read some comments [not this forum] I have to imagine of their answers that some people must live in a hole.
I think that it is “high noon” for men to catch up with some good ideas for dressing, and a skirt could be a solution. But it should be not th only one, because we are all looking for innovative and creative ideas.
Forget what somebody want to tell you that skirts and dresses are just for women ….. it’s not true, read for that articles like “old fashioned fashion enjoys a come-back: skirts for men” and build your opinion.
Men can go in skirts, and a skirt dressed man never will catch up with a female skirt wearer, body-shape, the way of movement and kind of dressing are very different – so, there is also for sure no competition.
Just try it, and you’ll see how comfortable skirts are = especially for a male body.
What are the name of those sandals he has on?
Hi all I have been wearing skirts at home for a good view years but not in public, I drove to south of france around 5 years ago and i wore a navy blue ankle lengh taffeta skirt compimented with white beronstock sandles and a white sleeveless vest top and sunnglasswes of course and i f i dont mind blowing my own trumpet i looked great and felt fantastic but i in no way looked feminim as this is not what i want. Im not into crossdressing or even wanting to look like a women i just want the freedom and to look stylish in a skirt
My loved husband wore a skirt first time, a 17 inch kilt. After he put it on he blushed up first, but short after he want to go out with it “I’m in the mood to do it right now”. He was shopping but he did not go to our nearest grocery store. He came back excited. “Everybody liked me in my skirt, and I feel wonderful in it”.
As Michelle O. said: Wear what you love. Find your spot. Find your space. That’s it, happend in Michigan. I’ll see whats next with him. I enjoyed his adventure too, and I think I will assist him buying the next skirt for him.
yes, why don`t they put them in stores for men and in the mens department not womens department, every thing like that is always put in to the womens department we should have them label for men to same as womens panties they should be package up in mens packages for men. stocking what ever men want, why should the women have it the way they want they wear mens clothes. hope to see skirts and all that inthe stores like walmart,kamart target. hope real soon to.
Bigkid – nothing to add, it is just true. Some stores already offer men’s skirts (H&M some years ago, Parisian this year, Nordstrom 3 years ago) but when men finally go to get one (I tried ist several times) sorry, “they are sold out” or “I don’t know where they are… for sure you’ll find it in women’s department”.
On the other hand: Stockings, tights and pantyhose-factories already make the difference. Check out the label, when it show’s “Women’s” or “Lady’s” Pantyhose they are really for females, but most pantyhose and tights are sold as “Pantyhose” or “Stockings”, that is the sign they are unisex [unfortunately most people don’t know], even there are legs or the half lower body – it is not a secret that 40% of legs shown with nice pantyhose MEN’s legs. Wondering?
I am not sure how i feel about men in skirts. My first thought is that Men in Skirts has to do with cultural issues and how some cultures accept it and some do not. Just because Marc decides to wear a skirt, i do not necessarily think that we should all jump on the band wagon and encourage men to wear skirts. Remember Fashion is Fashion and it is a way for society to express themselves. If and when a designer can pull off the skirt for Men then let’s talk.
@ Johnny Pinto;
I think it is not just jump on the band wagon, it is that men learned that not just one kind of clothes – btw it is the worst for his lower body – for men is usuable.
As for me, a long time skirt wearer after an accident which makes it necessary to wear skirt instead pants, it is a question of right consideration what is the best for a body or the health. Men’s skirt are nothing else than a extension of men’s wardrobe which was limited to one thing for the lower body – but only in westernized societies and not counting that round about 60% men on earth still wearing skirts – and fashion designers are at the end what could be designed for men. Pants again? No they are already in use for a very long time, too long.
Skirts are cool in Scotland, but not here in Philly. Sorry Marc, but you are guessing the market on this one.
@Robert B.; Please don’t say sorry to Marc, he’s still wearing skirts instead pants.
Sorry, but I think you are wrong because of the market. Just not enough demand to come up with men’s skirts, that’s the reason. If mmore men would encourgaed to do what they want, there would be no problem at all. How about you? Want to be the first in Philly? (actually there are two skirt wearers already in the world wide map of male skirt wearers).
That means, they are around you, but still to little.
Robert Barr, skirts are cool everywhere because are much more comfortable than trousers. Also most women like men in skirts. Trousers are unhealthy, causes prostate and testicular problems (including cancer and infertility).
Why most men don’t wear skirts outside Scotland?
These aren’t selling so are outside a mianstream. Men usually wear clothes they can buy in near shop and other men wear (neighbours, family members, team members etc.).