Oh you didn’t go there. Did you? Why yes, I did. And if you’ve followed me long enough, you know I walk the walk baby! That’s right, I proudly admit the well of my truth runs deep and flows out into a fabulous wardrobe that include as many skirts as pants (probably more in fact). How else do you think I could manage to pull off such fabulous characters as Shero?
Shoo!
So it was only natural that I would dedicate the Fabulous Friday after Thanksgiving to men with the stones to sport skits!
Here’s the thing, men have been sporting skirts since the beginning of time. Do you really think the caveman had the capability to fashion pants? Okay, that’s a major digression…let’s think about this. What exactly is a skirt? The first two paragraphs from Wikipedia, defines a skirt thusly:
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.
In the western world, skirts are usually considered women’s clothing. However, there are exceptions. The kilt is a traditional men’s garment in Scotland, and some fashion designers, such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, have shown men’s skirts.
So to some, a kilt (which fits the exact definition of a skirt) is NOT a skirt, and appropriate attire for men. To others a skirt, when worn by men, is a dangerous or edgy fashion choice.
I want to ask a simple, daring question:
When did the skirt become gender-specific? In much earlier times men and women donned the same clothing. There is a painting, dating back to 1585, of a man helping Christ off the cross. That man is wearing a skirt. The painting is called “Triptico del Cavario”, (“Triptych of Calvary”), and is currently in the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville, Spain. To the left you can see the right panel of the triptych which clearly shows the man in a skirt. If the man that helped Christ off the cross could wear a skirt…
“Skirt you say? Nay nay, that is a tunic.” To that I would say, A tunic without pants is nothing more than a dress!
But the man in the skirt isn’t just a fashionable pas back in the WAYBACK day. Oh no. There are plenty of instances were you will find the new world man donning the tube-like article of clothing. For instance:
- The Indian Dhoti
- The Indian Lungi
- The Shri Lankin Sarong
- The Scottish Kilt
- The North African Caftan
- The Greek fustanella
- The Pacific Lava-lava
- The Japanese Hakama
- The Bhutanese Gho
Men in skirts have also bested the most powerful of beasts. I’m thinking “Clash of the Titans”. Would you really have the balls to mock the man at the left? You want his mighty sword to split you half?
Oh…wait…that could have so easily been taken another way. Back to the point…
I did it again.
Returning to the topic at hand:
There have also been plenty of major fashion designers who have smartly rocked the skirt:
- Jean-Paul Gaultier
- Marc Jacobs
- Miuccia Prada
Do I really need to mention anyone else? The three men listed above are the holy trinity of male designers. And the image to the right? Marc Jacobs in a skirt.
Shoo!
Marc Jacobs is so hell-bent on gaining society’s acceptance for men wearing the delicious article of clothing, he even had a line of skirts designed especially for men.
The Movement
There have been movements o’ plenty to get that stubborn bitch society to accept men in skirts. But it’s been a long, hard road. This is mostly true of the United States where fashion tends to take a back seat to Puritanical narrow-mindedness. I call this “Tab A in Slot B Syndrome”, or TABS.
For many, the very idea that someone would dare wear the garments of the opposite sex cross a very clear demarcation between the sexes. But wait — that line is constantly being blurred. Say what? No. Way.
Yes. Way.
What have women done over the last half-century? They have emboldened themselves to cross the line into territory thought only for the masculine society.
- They wear pants.
- They have jobs previously thought only for men.
- They have joined clubs and honorary fraternities previously thought of as “men’s only clubs”.
In short, they do pretty much what they want and society can suck it. Men on the other hand see their role as steadfast and iron-clad. To that I say “nay nay”. If women can wear a skirt one day and pants the next, why can’t men cross that same line? Well, my lovely, they can and they should.
The United States was founded on the idea of freedom of speech and equality. That doesn’t just apply to politics, press, and pundits. The very idea that a man should want to don the fashion stylings of the softer side of life should not be a deal breaking, pulse pounder. There shouldn’t be judgment, hatred, scorn, ridicule, or “oh no he didn’t!”. So long as you can rock it, wear it!
And so I take this Fabulous Friday moment to show to the world the real man that brought characters like Shero, Skip Abrahm, Lakme, Jacob Plummer, Bethany Nitshimi, and a whole host of interesting subjects to live.
I give you me, Jack Wallen — in his normal attire.
Smexy!
And now that your mind is opened and your running off to brave the Black Friday crowds to find that perfect skirt, don’t forget your underthings. Take a gander at Stockingirl for some of the sexiest lingerie you will ever behold! All hail the Cuban Foot stockings. Nom!
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