Men, skirts and happy endings

by Aditha Dissanayake

Where have all the cowboys gone? Where have all the real men gone? It's difficult not to ask the question whenever one walks into any of the popular shopping malls on a Saturday. OK Lasith Malinga with his bizarre hair may have nothing to do with it, but its no secret that it's becoming increasingly difficult to separate the men from the girls.

One look at the so called descendants of Adam and it's obvious that they have spent hours in front of the mirror, twisting, curling teasing their hair. Moving downwards, a glimpse below the neck reveals they are wrapped in all the colours convention allocates to Eve, pinks, bright greens and aquamarine - and to think there used to be a time when men didn't even know what aquamarine meant.

In such a milieu Jay Dezelic, fashion designer for jdez.com wonders why men still consider the idea of wearing something other than pants or long shorts in public to be nothing less than a sacrilege against humanity. Especially when, throughout history, the concept of men wearing skirted garments was all too common. After all, pants were not widely used by any society more than three hundred years ago. -

Pants were originally an invention to make it easier to ride a horse. The idea stuck, and the two-legged garment became standard apparel for working men to stave off the cold and abrasion.

The idea of men wearing skirts in today's sex polarized society is a hot subject in certain corners of the Internet. Is it cross-dressing or is it the reemergence of an old-world fashion trend? - The topic is frequently debated in various Internet discussion groups and forums. For the most part, there is relatively widespread interest and at least moderate acceptance of the 'men wearing skirts' idea in one form or another.

It seems that many men are rediscovering the comfort and practicality of the skirt. (Men's skirts are often referred to as kilts, sarongs or pareos for those who are fearful to associate the word "skirt" with men. - Get over it, it's just a word). When you step back and take an objective look at things, the idea of restricting such a broad class of garment design to women seems a bit absurd. - Especially when you consider the anatomical configuration of the male species. "Skirt style garments are unarguably the least encumbering configuration of lower-body apparel that men could wear. It's more than a style statement. According to some doctors, loose non-restrictive clothing can help men live healthier and reproduce easier" says Dezelic.

The indisputable fact about skirts is that they are extremely comfortable to wear for both men and women. If one follows the cardinal rule of design; "form follows function", then it is obvious that the idea of restricting men from wearing skirts today is largely a fashion argument. Just as the idea of women wearing pants can equally be argued as fashion in most casual living situations.

After many brief showings on the runways of Paris and Milan over the last couple of decades, it seems that the men's skirt trend is starting to stick. The main reason for hesitance over the years is the overwhelming fear by most men for being identified as homosexual. However, subculture stigma seems to be having a diminishing influence on the emerging men's skirt market for heterosexual males. The trend is not about feminine skirts for men but rather masculine skirt designs that are made for the male body shape.

Skirts made for men are appearing in a wide range of social circles from hikers and runners to carpenters and artists.

Currently, the most common skirt configuration worn by men is a modern adaptation of the Scottish kilt. Previously relegated to traditional dress, the kilt has seen a recent rise in popularity beyond the borders of its Scottish heritage. (A kilt is a special type of pleated skirt that wraps around the waist and has an overlapping front.) A number of manufacturers are now offering modern kilts for men. Companies like Utilikilt, Amerikilt and Union Kilt have taken an old idea and revitalized it with heavy-duty construction complete with cargo pockets and tool holders.

Other companies such as JDEZ offer lightweight cargo sarongs, and hiking skirts that convert to shorts for warm weather recreation. And Macabi Skirt, who offers a cleaver unisex skirt for backpackers and travellers. While other companies, like Men-in-Time and AMOK, make high-fashion masculine long skirts for men.

The idea of skirts made for men is both a new and an old concept. While probably a long way from going mainstream, mens skirts, kilts, sarongs and the like are probably going to continue to increase in popularity...till one day the "Macho" will become extinct and all the girls yearning for their lonely ranger on a horse would join Paula Cole and sing "Where is my John Wayne? Where is my Malboro man? Where is my lonely ranger? Where is my happy ending?"