AI-generated image of a man in a skirt at a German Christmas market
February 1, 2025

Germany is well-known for its traditional Christmas markets that pop up in every major city and most small towns during the lead-up to Christmas in December. These markets are made up of stalls selling traditional wooden toys, decorations, food and drinks (such as bratwurst and mulled wine), and a plethora of other things. They are well-loved and usually pretty busy.

Since they are an experience that is hard to find in the United States, my wife and I took my parents to visit five different Christmas markets while they were here in December. I, of course, took the opportunity to wear my skirts out in public.

By now, my parents are used to me wearing skirts and don’t have a problem with it. It did, however, help that we saw another man wearing a woolen maxi skirt at the Christmas market in Regensburg. My mom pointed it out and her comment on it was: “I don’t know why men would want to wear skirts, but it looks like it’s becoming a trend!” For context, she hates skirts and only wears them if she absolutely must.

Near where we live, there is a large Christmas market that takes place in an old castle. The old ducal family who still lives in the castle regularly throws large events and the Christmas market is one of the biggest. The events are usually medieval-themed and the Christmas market is no exception. Since this one is a private market, you have to pay an entrance fee unless you dress up in a medieval costume. Then you can get in for free.

As such, a number of people were wearing a number of various “medieval” costumes. Most were more fantasy-based than actually historically accurate, but it certainly adds to the atmosphere. Interestingly enough, a kilt with a tartan pattern counts as medieval enough to get in for free, so both my dad and I put one on. A number of other men were sporting kilts as well and there was even a “Scottish” stand selling them and imported Scotch whisky.

That was the only Christmas market that I wore a kilt to. For the others, I either put on one of my denim skirts or one of the “work” skirts I have from Engelbert-Strauss since they have a lot of pockets and are incredibly comfortable. Underneath, I wore a pair of thermal leggings to help keep me warm since we were outside in the cold for long stretches of time.

As has certainly become a trend here when I post about my experiences, there was hardly a reaction from anyone at the markets despite being so crowded and full. I’m sure the one or the other person probably looked a little longer than if I had been wearing jeans but that doesn’t bother me in the least. In fact, it was so uneventful that I would just simply forget that I was wearing a skirt and tights in public. That’s also why I didn’t take any photos of it.

There was, however, someone who actually commented on the blue denim skirt I wore for the Christmas market in Bamberg: our waiter at a cafe we went into to warm up. He was wearing eye makeup, had painted fingernails, and was very excited to see a man wearing a skirt in public. What particularly made him happy though was that I had my parents, wife and kid along. He also had a young child and a supportive wife but hadn’t gotten himself to wear skirts or dresses out in public yet, despite not being afraid of wearing makeup. It’s really interesting what people are afraid or not afraid to do in public and how it varies so drastically between people.

The last two Christmas markets were entirely uneventful as far as my wearing a skirt goes. No one commented on it or even looked at me strangely as far as I could tell. In a way, I enjoy noticing when someone looks at me with an odd expression because it means I have managed to rock their world a little bit (there’s a silly wordplay there for German speakers since “Rock” means “skirt” in German).

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About the Author

Alex Seifert
In many ways, Alex is a typical man who just so happens to enjoy wearing skirts and high heels. He is married to a wonderful, supportive wife and has a young son. His hobbies include reading, programming, metal music, playing instruments, video games, cars, hiking and a number of other smaller things.

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