I mentioned in a previous post that my goal this summer is to take a walk every day in a skirt. It’s been a while since I wrote about my idea, so I thought I would post an update to let you know how it’s going.
I can say right away that I haven’t achieved the goal by any stretch of the imagination. I get wrapped up in work in the morning, then am busy with my son in the afternoon which means I just don’t get out as much as I would like to. The weather has also not been great. Admittedly, those are more excuses than anything else…
That isn’t to say that I haven’t taken walks in skirts though. I went out to eat with my family last night wearing my black skirt from Engelbert-Strauss and we walked to the restaurant. I’ve also written about my experience going for a walk with a guest we had.
Even if I haven’t achieved my goal of going for a walk in a skirt every day, I have been wearing skirts on family outings such as going out to eat. While they aren’t always walks, I’m still achieving the goal of getting out in public more frequently in a skirt and building up my confidence that way.
When the weather gets nicer, I am planning on taking my son to the playground more often and will, of course, be beskirted for that. That will involve a walk as well as potentially interacting with other parents or kids. I would say it will be interesting to see what reactions I get, but I probably won’t get any at all.
By going out more frequently, I am also finally finding the styles I feel most comfortable in. You can get a general feel for them on Instagram. At the beginning of my beskirted journey, I experimented with a number of different types of skirts, dresses, tights, heels, etc. Most were in the direction of the very feminine/femboy look, but that was more of a phase. My style has settled down to mostly pencil skirts (denim or cloth) as well as a few knee-length a-line skirts.
But I digress.
There isn’t really an excuse as to why I haven’t gotten out for walks more often other than laziness. I haven’t gone either in skirts or jeans. Hopefully, when the weather improves, I’ll be more motivated. It’s hard to find the motivation when it’s gray and raining all the time.
Do you go for regular walks? If so, do you wear a skirt? If not, what are your favorite excuses?
Postscript: The skirt in the AI-generated image above is actually very similar to a dark gray denim skirt I frequently wear. I didn’t specifically ask AI to generate that particular one, but I was certainly thrilled that it came up with it on its own.
Read an article on New Years Resolutions that is apropos here. The author stated making a goal where a singular failure negates the entire goal leads us to feel bad and is destructive to our psyche. In other words, making a goal that I will go for a walk daily in a skirt is ruined the first day you don’t go for a walk in a skirt.
The author suggested a better method is to come up with an idea word that this year you’ll be focused on achieving. No deadlines for completion or daily requirements for success. Just a word you focus on to be persuasive in how you conduct yourself. Like courage. Or empathetic. Or athletic.
So the word courageous could work for you. Or authentic. Authentic is my word since reading this article.
I live two worlds that sort of overlap. I wear skirts and tights a lot but not at work and my work colleagues don’t really know. Outside of the random kilt. A few friends know about the kilt. My wife knows all. My kids see all. I hate not being myself.
I’m eccentric. Currently I’m wearing a tan T shirt from a cancer fundraiser, military green skirt though they call it a midi kilt (https://www.asos.com/us/reclaimed-vintage/reclaimed-vintage-genderless-grunge-midi-kilt-in-khaki/prd/205015862) and purple and black striped tights. I’m comfortable because it’s comfortable and I’m me.
I’ve also been trying to get out more whilst skirted. I’m being more successful. I still struggle at times. Like I wrote on my site, I chickened out wearing the above mentioned skirt at the grocery store. Next day went to the movies in a kilt.
Not meaning to say anything negative towards anyone here, but I feel we all just need to be nicer to ourselves. Slow and steady and we’ll be the change we want to see
That is a very interesting strategy. In a way, I think that I’ve already set that idea word which, as you said, is courage. The goal is ultimately to make it easier for myself to get out in public in a skirt. Taking walking is a great and healthy way of doing that, but that isn’t the ultimate goal.
I love that skirt! I rather dislike the word “eccentric” in that it has a sort of negative connotation, even if I would also apply it to myself. I think everyone should absolutely be able to wear whatever they are comfortable in and feel like themselves in regardless of what others think of it. There was a time when checkered shirts and jeans were considered eccentric, but now they are so commonplace that they are considered boring.
Chickening out is normal. I don’t know how often I’ve just walzed out of the house wearing a skirt without an issue, but the next day I end up chickening out and changing before leaving. For me, it really depends on my energy level and whether I’m able to overcome that internal barrier. Making that easier is exactly my goal with going for regular walks.
Slow and steady is absolutely the way to affect long-term change.
Guess I hadn’t thought of the word eccentric as negative. I use it as a mantra to be positive. But I can see how some equate eccentric to crazy
One aspect I enjoy about skirt wearing is currently it’s bold and requires the courage to be yourself. Since modern day mens “fashion” is uniform brown/black/blue shades in a shirt and pants combo, wearing almost anything else eg pink shirt is “eccentric.” Yes it takes more mental energy right now to do it. And that means I chicken out a lot. But when I don’t I adopt the attitude I call eccentric in relation to usual fashion and almost have a chip on my shoulder as in “yes, I’m wearing what you see cause that’s who I am”
I suppose it depends a lot on the context and on who is using the word. I’ve experienced a lot of people using eccentric in a negative way more than in a positive way. I’ve also learned to embrace it though and as such, I actually enjoy it when someone calls me eccentric now.
No one really cares what you wear. If it’s loud expect more looks. I don’t wear anything too short because of possible flashing someone. I believe in KISS. Keep it simple stupid. I even gotten compliments from women. Just be aware of what can be said and what doesn’t need to be said by the clothing you wear.
KISS is exactly the way I try to do things as well. I’ve tried fancy outfits, but they really just aren’t me. Maybe that’s my pragmatic upbringing in the harsh environment of the Rocky Mountains, but it’s definitely something deep within me.
Alex, adult life is complicated and full for most. OR as my mom used to say, “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” That said, I know that just walking each day is the single best way to be likely to live many healthy years. So I applaud and encourage your efforts to do so. And I absolutely know that skirts are the best lower garment for walking. Wife and I try to walk most days, along the rural road we live on or a nearby rail trail, and sometimes, like Saturday, through the nearby city for some major event (in this case, horse races). Rule #1. Don’t park the car (this is the USA…) close to your objective. There’s cheaper or free parking farther from it, you get a free walk, and if it’s a big event, you don’t get trapped in the traffic jam afterwards. I’m sneaking up on 70, and weigh the same as I did in high school: thanks to regular walking and use of stairs instead of elevators!
And I think your evolving favorite in skirts and style is wholly appropriate, natural, workable, and very good-looking. I quite like how skirts don’t acquire the crotch wrinkles typical of most pants/shorts. Sharp without formalness. My preferred daily skirts are of the same types, and we differ only in my preference for tucked in top and visible belt – I have a collection of interesting buckles that I think add to the outfit. After a long time being the only beskirted fellow around these parts, I have of late begun to see an occasional fellow traveler. Perhaps we are making a difference!
It absolutely is! And it gets much more complicated as soon as you have a kid. Walking in skirts is an amazing feeling, particularly in summer when it gets hot and humid. Fortunately, living in Europe, I naturally walk a lot more than I ever did in the US. I frequently take public transportation which always means you’re going to walk some distance to your final destination. In the small town we live in, almost everything is within walking distance and since most places don’t have parking anyway, you end up walking. Most of the town is on a large hill, so there is a lot of hill climbing as well.
Thank you! I’m really happy with my evolving style and my wife is too which is also important. 😉 That’s amazing to hear that you’ve begun to see a fellow beskirted man around where you live. I’ve regularly seen another one in Regensburg, but there is also a vibrant LGBTQ+ community there as well.
Wearing skirts on a daily basis is hell of a task – I do not consider Sundays as ‘week day’ anymore as I’m basically blocked by the “mass at church” to wear skirt. Haven’t tried yet, but I think I will simply not do it due to amount of people there who seem to be quite hypocrite when it comes to implement what Jesus supposed to tell his followers 2k years ago. Still, I guess it’s better to just give yourself a mission “wear a skirt as often as possible” and appreciate every day you are able to complete the mission.
And my trip to India was a complete failure when it comes to wearing skirts – they had dress code in the office that was not allowing anyone to wear skirts, so women also had to wear trousers. They couldn’t provide me any answer why it is like that and since I was guest, I decided to not break their rules. On streets I tried for 2 days and people were really looking at me intensively, although this could be because of just being white guy there. I got exhausted of that pretty fast. So the only place where I could wear skirt was the hotel room and hotel restaurants.
Anyway, back at home I’m going to cultivate what I’m free to do in Europe, although given political changes and issues that are raising in various areas, I wonder for how long…
I do generally wear skirts on a daily basis, but I just don’t around to going out for a walk in them every day. The real goal is to get out in a skirt more often though and that I have accomplished. I wouldn’t want to wear a skirt to church either.
Too bad about your trip to India being a failure when trying to wear skirts! At least their dress code applied universally to both men and women though. I would have been exhausted from all the attention as well…