Whats with this "Guys in Skirts" bit?
Jim Newberry
I played at a square/contra dance last night. Great fun.
However, I finally have to bring this up... Where (and
fergodsakes) Why did this craze of guys wearing skirts
start? Short skirts, long skirts, mostly tacky skirts...
Not kilts; skirts.
Somebody said it started in New England someplace. Sure,
you can tell me that it's comfortable, etc. but c'mon...
Just trying to make some kind of statement, I'd guess.
Seems Ree-diculous to me. And people make jokes about
banjo players... Sheesh.
Jim
--
| Jim Newberry (j...@teclogic.wa.com) | Tech*Logic, Inc. Seattle, WA |
Kiran Wagle
>I played at a square/contra dance last night. Great fun.
>However, I finally have to bring this up... Where (and fergodsakes)
>Why did this craze of guys wearing skirts start?
I have no idea where it started. Why? because it's nice to dance in
skirts. Especially on a hot day the added air movement does help.
>Short skirts, long skirts, mostly tacky skirts...
I like black and/or bright prints on a black background. I think most
skirts that look good on women look goofy on men, but maybe that's just
me.
I once found a black circle skirt with yellow-and-red pansies,
one Saturday at a thrift store in Baltimore. Finally decided to buy it
(was a ghastly loud thing) and wore it to the Sunday night dance at
Glen Echo. Everyone loved it. Monday night my car was broken into in DC,
and it and some other equally worthless stuff, including my black circle
skirt, was stolen.
>Somebody said it started in New England someplace. Sure,
That's what I've heard, but I think I've seen it mostly in the lower
midwest and uppor south, and occasionally south of New England.
>you can tell me that it's comfortable, etc. but c'mon...
>Just trying to make some kind of statement, I'd guess.
Well, we *could* tell you that it's comfortable, but you already seem to
have made up your mind. It happens to be fun too, if you like to twirl.
Perhaps you'd learn more by asking *women* who normally prefer to wear
pants why *they* wear skirts at contradances.
>Seems Ree-diculous to me. And people make jokes about
>banjo players... Sheesh.
I've always wanted to learn to play the banjo.
~ Kiran <gr...@netcom.com>
Gavin On Jones
wrote:
> >Seems Ree-diculous to me. And people make jokes about
> >banjo players... Sheesh.
>
> I've always wanted to learn to play the banjo.
I don't know why. Seems Ree-diculous to me. I like dancing in a skirt,
though.
-Jonathan
Bill Evans
: Finally decided to buy it
: Glen Echo. Everyone loved it. Monday night my car was broken into in DC,
: and it and some other equally worthless stuff, including my black circle
: skirt, was stolen.
There is a God. (;->)
DanielEye
Newberry) writes:
>I played at a square/contra dance last night. Great fun.
>However, I finally have to bring this up... Where (and
>?fergodsakes) Why did this craze of guys wearing skirts
>start? Short skirts, long skirts, mostly tacky skirts...
>Not kilts; skirts.
>Somebody said it started in New England someplace. Sure,
>you can tell me that it's comfortable, etc. but c'mon...
>Just trying to make some kind of statement, I'd guess.
>Seems Ree-diculous to me. And people make jokes about
>banjo players...
There's just no accountin' for taste is there? Of course I participated in some
of the more rediculous dress fads of the '60's, so who am I to opine about
taste?
Dani...@aol.com
David Woolf
was dress-up night and I couldn't think of anything dressier than
one of my girfriend's skirts. I actually got several complements.
The next time I went to Ashokan, I ended up wearing a skirt most
every night, though I took none with me. It turned out that one
of
the women there found it quite entertaining to loan me whatever
skirt I found appealing. Peter Barnes was particularly
appreciative, as he was trying to raise the general sartorial
consciousness of the group.
Is there a problem here? I guess I figured that by now it was
pretty much assumed that real me can wear skirts (or at least
aren't afraid to).
By the way, I don't know about the NE origins, but it's pretty
common in the Southeast. Happy twirls . . .
David Woolf (Atlanta)
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Kathy Fletcher
are being creative, smart (skirts ARE cooler), and very brave.
However, I wish some of them would take someone with taste shopping with
them when they obtain these skirts for dancing. I've seen some wear ungodly
orange polyester skirts that look like K-Mart rejects.
My boyfriend takes photos for the Augusta Workshops catalog. He said
it was always a challenge to take Dance Week (usually around the first week
of August) photos - the staff did not want pics of men in skirts in the catalog.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kathy Fletcher, Computer Consultant III
WVU Academic Computing Internet: u3...@wvnvm.wvnet.edu
Morgantown WV 26506-6502
Linda Golder
> I played at a square/contra dance last night. Great fun.
> However, I finally have to bring this up... Where (and
> fergodsakes) Why did this craze of guys wearing skirts
> start? Short skirts, long skirts, mostly tacky skirts...
> Not kilts; skirts.
>
> Somebody said it started in New England someplace. Sure,
> you can tell me that it's comfortable, etc. but c'mon...
> Just trying to make some kind of statement, I'd guess.
Glad to see so many guys posting on this issue! But I'll put in my $.02,
too. Obviously, skirts are airy & cool... a hot weather plus. And, with
practice, you can make the skirt itself "dance" with you (after a twirl,
allow about 2 music beats for a really full skirt to stop turning).
Garments are just another dance "toy".
I think that some of the guys are making a statement, too. (Tho they might
wish to comment on this themselves). A kilt is definitely a statement. A
very sheer, flowery skirt is also a statement.
- Linda <lgo...@mbl.edu> Woods Hole, MA, USA
fn...@aurora.alaska.edu
> j...@teclogic.wa.com (Jim Newberry) writes:
>
> Well, we *could* tell you that it's comfortable, but you already seem to
> have made up your mind. It happens to be fun too, if you like to twirl.
>
> Perhaps you'd learn more by asking *women* who normally prefer to wear
> pants why *they* wear skirts at contradances.
>
The first time I saw a man wearing a skirt at a contradance was on the
East Coast and he was wearing a very short, tight lycra skirt! I did
wonder why, since the fun of wearing a skirt to a dance for me is wearing
one that twirls nicely. I have seen men wearing good twirling skirts
since, I figured they were envious and wanted to try the sensation for
themselves, more power to them.
--
Sandra Chaffin (fn...@aurora.alaska.edu)
Gavin On Jones
Golder) wrote:
> I think that some of the guys are making a statement, too. (Tho they might
> wish to comment on this themselves). A kilt is definitely a statement. A
> very sheer, flowery skirt is also a statement.
>
A mini skirt, on the other hand...
Brent Chivers
Kathy Fletcher <U3...@wvnvm.wvnet.edu> wrote:
>
> However, I wish some of them would take someone with taste shopping
> with them when they obtain these skirts for dancing. I've seen some
> wear ungodly orange polyester skirts that look like K-Mart rejects.
Hey! Ungodly Orange is my favorite color! And Halloween would
be my favorite holiday, if we got the day off. (No dull, plain
orange for me, thank you. ;-) And I spend a lot of time in K-mart,
too! I won't defend polyester, but I usually dance in lycra
because I ride my bike 10 miles (or more) each way to the dances
I frequent. (Don't worry; I bring along clean, dry shirts. ;-)
But back to the original subject -- I haven't danced in
a skirt yet, but I have danced in a heavy cape. It was
loads of fun, the way it flared out in turns and spins.
--
______________________________________________________________________
Brent Chivers McLean, VA bchi...@mitre.org
Donald VuKovic
contradance in Boulder, Colorado. It was late and only about 4 guys were
left standing out. My friend said 'oh well, lets go'. I said I'll do the
ladies part and he can do the mens part. We entered at the bottom of the
line and was working our way up. Along the way I found several men who
thought I was on the wrong side. I said I was a 'woman' and to keep going.
Some did, some did not .....
Furthure up the line a woman friend pulled off her slip and handed it to
me. GREAT!! no more confusion. right!!! wrong???
The caller(Gib Gilbert) shouted down at me, saing I was the uglist woman he
had ever seen,( he even fit it into a call) everone got a good laugh ( so did
I ). {later I chased Gid around to give him a kiss, some how he did not want
it??? ;-) }
As far as the skirt was concerned I enjoyed it very much. ( next time I'll
bring shorts so I can really feal it), but I haven't gone for a long time.
The twirling is fun when you can find a man who can lead without breaking
your arm. ( see other posts on rec.folkdancing)
Those who have an other opinion about men in skirts should ask themselves
if the problem is the 'men in skirts' or themselves.
thanks for listening with your eyes.
donaldV
Linda Golder
.....[edit]....
> left standing out. My friend said 'oh well, lets go'. I said I'll do the
> ladies part and he can do the mens part. We entered at the bottom of the
> line and was working our way up. Along the way I found several men who
> thought I was on the wrong side. I said I was a 'woman' and to keep going.
> The caller(Gib Gilbert) shouted down at me, saing I was the uglist woman he
> had ever seen,( he even fit it into a call) everone got a good laugh ( so did
> I ).
> Those who have an other opinion about men in skirts should ask themselves
> if the problem is the 'men in skirts' or themselves.
In spite of the obvious misunderstanding & harrassment, here's a man
enjoying himself! A creative solution to gender imbalance at dances...
(another old thread rears its head).
Most women I know enjoy seeing, & dancing with, the occasional gentleman in
a skirt. Seems the men have more of a problem seeing one of their own
gender in "non-standard costume".
Karen G. Anderson
Haven, we had a guy in a skirt on the dance scene, and now that I live in
Seattle, we have two of them. (Oddly, one of them is the guy from New
Haven. Hw moved out here a few years after I did.)
The reason I like "guys in skirts" so much is that I get great
entertainment from listening to certain of the "guys in pants" get all
worked up about the skirts.
A couple years ago I did quite a bit of contra dancing in pants rather than
my usual skirts. I found that I moved differently, felt more sure-footed,
and preferred the kinetics. However, pants were just too hot in the
summer, and I've gone back to skirts.
-- "Gal in skirts" aka
--
Karen G. Anderson
UnCommon Sense
Seattle, WA
"Never ascribe to malice what can perfectly well be explained as
stupidity."
cottle david michael
The first night of a weekend dance I saw men in skirts and was a
little shocked; it looked very strange, the second night it looked
completely natural and even rather attractive. I don't think it
undermined their masculinity (they were all pretty macho:
perhaps that's why they were comfortable?). The third night I
was wearing one. Now I enjoy seeing other neophytes go through
the same path of discovery. Yes, they are cooler, but that's
not why I do it or why (IMHO) most men do it. The first time
you try it I think it's just another way to let your hair down,
to be adventurous, to play along with the festive atmosphere.
Then you discover how nice a skirt feels against your legs, (I
will never forget the first few steps) how fun it is to be
the object of compliments and to twirl in a skirt. It's a bit
of an eye opener too. You think more about color coordination,
about sitting down, you notice other people's skirts more (on a
woman I just admire it, on a man I think how it would look on
me, or more often that I have a nicer one).
I remember reading an article filled with psychological
gymnastics trying to explain why men cross dress. One
interviewee made a very good point: women's cloths are nicer to
wear.
I am careful about where I wear it, because I think it does put
people off, particularly at local dances. I also wear it less
in general. Maybe it was just a phase.
|Most women I know enjoy seeing, & dancing with, the occasional gentleman in
|a skirt. Seems the men have more of a problem seeing one of their own
It's the same for men (dancing with a skirted woman). The
flowing material is just one more focal point along with eye
contact, touch, music, energy, etc. that makes this such a
complete experience.
Re: dancing the woman's part.
I usually avoid this because men tend to be less talented
dancers, but about a month ago at Pig Town I was asked to dance
the woman' part for lack of partners. I reluctantly said yes.
To my surprise my partner was very good and all the men in the
line wouldn't hesitate or hold back because I was the "wrong"
gender. It was a fun female part and one of the best dances of
the evening. I'm thinking of switching permanentaly.
dmc
--
>< David Cottle University of Illinois at U/C, CERL Sound Group
>< Computer Music 103 S Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801
>< Consultant (217) 244-6686, FAX 244-0793, Li...@uiuc.edu
Theodore Hodapp
With regard to the issue of "guys in Skirts"
I started wearing skirts about 6 or 8 years ago for anumber of reasons:
1) I had danced a fair amount of Hungarian dances in a pair of "gouchos" or
whatever it is they call them (basically 2 square yards of fabric sewn
together for each pant leg). These were incredibly comfortable, and
danced in a totally differnt way than pants. The aspect of being cool
being the top on my list.
2) I found that when I wore a skirt, there was a prefered rate of rotation
for spinning that I hadn't appreciated as a man leading a woman into a
twirl, and I now had a good idea of what it was like to twirl and be
twirled. More importantly are some dynamics of how you speed up and
slow down. (there are a lot of issues here, especially as they pertain
to Norwegian dancing in heavy wool skirts that "wipe" people off the floor
if you happen to have the wrong skirt for the dance you are trying.)
3) I have always enjoyed challenging the preconceptions of dancers as a caller
and as a dancer, so wearing a skirt gave me another avenue to force them
to think about how they behave or at least treat other people on the
dance floor. (Im not to sure about the effectiveness about this, but I
keep trying).
I stopped wearing skirts (my favorite was a blue calico by the way -- with a
triple tier cut for nice flairing -- although, in retrospect, I think I would
find one that didn't rise up quite so high, as it could be a bit embaressing
to someone (probably me)), because mine was ripped off of me at one dance
by a "joking" dancer who thought it "funny". I didn't. It ended up ripping
one of the seams and making it unwearable for the night. I havn't worn it
since (actually that happened twice at two different dances), and probably
wont again as it was a pretty substantial risk to wear it, and I didn't need
the extra effort required to go through the comments and other shit that
people seem to have about gender sterotypes. I still switch gender roles and
enjoy dancing with women and men, but have lost my interest in challenging
that particular notion of human behaviour. I hope other men are still able
to confront it though, as it is lots of fun!
...ted hodapp
David #6
: fergodsakes) Why did this craze of guys wearing skirts
: start?
: Just trying to make some kind of statement, I'd guess.
Well, that's part of the reason I started wearing skirts, I guess. But a
big reason I continue to do so is the amount of attention and compliments
I get from women on the dance floor. Positive feedback is a great
motivator...
--
David
dav...@netcom.com
Kiran Wagle
>This is something I have been wondering about.
>I dance square dancing rather than contra.
[...]
>Several mentions have been made of skirts being cooler.
>By the time you add petti-pants, layers of slips and nylons (I usually do
>skip the nylons) it can get to be very hot.
Right. Contra dancers don't wear all that other stuff--at least most of
the men I know who wear skirts don't. I dragged my only remaining dance
skirt (blue, so it goes with almost none of my t-shirts) out at the Glen
Echo dance last Friday and was reminded once again how *much* cooler a
skirt is than shorts.
I suppose if you insist upon wearing hose, tights, bike shorts, slips,
and other such foofaraw TOO, of COURSE it's going to be hot.
~ Kiran <gr...@netcom.com>
Kathryn Holmes
<lots snipped>
: I stopped wearing skirts (my favorite was a blue calico by the way -- with a
: triple tier cut for nice flairing -- although, in retrospect, I think I would
: find one that didn't rise up quite so high, as it could be a bit embaressing
This is something I have been wondering about. I dance square dancing
rather than contra. The only time guys were skirts is at the Halloween
party or as a joke at a graduation party. When they do they do wear the
puffy slips also. Several mentions have been made of skirts being cooler.
By the time you add petti-pants, layers of slips and nylons (I usually do
skip the nylons) it can get to be very hot. The lower legs might be
cooler if you skip the nylons but all the others layers add up to being
hotter than a light weight pair of slacks would be.
Brent Chivers
>
> > Several mentions have been made of skirts being cooler.
> > By the time you add petti-pants, layers of slips and nylons
> > (I usually do skip the nylons) it can get to be very hot.
In article <grooCou...@netcom.com>, Kiran Wagle <gr...@netcom.com> wrote:
>
> I dragged my only remaining dance skirt out at the
> Glen Echo dance last Friday and was reminded once
> again how *much* cooler a skirt is than shorts.
>
> I suppose if you insist upon wearing hose, tights, bike shorts,
> slips, and other such foofaraw TOO, of COURSE it's going to be hot.
Well, I wear bike shorts because I get to Glen Echo on a bike.
Dancing in something different means more things to carry (and
my pannier gets pretty full in the winter), and more time spent
changing clothes before and after. But lycra shorts are pretty
darned comfortable too. 8-)
Kiran Wagle
>Dancing in something different means more things to carry (and
>my pannier gets pretty full in the winter), and more time spent
I've never understood why people insist on hauling SO much crap to
dances. I could go away for a weekend with the amount of stuff some
people bring. :-)
~ Kiran <gr...@netcom.com>
steve boylan
>holm...@stu.beloit.edu (Kathryn Holmes) writes:
>
>>This is something I have been wondering about.
>>I dance square dancing rather than contra.
>[...]
>>Several mentions have been made of skirts being cooler.
>>By the time you add petti-pants, layers of slips and nylons (I usually do
>>skip the nylons) it can get to be very hot.
>
>Right. Contra dancers don't wear all that other stuff--at least most of
>the men I know who wear skirts don't.
I think this just shows another of the differences in attitude between
the Modern Western Squares people and the traditional squares and contras
crowd. A few minutes of direct observation at a typical contra dance
around Boston would mkae it clear that very few women wear "all that
stuff", either!
- - Steve
Peter Neilson
All that stuff never bothers me, except when I stumble over it because
someone left it at the side of the dance floor. At NEFFA it was a
huge suitcase, and I kicked it, during a circle left. Of course,
compared to what I, myself, bring to NEFFA, a huge suitcase is tiny.
But I don't leave my immense stuff on the dance floor.
--
My job vanishes 30 Nov 1994. Suggestions on what to do next are welcome.
>>> Peter Neilson --- nei...@osf.org <<<
Work: Cambridge MA Home: Leominster MA Horses: Royalston MA, Northwood NH
Linda Golder
wrote:
> holm...@stu.beloit.edu (Kathryn Holmes) writes:
> [...]
> >Several mentions have been made of skirts being cooler.
> >By the time you add petti-pants, layers of slips and nylons (I usually do
> >skip the nylons) it can get to be very hot.
Huh? No one *needs* that stuff! (And definitely *no* plastic/nylon
clothing for me, please. Cotton is better.) Just wear enough to be decent
in public... we're out to dance, not to gawk. Much cooler to wear only
what you need.
The only exception might be costuming for particular time periods, where
appropriate underthings help make the "look". For example, some ball gowns
require elaborate petticoats or panniers to hold their shape.
Charles L Rapport
>I think this just shows another of the differences in attitude between
>the Modern Western Squares people and the traditional squares and contras
>crowd. A few minutes of direct observation at a typical contra dance
>around Boston would mkae it clear that very few women wear "all that
>stuff", either!
Aren't you glad!
Charlie
Brent Chivers
>
> > Dancing in something different means more things to
> > carry (and my pannier gets pretty full in the winter),
In article <grooCp0...@netcom.com>, Kiran Wagle <gr...@netcom.com> wrote:
>
> I've never understood why people insist on hauling SO
> much crap to dances. I could go away for a weekend
> with the amount of stuff some people bring. :-)
I carry so much stuff -- mostly clothing of differing weights --
because when I leave home at 7:30 pm, I don't know exactly how cold/
windy it will be when I leave the dance at midnight. If you're going
to be outdoors for an hour in winter weather with no shelter from the
wind (and perhaps worse), proper clothing is essential. Too warm is
very uncomfortable. Too cold is very dangerous. Cycling and dancing
shoes are completely different. And I think the other dancers
appreciate a change into clean shirts instead of my sweaty cycling
jerseys. I'm enjoying carrying lighter options in the warmer weather.
But it's still easy to head out on a warm evening and be surprised by
the chill of the wee hours.
Cyclists often carry tools and spare equipment. Bike shops are not as
common as gas stations, so there's not a lot of places we can stop for
help -- especially after midnight. (Wouldn't you be leery of opening
your door to a stranger that late? And how many of you would have the
appropriate tools if someone did ring your bell -- metric hex keys,
tire levers, air pump (Schrader or Presta?), spoke wrench, chain tool,
etc?) We often pick routes that avoid car traffic, so we might be very
isolated when we have a break down. But I can't leave these things out
in the car when I arrive at a dance.
I too could go away for a weekend of cycling -- or an evening of
dancing -- with the amount I carry. And now, back to dancing! ;-)
Linda Golder
wrote:
> bchi...@smiley.mitre.org (Brent Chivers) writes:
Yes, the trick is to keep it simple. Of course, as I age, I'm carrying a
lot more foot-fix stuff in my shoe bag, along with the spare laces & (for
long distance dances) a spare pair of dance shoes.