How about a skirt? Could a man wear a skirted garment, other than a kilt, without losing his manly identity?
It should not make sense if a kilt were the only male alternative to trousers, should it? Also, it shouldn't make sense, should all men, wanting a break from jeans and shorts, embrace the kilt. They don't. Some men consider the traditional kilt too closely connected with Scottish culture. They'll wear another skirted garment.
Add to that that, no doubt, quite a few, including enthusiastic kilt wearers, will alternate between kilts and skirts according to their current whim.

History

Men have historically worn skirted garments without being accused of being or appearing feminine. In some parts of the world, this is still the case. In Ancient Egypt, men wore skirts called shendyts.

Jesus never wore trousers, and Socrates didn’t. When Emperor Augustus declared that the “World” should be counted, Roman men and boys were wearing mini-skirt-looking tunics or long dress-like togas. The Roman Empire was established by 'men in skirts'.

Trousers were not invented to make men look more masculine, but rather because they were more practical for a variety of tasks, which are fewer in today’s world.



European kings and noblemen would, up to the French Revolution, appear in clothing which we today would consider feminine.

History proves that men can wear skirts - and remain men.
Some men already wear skirts today, like others wear kilts, emphasising a manly appearance.
No doubt, in future, we shall see more men choosing this most convenient garment.

Men shall wear skirts again

There are several reasons why, eventually, men in skirts shall become common. And obstacles are fewer and can be overcome.

1. The obvious reasons

Comfort, convenience, difference, feeling of freedom, health aspects, variety, versatility - and looks. The same applies to wearing a kilt, even if one does not have Scottish roots.

2. Society has become liberal

In most of the civilised world, people have become open-minded and tolerant. People can live, look and dress the way they want, to an extent never seen before.

3. Men are already dressing less conservatively

These years, we have witnessed ties disappearing, and the business suit has certainly known better days. In many Western cultures, there are now casual Fridays. In others, casual Fridays have already become all-week things, and everywhere, 'Sunday's Best' disappeared decades ago.
Colours are no longer limited to 'masculine' blue, green, grey, brown, and black.
Sweaters, shorts, and jeans, we now see in once 'female-only' red, purple, and even pink.

Many items have become unisex, like hoodies, polos, t-shirts, and sneakers.

4. Fashion designers are positive.

For about 20 years, designers have been working to introduce skirts for men, but in the last 2-3 years, harder than ever before.

5. The fashion industry should profit big scale

Men in skirts, like 60 years ago, women in trousers. What a new market comprising half the population, it should be. As soon as manufacturers see things moving, they will be more than willing to follow up.

6. Celebrities are seen in skirts

In 2022, names like Harry Styles and Brad Pitt made headlines internationally because of wearing skirts or dresses in public.

7. Fashion magazines are supportive

Vogue, GQ, and other magazines have featured men in skirts on their cover pages and have had styling tips for men in skirts.

8. Skirts are not per se feminine

It is worth mentioning that men and women have never in history dressed identically. In ancient Egypt and Rome, there was a difference, despite both men and women wearing skirted garments only. Kilts for men are designed differently from those meant for women, and so are today's men's and women's trousers, as are their shirts, other tops, hose, and (most) shoes. The differences may be subtle, but they are visible.

That men and women wear trousers, and that only women can also wear skirts, is a construct.
There is no rational argument against a man wearing a skirt - his way.

To have men wear skirts again, except for a small minority, we need skirts designed for us, sewn for us, positioned for us. - plus a critical mass of men being brave enough to take the first step.

They can start today. You can start today. Skirts for men are already on the market.

Contra-productive for our cause - are men thinking that they 'need' everything from the female wardrobe, resulting in them appearing bad copies of no longer existing women. Thereby, they contribute to maintaining old prejudices of men in skirts being, by definition, somehow queer.

Therefore, the skirt, and just the skirt.

1. Man skirts

Daves Collections. Courtesy of Davesbrand.com.

Man skirts are to buy

Man skirts, sometimes called male skirts, are to buy! Some enterprises are making and marketing them, and no doubt, it is just the start.

International

Amazon, ASOS, and EMP International are now selling man skirts on a regular basis. To see what their offerings are, go to their websites and search for man skirts or male skirts.

Amazon

ASOS

EMP International

Under category Kilts

Europe

France

Le Jupes des Hommes

The company is situated in Nantes. Many skirt styles are available.

Spain

Daves Brand

Skirtchosen

Another Spanish enterprise making skirts for men. The owner and designer, Carlos Sáez-Quintanilla Villalobos, is a married man in his early fifties with two daughters who have no problems with their father wearing skirts. His reasons for wearing skirts himself for over 30 years are that they are cool and comfortable.

Judged from the pictures, the Skirtchosen skirts look good. They are to order in various colours and fabrics.

Outside of Europe

To mention are

USA

SkirtCraft

In 2015, American SkirtCraft launched its first skirt. The plans had been a man's skirt, but eventually the company decided to position it as a unisex skirt.

Mexico

BARON

Prices may, at first glance, look high, but they are in Mexican dollars.

Man skirts can be tailored to your wishes

If you have an idea about how you would like a kilt or a man’s skirt - your skirt - to look like, you could go to a tailor and have one made.

You might design and make your own skirts

It is not for every man to make his own skirts. He must have skills in designing and sewing techniques. Nevertheless, I have an example and a very good one. It's Dirk, a German, living in Rheinland-Westfalen. Looking at his colourful skirts, you feel that discussing whether they are masculine or feminine, or are for men or women, makes no sense. They are not just unique, they are right.

Sarongs

Outside the Western world, we find the sarong, which originates in Sri Lanka and is worn by many men. It is also known under names like kikoy (South Africa), lamba (Madagascar), longyi (India), malong (Philippines), mundo (Maldives), and pah kao mah (Thailand, the version for men).

Basically, the sarong is a large piece of cloth, worn around the waist as a wrap skirt. And often it is a very inexpensive garment, to be primarily worn on the beach. However, Sri Lanka-based Lovi Ceylon offers a wide range of more sophisticated sarongs, looking more universally wearable and therefore might better appeal to men in our part of the world. LOVI CEYLON.

2. Skirts designed for women?

Fortunately, men can, in most of what we might describe as the civilised world, wear whatever feminine garment they would like to. A good example is a Czech couple, where he, Vlasta, as a natural thing, not only wears skirts, but also dresses, etc., completely women's garb, something which seems to be fully accepted by his wife, Michaela. And by society, in the Czech Republic. Gender Blender.

So, should you (and your wife) be ok with someone probably putting you in some LGBTQ+ drawer, because this is what society shall still do, when men are crossing the imaginary border between manly and (too) feminine, you can wear whatever skirt - or dress - you like. It is no crime, and in a still more tolerating world, you shouldn't face problems at all. Your choice, simply.

But it is NOT what this site is about.

Manly skirts

A man in a skirt and his wife on holiday. Nothing feminine about him.

You can wear a skirt, even if designed for women, and without sacrificing your manliness. You must, however, be very careful with the design of the skirt and even more about how you accessorise it. With the right skirt, and everything else from your own wardrobe, you'll be recognised as being simply a MAN, having for some or another reason chosen to wear a skirt.

The main problem with women's skirts is not that they are designed for women, but that they, these years, tend to be very feminine, thin fabrics, floral motives, either below knee-length or really minis, being accordingly either too long or too short for a man, wanting to appear manly, to wear.
Further, women are most of the time wearing trousers, and when not, they'll wear a dress rather than a skirt. This means that the availability of skirts in general is limited, and those which might look masculine enough on a man are, therefore, very few. Finding a suitable skirt in the women's section is not impossible, however.

A dress, just for the sake of good order?

Men and women are shaped differently; men’s upper bodies are longer than women’s, just one of the differences. It means that most dresses will either fit badly on a man or not fit at all.

Much more important, however, is the perceived difference between a skirt and a dress, the dress being considered the most feminine of all garments.

In a skirt, 2/3 of you can still signal man, whereas, in a dress, 2/3 of you should look femme and to a degree that can hardly be balanced by means of just heavy shoes and a manly haircut.
Your aura should be more than macho to make you be regarded just a man having, obviously, on a very hot summer day and for comfort, chosen to wear a dress. I won't say it is impossible, but it is close to.

I myself should never think of wearing a dress.

Conclusion

I will in no way exclude women's skirts to be worn by men; but the fact that "manly" women's skirts have become harder to find, just makes them less obvious to me.
Therefore, rather than buying a woman's skirt, just because you might save a few dollars or euros, you ought to consider a dedicated man's skirt - that would be my advice.