Can men wear skirts?

Floppy sun hats - check, sandals – check, stylish sunglasses – check, travel bag – check, swimwear - check, man-skirt - …erm… For many, a man-skirt isn’t going to be high on the list of holiday essentials, but according to some, take-up for this latest dress wear for men is increasing. Harvey Nichols claim that ‘loads’ of men are buying into the trend, while bumper sales are being reported at London’s Rick Owens store. Even Kayne West recently sported one on-stage, while some may also remember Russell Crowe doing battle in the Colosseum wearing a skirt for the film Gladiator (though, he was called Maximus).

It’s fair to say that man-skirts aren't anything new. It’s a trend that has been talked about on more than one occasion. In other parts of the world, it’s common to see a man in a skirt. In Egypt they have their dervishes, the sulu being common in Fiji and the Kilt for men in Scotland. But, l can’t help but feel a bit uncertain about the man-skirt.

For starters, there’s practicality. It can be said that skirts fit our male anatomy much better than trousers do, making them healthier for us. But, what about those all-important ‘coverage issues’ when you’re sitting on a stool at a bar? It can be quite uncomfortable crossing those legs! The British weather isn’t very kind to us either, so would it be okay to wear tights or is it strictly bare all..?!? Then there’s the issue of style. Those man-skirts available on the market today feel a bit too radical in their design for walking around the everyday British town, at least without worrying about getting beaten up! Or is a man-skirt strictly an evening-wear item only? If man-skirts are to go mainstream, then don’t we need some simpler, less-eye catching designs to build confidence for the everyday British man – which maybe even Jeremy Clarkson mightn't be afraid to wear? Also, is there a mind-set change needed here? After all, we’ve grown to accept women wearing trousers. Maybe the man-skirt is the next step in progress and diversity? Could the man-skirt be a small step towards solving the masculinity problem that us men apparently have? We don’t know about you, but when we're holding a handbag for someone or pushing a pram – we definitely try to butch up our walks and stance. We're sure we'd do the same wearing a skirt! Being in a state of confusion about the man-skirt, we had to see what some others in the Mankind office had to say-

'Don’t get me wrong a very small percentage of men look incredibly sexy in a kilt – whether it's tartan or a plain dark fabric – these said men tend to be well built with rugged good looks… but normal joe-bloggs walking around in a skirt? Nope, doesn't do it for me! In general, even for the boys who can carry it off – I would still feel a bit odd if my guy turned up in a skirt or kilt unless 1. We were in Scotland or 2. He was Scottish and we were going to a wedding. So it’s a no from me guys.'

'I really get it. Helps being Scottish though. As comfortable as shorts but more liberating. The kilt only comes out on special occasions, new year and walking up hills though. Not an everyday item for me.'

'Not personally a fan of a man skirt becoming an everyday men’s wardrobe staple. Men can get away with kilts as they are traditional & smart but if someone I was dating turned up in a mini skirt and so was I, I'm not sure I’d be able to go through with it. Especially if they had better legs than me. Haha. Sorry but I vote no.'

So there we go!