Article by Angelika Furster
Today skirts are seen as a staple of female fashion. This was not always true. Skirts worn by men have been acceptable attire for men in many cultures and societies. This includes the kanga, lungii and sarong worn in Southeast Asia and South Asia. The most famous example is the kilt worn by men of Scotland. Kilts are still a big part of typical Scottish ceremonies and events. Due to movies like Braveheart the association of Scottish men and skirts actually has a macho warrior image today.
Native Americans have also worn versions of skirts for hundreds of years. Some Aboriginal societies have customs were men wear types of skirts. The men of Fiji also wear skirts called sulus. Greek and Roman warriors wore types of skirts. Ancient Egyptians wore a wrap skirt that is similar to sarongs. One common form of sarong is a single sheet of fabric that is folded and wrapped around the waist of the man. This is common in places like India. Japanese hakama and Bhutanese gho are forms of skirts worn in the Japanese culture. Skirts called qun or chang were worn by men of ancient China.
The first culture to have females wear what is similar to miniskirts today were Duan Qun Miao (meaning “short skirt Miao” in Chinese) in China. In the 1960s, women were being encouraged to adapt some fashions considered just for men such as wearing jeans. An attempt was made to extend this to men with a male version of the skirt. This did not catch on in the same way the male looks adapted for women did.
In the 1980s, there were attempts by fashion designers around the world to promote skirts for men in their design lines.Since then some companies are marketing skirts specifically made for men. One company makes a type of skirt designed to look like a male tool belt with pockets to carry tools. In the world of science fiction, Star Trek: The Next Generation featured uniforms worn by both male and female crew members that were a futuristic variation of skirts.
The universal acceptance of men wearing skirts may be something for future generations, but history has shown that the concept of men in skirts is not new and is still a normal part of many cultures around the world.
About the Author
Angelika Furster studied Fashion Design in Dusseldorf, Germany. Now she lives as a designer and writer in Riverside, California.
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