I forgot to tell everyone about my outing on Friday!
I was lounging around the house in my skirt, almost identical to this one, but without the frills and with an even hemline. From any distance it just looks like a plain black skirt with an elastic and drawstring waist.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...lackskirt2.jpg
I wanted to hit my favorite watering hole, as I was in a bit of a funk, but I didn't feel like taking off my skirt, so I just unzipped my boots and slipped into my thongs:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...lverthorne.jpg
I know they're without a heel, but here's the interesting part...
I had on a black long-sleeved shirt, which I've worn to the office with a tie. Tonight, no tie. I just unbuttoned my cuffs, put on my watch and a cuff bracelet, and drove.
As I was nearing the casino, I began to wish I'd worn black jeans and heels, instead, as I don't go out very often in a skirt. But I really didn't want to fight 18 minutes of traffic to get back home, so I pushed on.
The place is fairly large, with the bar at the back, and I thought surely someone would notice, but no one did.
I sat down, noticing a foursome lounging on the couch and a chair about twenty feet away. After about five minutes, one of them, a cute mid-30's lady (CL) with slight oriental features walked up and asked if she could sit next to me.
Here's how it went:
DR - Sure
CL - Thank you. Uh, do you mind if I ask you a question?
DR - Not at all.
CL - I was, well, we were just wondering, uh, are you wearing a skirt?
DR - Yes.
CL - If you don't mind my asking, why are you wearing it?
DR - Well, I like the way it looks and feels on me.
CL - Do you normally wear skirts?
DR - Normally I just wear them around the house. I don't go out very often wearing a skirt.
CL - I can see why.
DR - Really? Why's that?
CL - You probably get a lot of stares and comments, I would imagine.
DR - Actually, hardly any.
CL - You're kidding me!
DR - Nope
She paused for a few minutes, then continued.
CL - Would you mind if I ask you a more personal question?
DR - Go right ahead. I might not answer, depending upon what it's about, but you're welcome to ask.
CL - That's fair, I suppose. Um... How does it feel to be a transvestite?
DR - Are you sure you're asking the right guy?
CL - What do you mean?
DR - Well, just because a man wears a skirt doesn't make him a transvestite.
CL - But of course it does! Skirts are for women! When a man wears women's clothes, he's a transvestite.
DR - Hmmm... I see your point. However, I wonder what the several hundred million skirt-wearing world would think about being transvestites...
CL - Oh, come now! Millions of men don't wear skirts!
DR - Sure they do.
CL - Then why haven't I seen any?
DR - I'm sure you have, but perhaps you didn't recognize it.
CL - I would think I would know it if I saw a man wearing a skirt!
DR - Well, let's try an experiment, if you're willing, ok?
CL - What kind of experiment?
DR - A though experiment. I'll name a movie, and if you've seen it, let me know. Then, I'll ask you how many men wore skirts in the movie, ok?
CL - Ok (with a premature triumphant grin in her eyes).
DR - How about the movie Brigadoon, with Gene Kelly?
CL - No, I've not seen that one.
DR - Ok. What about Four Weddings and a Funeral?
CL - Yes, I've seen it. But there weren't any men wearing skirts in it.
DR - Are you sure?
CL - Of course I'm sure!
DR - Do you remember the wedding scene?
CL - Yes.
DR - How many of the men wore skirts?
CL - Why, none, of course!
DR - Ok, how many of the men wore kilts?
CL - None!
DR - Actually, it was a bunch. Not only was the groom wearing a kilt, but most of the men at the wedding were wearing kilts, too.
CL - They were not!
DR - Well, you rent it again at your leisure, if you're really interested.
CL - Ok, smartypants, let's assume they were wearing kilts. A kilt's not the same thing as a skirt.
DR - Really?
CL - Of course it's not. A kilt is made for a man.
DR - Hmmm... Do you know what a sarong is?
CL - Yes.
DR - Would you say that it's a type of skirt?
CL - Yes.
DR - And how many men have you seen wearing sarongs?
CL - Oh, come, now - men don't wear sarongs!
DR - Are you sure?
CL - Why do you keep asking me that? I'm sure, ok!
DR - Ok. Getting back to movies, have you ever seen the kid's movie, Johnny Lingo?
CL - Yes I did. My nephew has that on DVD.
DR - And who wore the sarongs in the movie?
CL - Well, the women did!
DR - And what were the men wearing?
CL - Pants.
DR - I think that's another movie you might wish to see again. The lead character wore a sarong.
CL - He did not!
DR - Well, I won't argue with you. However, most men throughout the South Pacific still wear sarongs. I don't know how many there are, but I know there are several hundred million people in that region of the world. And many men in India still wear skirts. Although the practice has died down in Scotland, there are many occasions men in Scotland still wear kilts.
CL - But a kilt isn't a skirt.
DR - And a sarong is?
CL - Well...
DR - Yet millions of men wear sarongs, so they're wearing skirts, are they not?
CL - I suppose so.
DR - Let's get back to the movies.
CL - Ok.
DR - Did you ever seen the movie Highlander or watch the series?
CL - Yes. Were they wearing skirts, too?
DR - Quite often. How about Gladiator, Troy, or Ben Hur?
CL - I've watched those too.
DR - Did you notice the lead characters were all wearing skirts? And remember, this is well before the Scots had kilts...
CL - Ok, I'm beginning to see your point.
DR - How about Lawrence of Arabia? The men wore what we who live in America call a dress, but they call them robes.
CL - But that was so long ago. Men don't wear skirts any more. Or robes.
DR - How about The Thomas Crown Affair? There was one scene where Pierce Brosnan wore a dark sarong while visiting the Caribbeans. Have you been to the Caribbeans?
CL - No.
DR - I have, and quite a few men down there wear skirts. Sarongs, actually. It's where I wore my first sarong.
CL - Well, I still think it's transvestism here in America.
DR - You mean like women wearing pants?
CL - That's not transvestism.
DR - How about when women first transitioned from wearing skirts to wearing pants, like in the thirties?
CL - Well, that was different.
DR - How was it different than when men first transitioned from wearing pants to wearing skirts?
CL - I dunno. It just seems so... silly!
DR - Probably no sillier than it seemed to some people the first time they saw a woman walking down the street wearing a pair of pants.
CL - But that was a long time ago!
DR - Yes, it was. And an even longer time ago, before our nation was founded, men wore skirts and tights, not to mention robes and tunics - you know, they're just a dress with another name, like sarong and kilts are another word for a skirt. It wasn't gay. It was just the style of clothing at the time.
CL - But that was way back then.
DR - But this is now (and pointed to my skirt).
CL - But you're the only man I've ever seen wearing a skirt.
DR - I thought we went over that...
CL - Ooops, you're right. At least you're not wearing heels.
DR - Sorry, but I rarely wear skirts and heels at the same time.
CL - (laughing) You're too much!
DR - I'm glad you think so.
About that time, one of her friends walked over and said, "What's taken you so long?" She then turned to me and said, "We had a bet going that she didn't have the nerve to ask you to come sit with us. Would you like to join us? We'd like to hear what ya'll are talking about."
So, for the next five hours, I spent another hour talking with them before heading off to sightsee before hitting two more watering holes. I wound up talking with them until 1am, and the last half an hour of the conversation went something like this (PG was one of the prettier girls):
PG - So what do you think about men wearing heels?
DR - I'm curious as to why you ask. Do you know of any men who wear heels?
PG - Actually, I do - one of my neighbors. I thought it was kind of gay at first, but he's married, and now he just looks normal in them.
CL - You mean he actually wears heels? Like high heels?
PG - Oh, yeah. I usually see him in a pair of leather boots with spike heels, unless he's mowing the yard or something. But getting the mail, going out - he's always wearing his boots.
CL - That is gay!
PG - No it's not! He's not gay - he's married. (turning to me) Do you think it's gay?
DR - I think the term "gay" should be used to describe a person's sexual orientation, not their choice of clothing.
CL - But don't you find that really weird that a guy would wear heels?
DR - Not really. Unusual? Yes. Weird? Perverted? Not at all.
PG - I'm glad to hear you say that. I've come to the same conclusion. He's one of our best neighbors.
DR - Glad to hear that, PG.
CL - I dunno. It's all a little strange to me.
DR - Sure it is. And why shouldn't it be? After all, you've never seen it before. When people encounter something unfamiliar, it seems a bit strange, such as when they visit a foreign country and the architecture or food is quite different. It's not strange to the natives, but it is strange to the visitors.
CL - I see what you mean. It's just...
PG - What, CL?
CL - I just can't believe a guy could get away with wearing heels.
DR - But you also thought that about my wearing a skirt. So how many times have we had to beat antagonists off with a stick? In fact, when's the last time you noticed anyone taking an interest in the fact that I'm wearing a skirt?
CL - Well, actually, it's been quite a while.
DR - Exactly. Most people just don't care. And if I had to guess, probably one or two out of every ten males who did notice are probably thinking, "that's interesting. I wonder if I could do that..."
PG - (laughing) I'll be you're right!
CL - You two really think so? You think that there are other men out there who're interested in wearing skirts, much less heels?
DR - Actually, you'd be surprised. I think the statistic is something like 35% of all men wear some form of women's clothing at least a couple times a year, and about 10% do so several times a month. As for wearing heels, most men have tried on a pair of high heels at least once in their lives, and perhaps 5% wear heels routinely, even thought the percentage of men who would actually go out in a pair of heels is far lower.
CL - How come you know so much about this?
DR - (laughing) Oh, I just read a lot, I guess!
We said our good-byes, but PG said they'd be at the same place we met earlier on Saturday night, and asked if I'd be willing to show them around some more? I said sure, and here's what happened Saturday:
I wore a natural linen-colored shirt with long, dark charcoal slacks and a pair of wingtip boots with a medium heel:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...GrannyBoot.jpg
I walked up, and the only one that was there was PG. We talked for a few minutes before I asked where the others were and she said they were running late. About that time, she spotted my heels:
PG - Ohmuhgod!
DR - What?
PG - You're really wearing heels!
DR - Are you surprised?
PG - Well, from our conversations yesterday, not really. I just didn't think you were someone who would.
DR - Happens all the time.
About that time, we spotted the other three and waived them over.
PG - Hey, like, hide your feet under the table a bit, ok? I want to see their reaction as we're walking away instead of letting them know up front.
DR - (grinning) Ok.
The conversation was much the same as before, talking a bit about work before moving on to other subjects.
As we got up to leave, I was the first to stand, but all anyone saw was the front part of my wingtips. We walked out, and it wasn't until we hit the sidewalk that CL looked down at the sound:
CL (stopping dead in her tracks, mouth opening wide for a minute; five seconds later) - I can't believe you're doing that!
DR - Doing what?
CL - Wearing heels!
PG - (coming back, putting her hand on CL's arm) Come on, CL - you're attracting attention. Let's keep moving...
DR - That's ok, but yes, let's keep moving. So tell me, CL, what you think about the way it looks. Do my boots really look bad, or is it just the fact that they have a heel.
CL - (to my surprise, she looks down as we're walking) - No, actually they don't look bad on you. In fact they look very nice. I suppose the heel is a bit incongruous, but only when you're looking.
PG - I'll bet we won't attracting any more attention tonight than we did last night. Come on - let's stop in here for a while. I've always wanted to see this exhibit.
The exhibit was an art exhibit, and while I'm not too much into art, I enjoyed their company, so we strolled around for about an hour before moving on.
At our first watering hole, the women sat down and talked mostly about the art, but they also mentioned they'd noticed a couple of people looking at my boots.
DR - And what was their reaction?
PG - Oh, it was nothing, just a glance, then another. You know.
CL - I was suprised. I thought a few of the couples would start talking about it, but no one did.
DR - That's been my experience. Most people really don't give a hoot one way or the other. There are a lot weirder things out there, you know.
CL - Such as what?
At that point, we began to tell one another about all the differences we've seen with respect to what people do - hair, piercings, tatoos, combinations thereof, etc. And we never spoke about guys wearing skirts or heels again.
Sadly, they had to go home the next day. It would have been nice if they could have stayed.