Skirts date back to prehistoric times where both men and women alike would wear fabrics to cover their body below the waist. 

In ancient Egypt it was men who wore skirts as their clothing of choice. At this time, Egyptian women preferred dresses to skirts. Both were usually white in color and would visualize the wearers class. The cheaper the quality, the worse the quality material of the clothing. 

In the middle ages, both men and women seemed to enjoy dress-like clothing because of the freedom in movement while working or fighting. During this time tights and trousers were introduced as a practicality thought to be related to horse riding. Here it was men who turned to legged bottom wear instead of skirts. Women preferred dresses instead of skirts in all levels of status. 

Though still, the scots wore kilts. The kilt originated in the 16th century and in the 18th the design of the skirt became more like the iconic Scottish kilt we recognise today. The kilt was actually a practical alternative to trousers for scots. When walking through wet terrain, trousers would become and remain soggy for a long time being both physically and aesthetically unpleasing. The kilt dried faster and was overall more effective in its use. The kilt was iconically enjoyed as the only covering worn by male scots for comfort and practicality. Here the kilt represents masculinity and tradition.

In the late 19th century women adopted a more active lifestyle including riding, cycling and walking more. Here, dresses worn beforehand were separated in two: a shirt and a skirt. The skirt provided more freedom in movement and practicality. The skirts -must like the dresses- gather at the waist and widen around the hips going all the way to the floor, highlighting the feminine shape.

It was during the 20th century that skirts became really popular. Through the many styles the skirt adopted, it always seems to follow the desired feminine silhouette. The length symbolizes how conservative the wearer is and the shorter the skirt, the more perceived sexuality the wearer exudes. But as pants have become the norm for both men and women, skirts are seen as a feminine piece of clothing that most men in western cultures have abandoned.

Today, skirts are most commonly worn by women and associated with femininity. As with many other clothing items, the assigned gender of the skirt varies between cultures and it is important to note interpretations of the skirt vary from person to person. The scottish kilt represents masculinity and culture while the western mini skirt represents feminine sexuality. There are many instances where kilt wearers emphasize their belief that skirts and kilts are separate. It can be assumed that this is because of the very different interpretations of the western skirt and the kilt. Even though the kilt is by definition a skirt, they wish to separate the terms because of the stigma that exists around men wearing skirts.

Some men in western culture have started wearing skirts again. It is interesting to see men both wear skirts in a feminine fashion and also in a masculine fashion. Jaden smith is a good example of a person wearing skirts in a masculine fashion. He does this with blocky shapes, darker colors, and uses the rest of his clothing to reinforce the shoulders making the whole outfit seem more masculine. Lil Nas X on the other hand, is not afraid of using the perceived femininity of the skirt in his favor. Wearing other clothing like crop tops, low v-necks, and pinks he highlights femininity in his outfit harmoniously. Lil Nas X’s style is a mix of both masculine and feminine energy, normalizing the fact that femininity is not only something women can wear but should be shared between all genders.

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So why is this important? Knowing that skirts have had a history of being both masculine and unisex before it became a feminine accessory helps you understand that clothing is only perceived as being gendered and has not had a tie to a specific gender. When you learn that society has both seen the skirt as a feminine and masculine clothing item it is much easier to see that the skirt's current perceived femininity is merely societal and not actual. When clothing has no gender, outfits become more personal because there are no gender rules to follow. 

 

You often see women starting to wear what was back then masculine clothing to feel powerful and in response men would abandon that type of clothing as to not resemble women. Even though many scots still proudly wear kilts, many insist it is not the same as a skirt and therefore cannot be feminine. A kilt is by definition a skirt and the need to separate the idea of a skirt from a kilt is simply to feel masculine. Many men struggle in femininity and often use a lot of energy avoiding feminine things because they feel the stigma around it. But would it not be better to remove the feminine label from skirts so that they can be used by anyone in any context? Both as the cultural kilt or simply daily wear? As mentioned in the kilt section of the skirt history text, skirts have practical uses that benefit all genders and are much more comfortable -especially in the summer- than pants.

 

Whether you agree or disagree, we would love to hear your views on our anonymous forum.