The man skirt is nothing new. The garb dates at least as far back as the 17th century, when Scottish men waged war wearing kilts. Remember Braveheart?
Today, American men can still buy kilts from retailers like J. Peterman, and the employees of the window-washing company Men In Kilts wear an appropriately skirted uniform.
Kilts aside, the man skirt is far from just a centuries-old relic of Scottish tradition. In recent decades, the man skirt has evolved beyond the kilt, with a variety of styles and designs gracing the lower halves of a number of high profile men. From designer Marc Jacobs to Kanye West and Odell Beckham Jr., iconic men from a variety of backgrounds and industries have rocked the man skirt in recent years.
While the man skirt’s role in more recent history has largely been as a flashy statement piece for celebrities trying to capture attention on the red carpet, the trend is beginning to show signs of going mainstream.
Earlier this week, Wall Street Journal reporter Jacob Gallagher wrote about his experience trying out the trend for the first time. “The sight of myself in the mirror was a strange one,” wrote Gallagher of the look that prompted comparisons to Catholic schoolgirls and Cher Horowitz, with the addition of “stout hairy legs jutting out jarringly from beneath the dainty pleats.”
Ultimately, however, Gallagher concluded that he “didn’t hate” the ensemble, although he did discover some newfound sympathy for female coworkers whose bare calves spend the summer months weathering the frozen tundra of air conditioned offices.
If you’re willing to suffer through the workplace summer deep freeze, however, perhaps you too could soon be the proud owner of a man skirt.
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