Written by Megan C. Hills, CNN
When Brad Pitt arrived at the premiere of the new movie “Bullet Train” last month, his relaxed linen attire made headlines everywhere — or part of it, at least. The actor, known for his hyper-masculine roles in films like “Fight Club” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” completed his pink and brown ensemble with a striking touch: a skirt. “I dont know!” Pitt later told Variety about the inspiration behind his costume choice. “We’re all going to die, so let’s screw it up.”
Pitt joined a growing list of stars recently photographed in gender-neutral skirts, from Oscar Isaac’s pleated below-the-knee at the “Moon Knight” premiere to Lil Nas X’s metallic pink miniskirt. Porter, “Schitt’s Creek” star Dan Levy, basketball player Russell Westbrook and rapper A$AP Rocky also joined the trend.
Outside of Hollywood, the phenomenon has been gathering steam for years, according to Carl R. Friend, the manager (and self-styled “Master Barista”) of The Skirt Café, an online forum dedicated to men’s skirts. While he believes “undue” attention is being paid to celebrities wearing skirts, he nonetheless welcomed the increased visibility.
“It is what it is,” Friend, whose interest in skirts dates back to the 1980s, said by email. “And if it creates an acceptance of skirts in boys, then I guess it’s for the better.”
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A male model wears a patterned skirt at the Comme Des Garçons Fall-Winter 2020/21 menswear show. Scroll through the gallery to see more men’s skirts, past and present. Credit: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images
Fustanellas, kilts and more
Although skirts are now commonly associated with women’s clothing, they have been worn by men at various times in history. Pleated fustanellas, for example, can be seen on ancient Greek and Roman statues, while more contemporary versions have since been worn in Balkan countries such as Albania, which considers them a national costume. Kilts have remained a staple of Scottish national pride since they debuted in the 16th century, though today they are often reserved for special occasions.
In many parts of the world, however, skirt-like menswear is part of everyday wardrobes. The pareo, a wraparound skirt with a typically bright pattern, is worn by men in Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and Pacific Island cultures. Variations of the sarong, such as the “sulu,” a wrap-around style worn in both casual and formal settings in Fiji, and the “lungi,” worn in South and Southeast Asia, remain popular styles for men of All ages.
Related video: The surprising history of men’s fashion
Soccer star David Beckham was famously photographed wearing a patterned sarong in 1998 (he was mocked by the media at the time, though he later said in an interview: “That’s something I never regret because I thought it looked great and would still use it now”). But in much of the Western world, tastes shifted away from baggy menswear in the 18th century, Friend said. “We still work under the dictates that originated in the Industrial Revolution: long, flowing garments and high-speed machinery don’t mix so well,” he said, while noting the impact of the French Revolution, which saw the country’s taste by Flowing, extravagant brocade fabrics are eschewed in favor of nationalistic colors and practical, form-fitting clothing.
“The French Revolution … had a dramatic ’embellishment’ of men’s clothing compared to, say, the Renaissance,” Friend added.
a new wave
In recent years, evolving conversations about gender and identity have instigated a collective reckoning about what it means to dress like a man. Gen Z and younger millennial stars like Harry Styles and Lil Nas X regularly bring elements of femininity into their wardrobes, and retailers are taking notice. Online stores such as ASOS, Mr Porter, Cettire and SSENSE are among those now selling men’s skirts, many of which would be indistinguishable from womenswear designs were it not for the male models.
Basketball player Russell Westbrook in a skirt outside the Thom Browne show at New York Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2022. Credit: Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images
Meanwhile, on TikTok, the #boysinskirts hashtag has been viewed more than 240 million times, with male users sharing their outfits and style tips.
On his Instagram account @theguyinaskirt, style blogger Shivam Bhardwaj shares playful videos and photos of himself wearing skirts, in all colors and styles, with his audience of over 22,000 people. He said that while much of the media attention around the trend has focused on straight male stars, members of the LGBTQ community have long worn skirts, and have even been ostracized as a result. In 2020, US talk show host Wendy Williams apologized after imploring gay men to “stop wearing our skirts and our heels” on her show, while this year, a man gay in a skirt was allegedly attacked in the UK after attending a concert by the singer. Yungblud – An artist known for his gender fluid style.
“People don’t celebrate men in skirts as much as straight creators or celebrities,” Bhardwaj said by email. “It makes me a little sad that people don’t recognize that men in the (LGBTQ) community have been wearing skirts for many decades, and we’ve played a big part in breaking down this stereotype.”
A guest of the Dries Van Noten’s brand at the Spring-Summer 2023 fashion show in a pleated beige skirt. Credit: Edward Berthelot/Getty Images
The fashion world has also been helping to normalize men’s skirts, with designers like Dries Van Noten and Raf Simons sending men down their runways wearing them in recent years. A gray pleated plaid skirt by Thom Browne (the aforementioned design worn by Oscar Isaac, Dan Levy and “The Hobbit” star Lee Pace, among others) has become a celebrity favorite, with the American designer turning traditional male tailoring on its head through its unexpected silhouette.
“Skirts or any article of clothing does not describe your gender,” Bhardwaj said. “Clothes are made to express your feelings to the people of the world.”
gradual acceptance
Friend, who is married to a woman, also hopes to debunk the idea that skirts are tied to specific gender identities or sexual orientations, saying “a lot of people make the wrong assumptions about it.” Skirt Cafe users form “a community that is not willing to give up or give up our masculinity” simply for wearing skirts, he added.
Members of the online forum tend to wear more basic skirts, Friend explained, with denim and shorter styles among the most popular. Users also share style tips and their new favorite finds, while the site also hosts a list of men-friendly skirt brands. Recent recommendations have included custom wool-lined winter kilts from Virginia brand The Mouse Works and a builder’s kilt from Scottish workwear brand Blaklader: a black, durable cotton design with all sorts of pockets for hammers, screwdrivers and other tools.
Lil Nas X in a metallic pink skirt during a concert. Credit: Jason Koerner/Getty Images
However, gender stigma makes wearing skirts in public a daunting prospect for many men, and those who do are still a minority. Friend’s fascination with clothes began in the mid-1980s, when she saw a man on a train wearing a long white skirt. For a long time, he was hesitant to incorporate skirts into his daily wardrobe due to working in a “high-visibility, customer-facing role.” He eventually took the plunge in 2002, when he made his own miniskirt out of some scrap fabric from his wife.
“The first time I worked up the courage to go out, I was hooked on the idea because it was the first time I had felt a breeze on my legs in decades,” he recalled. “I told (my wife), ‘I’ve been cheated on all these years.’ She grew up not only accepting it, but also embracing it, because all of a sudden she really started caring about how I looked.”
Bhardwaj said that wearing skirts has become more socially accepted, adding that the response to her account had been “very overwhelming” and resulted in “a lot of love from all over the world”. The fashion blogger, who now owns more than 100 skirts, comes from what he describes as a “lower middle class” Indian family who have often been questioned about his style choices. His interest in skirts came about when he bought one for a friend and decided to try it on before posting a video of him wearing it on social media.
Blogger Shivam Bhardwaj of @theguyinaskirt poses in a rainbow skirt. Credit: courtesy THEGUYINASKIRT/Shivam Bhardwaj/instagram.com/theguyinaskirt
“That skirt literally changed my life and has helped me express myself in the best possible way,” she said. And while Bhardwaj said Indian society has a “long way to go” when it comes to accepting men in Western-style skirts, he has been congratulated on the street where he lives in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. India. He is happy to wear his outfits in daily life, not just on social media.
“I literally thought no one would ever accept me in my skirts, but people have proven me wrong and have accepted me with open arms,” she said.
Source: www.cnn.com