Why Don't Men Wear Skirts? The Power of The Skirt

The kilt, the fustanella, the toga-there are lots of examples of skirts associated with military or political power from ancient times. But what about more modern times- since skirts have been considered as female dress?

The frock coat is cut to accentuate the neoclassical ideal male form. It is not a skirt, but in silhouette can give the impression of one. The frock coat also flows and swirls like a skirt; a quality also shared by the cape.

What got me thinking along these lines, was when I drove past a small group of people on their way to a wedding. There were two men dressed in kilts, and two ladies in dresses. The ladies were made up with new hair does and wearing jewelry, but it was the men who looked the more impressive; in a way that wouldn't have been the case if they were wearing trousers. The swish of the kilts were accentuated by the swagger of the men as they strode down the road knowing that eyes were on them.

Jewelry is another form of attire, albeit an accessory, that can convey power. It is interesting to compare jewelry with skirts. Jewelry has been used by both sexes throughout history but in the modern western world it is usually seen as a feminine accessory. Whereas jewelry is ostensibly worn for its prettiness, there is a strong association with showing off. I am thinking of those women who wear expensive jewelry and are more concerned with the size of their diamonds than their aesthetics. Jewelry or "Bling" has also been adopted by the Rap culture and is worn by men as a show of power. The lyrics of Rap songs are often about men exerting sexual power over women and bling seems to form a visual illustration of this power.

In contrast to this and despite my feeling that the skirt can convey power, it may be that it is the fear of the loss of power that stops men from wearing skirts. Just think of the expression ' You can tell who wears the trousers in that relationship.'