Men wearing skirts are quite common in some countries like Fiji, Myanmar and Bhutan. In Greece it is an integral part of the military uniform. But nowhere does the skirt hold greater cultural significance than the kilt in Scotland.
A History of the Scottish Kilt
According to Macgregor and Macduff’s blog, kilts were first mentioned in 1538. At that time a kilt was a floor-length garment called ‘féileadh mor’ or ‘the great kilt’. It was a five yard uncut piece of fabric that was wrapped around the waist, with the excess fabric draped over the shoulder. It was not until the early 18th century that the knee-length kilt that we know today came about. Over time, the different clans identified themselves with specific tartan plaids and colors.
The modern era
Jean Paul Gaultier is credited with being the first designer to show men’s skirts on the runway. They were first presented in 1985 as part of his ‘Et Dieu Créa l’Homme’ (‘And God created man’) collection. Wide pant legs with a wrap-over panel created the illusion of a skirt, “challenged masculinity and challenged clothing stereotypes,” according to his website.
In previous seasons
No doubt due to the blurring of gender norms and the increasing desire of many people to look non-binary, skirts for men have been featured on numerous catwalks in recent seasons. Here we feature some of the best:
Fall/Winter 2021 catwalk collections
Burberry
For the Burberry F/W21 men’s collection, Riccardo Tisci presented a range of skirts and kilts, mostly worn over trousers, as well as a range of jackets and coats designed with a British look in mind. A theme he expanded on for the FW22 collection, emphasizing the heritage of the Burberry brand.
Louis Vuitton
Virgil Abloh’s presentation ‘Ebonics’ mixed American essentials with other global influences, including checked kilts and skirts worn under suit jackets.
Molly Goddard
Model Lucas Chancellor wore a Royal Stewart tartan kilt and Fair Isle sweater with a white shirt and suit jacket, socks and creepers.
Fall/Winter 2022 catwalk collections
Off White
Virgil Abloh’s posthumous show, titled ‘Spaceship Earth’, featured a look worn by Gyuhyun Kim, which featured an eye-catching combination of a ‘shacket’ and coat with a pleated skirt over trousers – all in black and green tartan.
Jan Jan Van Essche
Antwerp native Jan Jan Van Essche presented a pleated skirt over gray denim jeans under a blouson jacket with a knitted jumper and beanie.
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana showed an oversized houndstooth skirt suit paired with a logo tee and rubber boots.
Gucci
Alessandro Michele presented a collection in collaboration with Adidas. One look consisted of a striped sport coat, black leather tie and blue shirt over a yellow kilt and track pants. The accessories mixed Gucci and Adidas logos and other details.
Y/Project
The Glenn Martens collection for Y/Project featured a look consisting of a double layered denim and shearling waist length jacket worn with a silver nylon jumper and dark denim skirt with side slits, completed with leather boots.
Egonlab
Egonlab’s Florentin Glemarec and Kevin Nompeix showed a look consisting of a jacket, kilt and trousers, all in a neutral checked pattern.
DSquared2
From Dean and Dan Caten came a collection they called ‘Hippy Hiker’ that layered in a bohemian style: an embroidered sweater worn over a pair of tattered jeans and a long tartan kilt divided into two.
Off the runway
Mark Bryan, who identifies as a ‘straight man’, photographs himself every day in a skirt and heels. He currently has 660,000 followers on Instagram (his name there is: @markbryan911). Another indication that men’s skirts may be arriving in mainstream fashion is the many celebrity appearances that wear them. That list includes style icons like Pete Davidson, Machine Gun Kelly, Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, Diddy and Lil’Nas X. Not to mention the very masculine looking Oscar Isaac, who made headlines at a screening of ‘Moon Knight’ in London , as he wore a gray pleated skirt by Thom Browne. So: All signs point to the fact that men’s skirts or kilts will very soon be seen on German streets. Make
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ