While some self-proclaimed moralists wrinkle their noses and others cry scandal, reality – with a capital “R” – tells a very different story: the skirt, or more precisely the tunic, has always been a male garment. And we are not talking about modern eccentricities but centuries upon centuries of history, where kings, emperors, warriors, and even popes proudly donned garments that today would horrify those who claim to be guardians of “good taste.”
From Antiquity to the Present: The Story of a Paradox
Consider Ancient Rome: senators and emperors wore the toga, a garment that, in shape and fluidity, was not much different from a skirt. Gladiators fought in arenas wearing a kind of leather and metal kilt, while Greek warriors sported the chiton, a long or short garment depending on rank and function. Not to mention medieval rulers, often draped in richly decorated tunics, or popes, whose liturgical vestments are, in effect, long robes that challenge any rigid gender-based fashion norms.
And what about Scotland? Here, the tradition of the kilt continues undisturbed: a garment that not only embodies a sense of belonging to a clan but also symbolizes strength and national pride. Strange, isn’t it? If a man wears a skirt in Edinburgh, he is a proud Scot; if he does so in Milan, it’s seen as a provocation.
The Era of Prejudice and Short Memories
Today, the return of the male skirt in contemporary fashion has sparked reactions ranging from skepticism to hysteria. From the runways of major designers to the streets of fashion capitals, the garment is making a comeback with a naturalness that, truthfully, should not even be newsworthy. Yet, amid snide comments and smirks, an embarrassing reality emerges: our society, so convinced of its modernity and openness, is actually trapped in narrow-minded thinking.
Some dismiss the choice of a skirt as an act of rebellion, others illogically associate it with sexual orientation, and some rush to label it as a fleeting whim. But behind these judgments lies profound historical ignorance: if an emperor’s tunic was a symbol of power, why should a skirt today be seen as a sign of weakness? If the kilt represents pride and tradition, why should a modern variation be perceived as a provocation?
Conclusion: The Problem Is Not the Skirt, but Who Looks at It
Ultimately, the male skirt is simply a return to historical normality, an innovation that innovates nothing but rather corrects a long-standing cultural misunderstanding. Perhaps the real issue is not the wearer but the one who judges it superficially. And if someone feels threatened by a piece of fabric, maybe it’s time to ask who is truly fragile: the one wearing it or the one fearing it.