The latest fashion amongst Japan’s notoriously effete men is none other than the skirt, with men about the fashionable districts of Shinjuku often to be seen wearing long or even short skirts.
Staff from a Tokyo fashion shop hold forth: “There are quite a few men who skirts you know. A while back there was the ‘Comme de Garcons’ fashion of skirts for men, but lately this has spread to the mainstream.” The shop handles a variety of brands aimed at men and women.
Men are overwhelmingly said to be preferring long skirts, though some prefer short skirts, sometimes with trousers worn underneath. One marketer for top Gothic brand Eichi Naoto concedes that while they offer no skirts specifically for men, “The cases where men buy skirts for ladies stand out,” with long black skirts a top seller.
The crossdressing action masquerading as high fashion does not end there:
“Unisex is becoming a keyword in men’s fashion. ‘Skinny pants’ aren’t just for women, now men wear them too, and with the advance in fashion gender men increasingly don’t feel a problem with wearing a skirt.
Skirt wearing men started increasing in the fashionable areas like Shinjuku a few years ago, and there are men who wear high heel boots too.
They probably became aware of how there are so many fashion items for women which show a good sense of style.
By the way, it looks like when they wear skirts they prefer to remove the hair on their legs.”
Top Japanese fashion blog “Elastic” conducted a survey of its readers, and of some 1,300 responses, 40% thought men wearing skirts were “ari,” they have “it.”
Skirt wearers offered their opinions: “I have four Comme de Garcon skirts. I wear them to wine bars,” “I wear them. It’s fun to press back the boundaries of fashion!”
On the other hand even some fashionistas disapprove: “Men wearing skirts still feels wrong,” “You can’t wear them normally. If I wore one I couldn’t go to university.”
Via Itai News.
2ch offers its own opinions:
“No! No!”
“I thought this was Scotland for a moment…”
“Impossible. These guys are idiots.”
“Gross.”
“I saw one in town, it was sick. Honestly, I thought he was some transvestite.”
“There was one at uni, but everyone around recoiled…”
“I’m often around Shinjuku. I haven’t seen any, where are they at?”
“Shinjuku Ni-cho-me.”
“Another boom?”
“This is gross. Don’t be spreading this around please, mass media.”
“I think you may be arrested in some cases.”
“I’m a woman… Maybe with someone really stylish this could work, but I wouldn’t want to be seen with them.”
“You hikikomori had better get out and take a look at the streets. There’s a surprising number of them. I even saw some in Akihabara.”
“You sure they weren’t just ugly women?”
“Garment makers are so desperate they are trying to get men to buy skirts…”
“If you are an old guy you’ll be reported.”
“Look at that picture. It’s too disgusting.”
“The age has finally caught up with me.”
“Sure someone hasn’t been paid to write this by the skirt makers?”
“I’m sick of the mass media making this stuff up.”
“Wear a skirt and urinate sitting down. Japan’s end is nigh.”
“I won’t accept anything which isn’t a kilt.”
“There was a fashion like this ten years ago. Lasted a year.”
“This is going to be reported overseas and cause a stir again, isn’t it? Like the men’s bra…”
