P Diddy Wears A Skirt, Will You?

The concept of the 'men's skirt' has been a contentious issue for some time now, and P Diddy recently fueled the fire by wearing a kilt on stage in Glasgow.

Why did Diddy do it? Will Diddy next be seen out in a frilly pinafore? Unlikely. It is my theory that Diddy undoubtedly wore the kilt as a nod to Scottish culture and will unlikely be seen wearing a kilt 'in the hood', as he might well say.

Don't be disappointed though, Diddy has certainly done a great service to the portion of the male population that rather likes skirts and kilts and would like to wear them without having people screw their faces up as if they were wearing a people skin suit.

One of the biggest problems facing men who would like to wear skirts is the fact that they are seen as being incredibly effeminate pieces of attire, and certainly nobody would dare impugn Mr P Diddy's levels of testosterone and masculinity, thus one could say that Diddy broke down a piece the wall that has thus far stood between the skirt for men and the acceptance of the wider population.

Not only did Diddy do that, he also provided a prime example of how a man can wear a skirt like garment without looking remotely feminine. The secret lies in chunky man boots and a definitively square cut top that highlights all the broad boxyness of the male upper body.

There are plenty of kilts already available for men outside the realms of the traditional Scottish tartan garment, Utilikilts, for example, make an excellent line of skirts for men that rather worship at the alter of the masculine tradition of being functional.

Even mainstream fashion houses have brought out their own skirt inspired pieces, H&M famously launched a line of men's skirts, which pushed previous boundaries in a serious way. There was no mistaking one of H&M's men's skirts for a kilt, and perhaps that is the reason why we didn't see many of them on the streets. For it would appear that men are, on average, much less inclined to break social morays when it comes to clothing styles and perhaps much more fearful of being seen as 'less than manly' than P Diddy.

I have only this to say to men who want to wear skirts: If you want to wear a skirt, please do. Designers are making them for you, but they won't continue to do so if they don't sell. Don't let P Diddy outdo you.