Masculinity And The Skirt Wave
Skirts, whether long, short, straight, pleated or flared, is considered women’s fashion pieces, except in cultures that have men on skirts. Certain historical periods have also recorded men in skirts. Thom Browne’s Spring Summer 2023 collection featured an interesting array of long, short and pleated skirts for men. Most unusual, so to say, the fashion space has begun to see more men take up the idea of skirt as a staple piece of clothing.
Brad Pitt made headline when he arrived at the premiere of ‘Bullet Train’. The attraction? His outfit or better put, part of it. The actor, known for hyper-masculine roles in films such as, ‘Fight Club’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’, completed his blush pink-and-brown ensemble with an eye-catching twist: a skirt.
Outside Hollywood, the phenomenon has been gaining traction for years, according to Carl R. Friend, the administrator (and self-described ‘Master Barista’) of The Skirt Café, an online forum dedicated to men’s skirts.
While he believes ‘undue’ attention is being paid to skirt-wearing celebrities, he nonetheless welcomed the increased visibility. Friend’s interest in skirts dates back to the 1980s.
Pitt joined a growing list of stars recently pictured wearing gender-neutral skirts, from Oscar Isaac’s below-the-knee pleated number at the ‘Moon Knight’ premiere to Lil Nas X’s metallic pink miniskirt. Actor Billy Porter, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star, Dan Levy; basketball player Russell Westbrook and rapper A$AP Rocky have also embraced the trend.
The evolving conversations around gender and identity have instigated a collective reckoning about what it means to dress like a man. Gen Z and younger millennial stars, such as Harry Styles and Lil Nas X, regularly bring elements of femininity into their wardrobes — and retailers are taking notice.
Online stores like are among those now stocking men’s skirts, many of which would be indistinguishable from womenswear designs were it not for the male models.
Style blogger, Shivam Bhardwaj, on his Instagram page @theguyinaskirt shared videos and photos of himself wearing skirts — of all colours and style. Meanwhile, On TikTok, the hashtag #boysinskirts has been viewed over 240 million times, with male users sharing their outfits and style advice.
In the space of gender, sexuality, Identity, and fashion skirts are starting up interesting conversation. Are we ready for men on skirt?
