I'm nonbinary. Folks who see me will pretty consistently (and correctly) guess that I was designated female at birth. I wear skirts, and fairly frequently. (I often wear them with button-down shirts or polos from the men's section, because what even is finding a decent shirt in the women's section?)
And odd as this may seem, my wearing of skirts hasn't got anything to do with my nonbinary gender. Nothing. It's completely a sensory thing. I wear loose clothing. I have to wear loose clothing. I can not cope with leggings or tights, not even a little. I don't own a single pair of jeans, and I haven't in years, because even the supposedly loose ones... usually aren't. On most days, dress pants that "fit" like they're supposed to are too tight for me to wear comfortably. I teach, therefore, in loose black athletic pants. Once the pants are black, most people seem less inclined to check if they're actually dress pants.
However, there are times when the black athletic pants aren't formal or fancy enough. I need to wear something that's dressier than that, and I can't always manage dress pants. Skirts, though. Skirts can be tight, but they can also be loose while still being formal. (And I totally had to learn how to sew for myself, because pockets aren't exactly optional and if I'm going to wear a skirt, it needs to be a long skirt, long enough that I don't need to worry about how I sit.)
There are also times when I don't want to wear pants... just don't. (Seriously, who always wants to wear pants?) Skirts to the rescue!
And I am still nonbinary. Just putting that out there.
And odd as this may seem, my wearing of skirts hasn't got anything to do with my nonbinary gender. Nothing. It's completely a sensory thing. I wear loose clothing. I have to wear loose clothing. I can not cope with leggings or tights, not even a little. I don't own a single pair of jeans, and I haven't in years, because even the supposedly loose ones... usually aren't. On most days, dress pants that "fit" like they're supposed to are too tight for me to wear comfortably. I teach, therefore, in loose black athletic pants. Once the pants are black, most people seem less inclined to check if they're actually dress pants.
However, there are times when the black athletic pants aren't formal or fancy enough. I need to wear something that's dressier than that, and I can't always manage dress pants. Skirts, though. Skirts can be tight, but they can also be loose while still being formal. (And I totally had to learn how to sew for myself, because pockets aren't exactly optional and if I'm going to wear a skirt, it needs to be a long skirt, long enough that I don't need to worry about how I sit.)
There are also times when I don't want to wear pants... just don't. (Seriously, who always wants to wear pants?) Skirts to the rescue!
And I am still nonbinary. Just putting that out there.
The centering of masculine gendered clothing as somehow appropriately neutral or queer actually erases femme non-binary people, femme queers, etc., and reinforces misogyny and patriarchy.
ReplyDeleteTotally agreed.
DeleteMens wore skirts in many countries, in many civilisations. I can't understand why skirts should be for women and pants for men?
ReplyDelete