Sources
Pictures are from Pinterest, Google Image, Journal Vogue, Journal Grazia and Getty images.
https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fustanelle
https://www.vogue.fr/mode/article/brad-pitt-ose-la-jupe-sur-le-red-carpet
https://www.vogue.fr/mode/article/jupe-homme-brad-pitt-tendance
Women, for their part, have had to conquer social and legal spaces to be able to wear clothes traditionally associated with men. This shows that dress norms are still dictated by strict gender expectations, and that transgression of these norms by men outside of specific traditional or cultural frameworks is often much less tolerated.
The contrast between the way the skirt is perceived for Evzones and the historical difficulty for women to wear trousers highlights deep inequalities in sartorial freedom rooted in social constructions of gender. Women have had to break down barriers to gain equal rights to choose what to wear, while men often enjoy greater flexibility in certain cultural contexts without compromising their status in society. This illustrates how clothing continues to be a marker of power, gender and social status.
In fact, in several cultures and eras, men wore skirts without their masculinity being called into question. As in the case of the Evzones, the Greek soldiers. But they are not the only ones. There are also the Japanese samurai with their hakama, the Scots with their kilt, or even the kanga, a type of loincloth similar to the sarong in sub-Saharan Africa, or even the lava lava in the Pacific.
However, this normality does not apply equally to all times and contexts. The perception of men wearing skirts varies considerably depending on social circles, times and cultures.
Clothing, often a social and identity marker.
The inequalities caused by the skirt depending on the context, the environment, the era and the sex of the person wearing it.
The Inequalities of the Evzone's Costume
The Evolution of Gender Perception
Renaissance and modern times
The end of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance marked a turning point in men's clothing. Outfits began to become more gender-specific, with men abandoning long or draped garments in favour of tighter, shorter outfits and eventually trousers. The idea that the skirt is a garment reserved for women is relatively modern. In ancient times, skirt-like clothing was common for men in many civilisations.
This development coincided with a greater differentiation of gender roles in society, where masculinity and femininity were more strictly defined. Aristocratic men still sometimes wore stockings and baggy breeches, but as Western societies moved into the industrial age, trousers became the quintessential male garment, representing work, rationality and authority. In this sense, long or loose clothing for men began to be associated with femininity and lost its place in men's wardrobes.
Cultural and geographical contexts
The wearing of men's skirts varies greatly between cultures, illustrating the relativity of dress standards. In countries such as Scotland or certain Asian regions, the wearing of men's skirts is an integral part of the culture. In Scotland, the kilt is a symbol of identity and a respected garment associated with ceremonies and important gatherings. In Asian cultures, such as Indonesia or Malaysia, the sarong is a traditional garment worn by both men and women, especially in warm climates. In the West, however, the male skirt remains a concept that is rarely accepted outside of these specific cultural contexts, where gender norms and sartorial expectations are stricter.
Stereotypes in modern environments
In contemporary societies, especially Western ones, the perception of the male skirt is much more ambiguous than in a context such as that of the Evzones or the Samurai.
Today, although dress codes are gradually relaxing, the man in a skirt is often still the subject of stereotypes, judgements and debates.
The skirt is perceived as feminine clothing and the association of a man with the skirt can lead to incomprehension or even rejection. In traditional work environments, for example, dress standards are often strict and the wearing of skirts by men can be interpreted as a transgression. This reflects one of the fundamental inequalities in modern society. This inequality is largely based on gender stereotypes, which establish a hierarchy between masculine and feminine attributes. By wearing a skirt, a man could be seen as adopting a feminine attribute, which is still unacceptable in many circles.
In Portugal, for example, a man wearing a skirt in a political context recently attracted a lot of attention.
Debate to which the Socialist City Hall of Lisbon was invited by publishing the photo of a statue of Dom Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal, in his period costume. With this message:
Men in skirts? We have some. Since time immemorial".
Inside, the i diary goes back in history, reminding us that in ancient Rome, anyone who wore trousers was punished by death. Rafael Esteves Martins explains that today, at Oxford University or in London, where he has taught and lived, "the men’s skirt is not debated".
Creative environments and progressive acceptance
Nevertheless, some modern circles are more tolerant of men in skirts. In artistic and creative environments, flexible dress codes often allow for freer expression of gender identity.
Fashion designers have used the skirt to deconstruct norms and stereotypes. Designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier and Thom Browne have offered men's collections that emphasise the skirt in an attempt to make the garment more accessible to men. In these contexts, the skirt becomes a symbol of freedom and resistance to rigid gender norms. Although this is a positive development, it remains limited to specific environments and the acceptance of men's skirts is very slow to spread.
Thom Browne, a pioneer?
"Fashion is the most beautiful way to change society's preconceived ideas, to push the boundaries of gender and ultimately to open minds."
Something that Thom Browne has been trying to do since the launch of his brand in 2003. Known for his impeccably tailored pieces punctuated with BDSM references, each season the designer has fun revisiting his favourite silhouette, the grey suit, in variations that play with masculine/feminine codes, sometimes taken to extremes.
In the 1980s and 1990s, celebrities and musicians such as David Bowie and Kurt Cobain were seen in skirts, introducing the idea that clothing could be a way of subverting social expectations. Today, we can think of Jules Koundé, Brad Pitt and Harry Styles.
In just a few minutes, a picture went round the world. That of Brad Pitt walking the red carpet in Berlin in a skirt.
Why did this look cause such a stir? Because in the collective imagination, Brad Pitt is the quintessential straight man. Athletes and even rappers have succumbed to the trend. The latest is none other than professional footballer Jules Koundé. The young man wore a mid-length black skirt during the new French team training session. An outfit that quickly sparked controversy, especially on social networks.
On a smaller scale, in a creative environment like ours, the question is less controversial. Inside Kabk, students let their imaginations run wild, knowing that it will be harder for them to judge. A skirt on a man won't shock us.
But the skirt can be presented in different ways. If it is layered over pants it is not the same as if it is worn on bare legs. Even in our school, I don't think we're quite used to it. If a man shows up in a miniskirt, the students will look at him in a different way than if he wears it over pants.
Conclusion
Globalisation has gradually imposed Western standards across the world, establishing pants as universally masculine clothing. Societies that previously had more relaxed clothing traditions have gradually adopted these norms, reinforcing the association of the skirt with femininity.
Today, many activists and designers defend the male skirt as a symbol of freedom and gender fluidity. Campaigns such as 'Men in Skirts' aim to break stereotypes and promote gender equality in fashion. However, this approach is still in the minority and mainly concerns progressive circles, while in the majority of society, stereotypes remain largely present.
The evolution of perceptions of men's skirts shows how gender norms are influenced by social, historical and cultural contexts.
Whether it is women who have long fought for the right to wear pants, or men whose masculinity is challenged by wearing skirts, depending on the context, we still have a long way to go in challenging clothing equality. Maybe things will change, or maybe ideas will stick.
The subject of the Evzones and their costume highlights deep-rooted gender inequalities in patriarchal societies. Indeed, the Evzones uniform, which includes the fustanelle, a traditional pleated skirt, raises an interesting question: how can men wear a skirt in this context without questioning their masculinity, while women have long struggled to wear trousers, a symbol of emancipation for them?
In the context of Greek military tradition, the Evzones skirt is not perceived as "feminine" clothing, but as an integral part of a soldier's uniform. It is associated with bravery, nationalism and resistance. In this context, the usual stereotypes about the skirt, which would be considered feminine in other areas of society, are reversed. Men can therefore wear the skirt without questioning masculine norms, because it is integrated into a valued and martial framework.
On the other hand, the history of trousers among women shows how this garment has been symbolically linked to notions of power and control traditionally reserved for men. For centuries, the wearing of trousers by women was seen as a transgression of gender roles. It took decades of feminist struggle for trousers to become socially acceptable for women in most Western societies.
Women's adoption of trousers has always been seen as a threat to the established order, blurring the strict boundaries between male and female dress. Women such as Amelia Bloomer in the 19th century, and later 20th century icons such as Marlene Dietrich or Katharine Hepburn, challenged norms by wearing trousers, often against great social and legal opposition. In some areas, it was even illegal for women to wear trousers.
The paradox is that men, especially in certain traditional or symbolic contexts such as the Evzones, can wear skirts without their masculinity being questioned, while women have had to fight for the acceptance of a garment that has become synonymous with emancipation. This situation highlights an inequality in the freedom to dress:
Men enjoy greater flexibility when certain traditionally feminine garments are reintegrated into a specific cultural framework, without this calling into question their gender identity.
