How Long of a Skirt Do I Need to Wear?
October 29, 2010 by MInTheGap
Filed under Articles, The Male Mind
Visited 1919 times, 1 so far today
When I was in college, I worked in the Dining Common, and that meant that I got to see most of the student body on a daily basis. Being that this was Bob Jones University, I saw men in dress shirts and ties and women in dresses and skirts. This also meant that the men that were there also saw mostly dresses and skirts on women.
That made it really strange to visit the mall in Greenville, because you actually found out that women have two legs!
However, this environment led to some interesting conversations—one in particular had to deal with a girl that a friend of mine was dating. He was head over heels for her, with emphasis on the heels.
You see, instead of talking about how pretty she was, how he liked her hair color or her eyes, this young man was all about her ankles.
You read that right, her ankles. I think he said something to the effect that he believed that she had the perfect “Baby-making ankles.” Something about hip to ankle ratio—and believe me, we looked at him as strangely as you are as you read this.
What Isn’t Seen
I shared this story because, like all conversations about modesty and men, much of it is about what is not seen and how easily the male mind can imagine what cannot be seen.
This is part of what we need to consider when we talk about skirt length.
What is your favorite skirt length to wear?
- Covers Knee (34%, 21 Votes)
- Mid-Calf (20%, 12 Votes)
- Maxi (I like that I almost trip on it!) (18%, 11 Votes)
- Mid-Thigh to Knee (13%, 8 Votes)
- Full Length (10%, 6 Votes)
- Mini-Skirt (3%, 2 Votes)
- I don’t wear skirts! (2%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 61
Many of you understand this, and would have no problems with this, because I would suggest that the best length to shoot for is at least something that covers the knee.
Of the 61 of you that responded to our poll, 50 of you stated that your favorite length of skirt to wear was just that—something that covers the knee all the way down to stepping on it.
I’m hoping that the one that said “I don’t wear skirts” was either male or someone that that wears pants suits!
The reason that mini skirts and those that are mid-thigh are less modest than the longer length plays into the whole balance of what is seen verses what is not seen.
The less that is visible, the more it would take a male mind to invent. Hence the reason that males at BJU would “wonder” whether girls have legs and my friend would think about ankles.
When it comes to the shorter skirts, the odds that his mind can fill in the rest increases.
How Can I Put it Better?
The female anatomy is (hopefully) a mystery in that very few will have seen it, and it’s also something that messes with us chemically and in terms of arousal. And this is obvious to anyone since there’s a reason why the shorter skirts carry labels like “Sexy” and “Erotic.” That’s no typo.
Practicality
Also, longer skirts are just simply more practical. While skirts that sit just above the knee may not be considered that immodest, they carry with them more maintenance.
- The lady must remember to keep her knees together while sitting.
- The lady must remember how to exit and enter a car.
- I find that women with this length may find the skirt riding up, and may tend to make sure it’s down further.
The mini skirt (especially as it begins to look more like a wide belt) is definitely less than practical. I mean, it may seem nice to have a gentleman pick up something that you’ve dropped, but in some cases, it’s hard to find one of them. And even then, they have to be careful not to see something they shouldn’t when they bend down to pick it up!
And add to that all of what I said earlier in this section.
So, What Should I Wear?
If your goal is to be modest and do something with the least amount of extra effort, I’d suggest looking for skirts that at least cover the knee. The longer the length, the less effort in terms of maintaining modesty of the go. The less length the more there is to think about in terms of keeping private things private.
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personally for me, I think about 3 inches above the knee is usually okay, having thick stockings or tights does make it a little more modest. I prefer though to wear skirts that cover my knee and go to mid calf best though. I don’t like how when I have anything shorter, I have to worry much more about how I kneel or bend over. I know from my husband who is a recovering porn addict, if something shows the mid-thigh and up, it will cause him to lust more, but that’s because he loves legs a lot because I am really tall (taller than him even) and spoiled him with lengthy legs (as he often states). If legs are covered from the knee or longer he doesn’t have any issues where he has to “do the holy hop” to turn his head the other way. Anything higher makes him uncomfortable because his eyes will want to stare and begin to lust.
I don’t like to wear anything more than an inch or two above the knee…it really DOES require more maintenance, so when I want to mini-ish skirt because it’s a cute style/print, I pair it with leggings. I have to say, I LOVE the skirt in that picture.
you know that i like to keep my legs covered by wide-cut dress pants. But if i wear a skirt, i choose on of these options: a) mid calf length with knee high boots, so that skirt and boots completely cover the legs; b) opaque cotton leggings !
I think that a skirt needs to be past the knee to be modest. You should be able to sit in it and not have it going up the legs past the knees as well. For me anything that is mid calf or longer is what I would choose. Remember there are the shirts to think about as well. You can’t just be modest on the lower half of you and then have a tight fitting shirt up top that shows all.
Or a shirt that doesn’t cover when you bend over! The current fashion seems to be, for women, to have shirts that sit on the waist, and that shows things when you reach up or bend over. That’s always something to consider as well.
You are right, I forget about that part on shirts riding up. I am short so my problem is that shirts are too long. :) Another problem is that tank tops to layer with are just too low cut. So now that I am going modest it’s hard to find shirts that are not low cut, but still fit me right and don’t look like I am wearing a huge garbage bag on top.
I don’t think I fully appreciated how difficult it is to find things that fit until I tried clothes shopping for/with my wife. Not only do styles differ by body type, but fit is so haphazard… I now have a better understanding why, before the department store movement, all clothing was made to fit. There’s some wisdom there!
I agree with Raechel about the past-the knee-length skirts. I think above the knee skirts are immodest. Being modest on top is just as important as being modest on the bottom. In my book, skirts are just all around more feminine and modest for women.
My personal “rule” is that skirts cover my knees even when sitting. I agree with Victoria that tights/leggings can make a shorter skirt more modest, but even then I think the skirt should cover the kneecap. I’m not sure what the male perspective on the tights/leggings idea. (?)
I enjoy wearing skirts anywhere from past my knee to floor length! :)
I remember the Dean of Men at BJU saying that they picked covering the knee because "everyone knows what a knee is". So it’s practical like that. As far as tights and leggings– I can’t believe how many women think that tights=pants this year. Most of the time I see this paired with a "wide belt", I mean, mini skirt. However, I agree with ~AnneGirl~, a skirt that falls above the knee is helped by tights.
Right. I was trying to point out that tights/leggings help when the skirt is already modest or borderline. Thanks for sharing your opinion MInTheGap! I agree that tights NEVER equal pants and are not interchangeable. Ick! :( I often see that too. It might be “trendy” per se but I think it’s awful style and lacks class.
I feel more feminine the longer my skirt. Plus, short skirts tend to make short people look even shorter. I am a short person. :P
This was a good post. I like long skirts. I like wearing skirts out places. I am amazed at how many people are more polite to me when I wear a skirt.
#Feb2011NCARating