Professional Man Proves To The World That Heels And Skirts Are Not Gender Specific
It's a common belief that clothes have "genders." We can't really say how it came to be that men wear pants and women wear skirts, but that's just the way it is. Our society believes that some clothes are "suitable" for a man or woman, and some are not.
But some open-minded individuals wear whatever they feel like and don't want to fit into stereotypic roles or costumes this world is trying to impose. This man Is definitely one of them. He is trying to show that gender clothes stereotypes should be a thing of the past.
Mark Bryan is a robotic engineer from the USA, and he is currently living in Germany. He leads a normal life, except that he wears a skirt and heels most of the time - at home, at work, while commuting, or taking a walk.
Mark told the reporters: "I dress like this because I can. Just to be different. I have always admired the women that wore tight skirts and heels. Not sexually, but the power they presented. I don't dress to be sexual, but to dress like any professional woman would.
To me, clothes have no gender. I prefer skirts to dresses. Dresses don't allow me to mix the genders. I prefer a 'masculine' look above the waist and a non-gendered look below the waist. It's all about clothes having no gender."
When asked what inspires him to wear skirts and heels, Mark replied: "All the fashion options. With men's pants, you have just a few color options: black, gray, navy, and brown, and no pants with prints.
With skirts, you can add reds, green, brighter blues, floral prints, animal prints, etc. Same with shoes, but then you also have many more styles and heel types. Plus, you can wear open-toed shoes when the weather is nice."
"I feel no different as to me, it’s just clothes. Naturally, on a cold or windy day, it physically feels different. When wearing heels, I feel taller, but also empowered for some reason.
In all, maybe having the inner strength to have the confidence to wear non-conforming clothing has also given me the confidence and strength to handle my pressures at work."
And if you are wondering about his personal life - Mark has been happily married for 11 years. His family supports him completely: "My wife often makes suggestions on what I should wear. My daughter wishes she could borrow my shoes at times."
When asked about how he finds the sizes for him, Mark replied: "I am 6' tall and weigh around 165 lbs. I also have medium to small feet. I wear a size 8.5 US and 41 in Europe.
I have a 29" waist, so I wear a size 8 skirt in the US or a 38 in Europe. I also work out 2-3 times a week. So finding clothes my size is no problem."
"I buy most of my heels online so that I can try them at home. This way, I can have some shoe time and try going up and down the stairs. Feel how much they slip, the stability when testing stilettos. I'll also wear them while sitting for half an hour or so. If they hurt right out of the box, then back in the box they go. So having a good comfortable shoe is important, but so is the style."
My favorite is a 5-inch stiletto. I just love the way they make me look and the feeling they give. My least favorite thing is walking on uneven surfaces like a cobblestone walkway or a sidewalk with pavers that have gaps big enough to swallow a stiletto heel."
Mark described his favorite fashion: "I wear almost exclusively pencil skirts and stiletto heels. I don't wear dresses as that is not my style, which is presenting as the man above the waist, with non-gendered clothing below the waist. I prefer my skirts at the knee plus or minus an inch or two. My average heel height for a week is around 4 inches."
When asked how people react to him, Mark said that ladies, usually between the age of 30 and 40, give him compliments. Men sometimes ask questions or make a comment or two but never give compliments.
"Take a person with bright green hair. Green hair is not normal. You look up and see this person; your mind tells you it's a person with green hair, you think to yourself, that's odd or interesting, then you go back to do what you were doing and don't give it another thought. I believe this is the same when people see me in a skirt and heels."
Mark has some advice for guys who want to wear heels and skirts but are scared: "If you are asking about heels, then I would say to start with a low heel and work your way up as your confidence gets higher. You cannot be afraid.
Some people are like animals; they attack the weak. Show confidence and show the world you are not afraid, and nobody will bother you. The only fear you have is fear itself. Skirts? Just do it. Maybe not with high heels, but skirts are much more acceptable on a man than a man wearing heels.
Old girlfriend in college asked me to dance with her with us both wearing heels. We did this for more than a year. I got very good at walking and moving in heels. Throughout the years, I have worn heels off and on, but not with skirts.
I just started wearing heels with skirts in the last five years. It was suggested that I look a lot better in a skirt and heels than pants and heels," Mark explained how he decided to wear heels and skirts.
"I am old enough to remember that in school, the girls could not wear pants. Pants have now become a non-gendered article of clothing. So why can't skirts and heels be non-gendered? Besides, men wore heels before women did. Maybe not today's stiletto-style heels, but men did wear heels before women."
Mark is not just a mechanical engineer; he also coaches a football team. On top of all that, he is currently refurbishing his 1967 Porsche 911, and his wife keeps him busy with errands.
"I do this for non-sexual reasons. Men can wear this style without being labeled as gay or queer. I don’t act like a sissy, which is one of the most frequent comments I get from men.
They just assume I’m gay and a sissy until they start talking to me. I am just an average, normal, straight, and happily married guy. I love beautiful women, Porsche, and I just want to incorporate a skirt and heels into my daily wardrobe."
