From Brad Pitt to Lil Nas X, more and more men are opting for skirts

Bad Bunny debuts with a skirt and a bow on his head at the Met Gala 0:49

(CNN) --

When Brad Pitt arrived at the premiere of his new movie "Bullet Train" last month, his linen suit made headlines everywhere -- or at least some of it.

The actor, known for his hyper-masculine roles in films like "Fight Club" and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," completed his pink and brown ensemble with a striking touch: a skirt.

"I do not know!"

Pitt later told Variety about the inspiration behind his costume choice.

"We're all going to die, so let's make a mess."

Pitt joined a growing list of stars who have recently been photographed in gender-neutral skirts, from Oscar Isaac's pleated below-the-knee kilt 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.

Outside of Hollywood, the phenomenon has been gaining traction for years, according to Carl R. Friend, manager (and self-styled "Master Barista") of "The Skirt Café," an online forum dedicated to men's skirts.

Although he believes "undue" attention is being paid to celebrities wearing skirts, he welcomes the increased visibility.

"It is what it is," Friend, whose interest in skirts dates back to the 1980s, said by email.

"And if it creates an acceptance of skirts in boys, then I guess it's for the better."

• PHOTOS |

  Powerful skirts at New York Fashion Week

Fustanelas, kilts and more

Although skirts are now commonly associated with women's clothing, they have been worn by men at various times in history.

Pleated fustanellas, for example, can be seen on ancient Greek and Roman statues, while more contemporary versions have been worn ever since in Balkan countries such as Albania, which consider them a national costume.

Tartan kilts have remained an item of national pride for Scotland since they were first introduced in the 16th century, although today they are often reserved for special occasions.

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In many parts of the world, however, skirt-like menswear is part of the everyday wardrobe.

The sarong, a brightly patterned wraparound skirt, is worn by men in Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and Pacific Island cultures.

Variations of the sarong such as the "sulu," a wrap-around style worn in both casual and formal settings in Fiji, and the "lungi," worn in South and Southeast Asia, remain popular styles for men of all ages. the ages.

Men in Myanmar wear sarong-style skirts, known locally as "longyi," in the early 1990s. Credit: Peter Charlesworth/LightRocket/Getty Images

Soccer star David Beckham was photographed wearing a patterned sarong in 1998 (he was mocked by the media at the time, though he later said in an interview: "It's one thing I never regret, because I thought it looked really cool. and would still use it now").

But in much of the Western world, tastes shifted away from baggy menswear in the 18th century, Friend said.

"We continue to work under the dictates of the Industrial Revolution: long, flowing garments and high-speed machinery don't mix very well," he said, noting the impact of the French Revolution, which saw the taste of the country abandoned. for fluid and extravagant fabrics in favor of nationalist colors and practical and tight clothing.

"The French Revolution...was a drastic reduction in male dress compared to, say, the Renaissance," adds Friend.

• Gender-neutral clothing is the next big thing in fashion

a new wave

In recent years, evolving conversations around gender and identity have instigated a collective reckoning about what it means to dress like a man.

Gen Z and young Millennials like Harry Styles and Lil Nas X regularly add elements of femininity to their wardrobes, and retailers are taking notice.

Online stores like ASOS, Mr Porter, Cettire and SSENSE are among those that now carry men's skirts, many of which would be indistinguishable from women's designs were it not for the men's models.

Basketball player Russell Westbrook wearing a skirt at the entrance to the Thom Browne show at the spring-summer 2022 edition of New York Fashion Week.

Credit: Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images

On TikTok, meanwhile, the hashtag #boysinskirts has been viewed more than 240 million times, with male users sharing their outfits and style tips.

On his Instagram account @theguyinaskirt, style blogger Shivam Bhardwaj shares upbeat photos and videos of himself wearing skirts, in all colors and styles, with his audience of over 22,000 people.

He says that while much of the media attention around this trend has focused on straight male stars, members of the LGBTQ community have long worn skirts, and even been ostracized for it. .

In 2020, US presenter Wendy Williams apologized after imploring gay men to "stop wearing our skirts and heels" on her show, while this year a skirted gay man was reportedly attacked in the UK after attend a concert by the singer Yungblud,

"People don't celebrate men in skirts as much as straight creators or celebrities," Bhardwaj said by email.

"It makes me a little sad that people don't recognize that men in the (LGBTQ) community have been wearing skirts for many decades, and we've played a big part in breaking down this stereotype."

A Dries Van Noten spring-summer 2023 fashion show attendee in a beige pleated skirt.

Credit: Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

The fashion world has also been helping to normalize men's skirts, with designers like Dries Van Noten and Raf Simons sending men down their runways in them in recent years.

Thom Browne's pleated gray skirt (the aforementioned design worn by Oscar Isaac, Dan Levy and "The Hobbit" star Lee Pace, among others) has become something of a celebrity favorite, as the American designer turns traditional men's tailoring on its head with its unexpected silhouette.

"Skirts or any garment doesn't describe your gender," says Bhardwaj.

"Clothes are made to express your feelings to people in the world."

gradual acceptance

Friend, who is married to a woman, also hopes to debunk the idea that skirts are tied to specific gender identities or sexual orientations, saying "a lot of people make the wrong assumptions about it."

Skirt Cafe patrons form "a community that is unwilling to give up their masculinity" for the sake of wearing skirts, he added.

Members of the online forum tend to go for the most basic skirts, Friend explained, with denim and short skirts being the most popular.

Users also share style tips and their new favorites, while the site also hosts a list of men's skirt brands.

Among the latest recommendations are fleece-lined winter skirts from Virginia brand The Mouse Works and a builder's kilt from Scottish workwear brand Blaklader: a black, durable cotton design with all sorts of pockets for hammers. , screwdrivers and other tools.

Lil Nas X in a metallic pink skirt during a concert.

Credit: Jason Koerner/Getty Images

However, gender stigma makes wearing skirts in public a daunting prospect for many men, and those who do are still a minority.

Friend's fascination with these garments began in the mid-1980s, when she saw a man on a train wearing a long white skirt.

For a long time, he was hesitant to incorporate skirts into his daily wardrobe due to his working in a "high-visibility, customer-facing position."

He finally dared to take the plunge in 2002, when he made his own miniskirt with some leftover fabric from his wife.

"The first time I dared to go outside, I loved the idea because it was the first time I felt the breeze on my legs in decades," he recalls.

"I told (my wife), 'I've been cheated on all these years.' She not only accepted it, she embraced it, because all of a sudden she started caring about how I looked."

Bhardwaj said that wearing skirts has become more socially accepted, adding that the response to her account had been "very overwhelming" and she had received "so much love from all over the world."

The fashion blogger, who already owns more than 100 skirts, comes from what he describes as a "lower-middle class" Indian family who have often questioned his style choices.

His interest in skirts arose when he bought one for a friend and decided to try it on before posting a video of himself wearing it on social media.

Billy Porter at the 2020 Oscars, wearing a ballgown skirt.

Credit: Santiago Felipe/Getty Images

"That skirt literally changed my life and has helped me express myself in the best possible way," she said.

And while Bhardwaj said Indian society has a "very long way to go" when it comes to accepting men in Western-style skirts, he has received compliments on the street where he lives, in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. India.

He is happy to wear his style in daily life, not just on social media.

"I literally thought no one would accept me in my skirts, but people have proven me wrong and accepted me with open arms," ​​she said.

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