Honestly I believe that both men and women looked pretty silly in those skants. The skirt part looks way too short (barely covering anything in some cases), the go-go boots and the short sleeves just look silly for a uniform and they are completely impractical (just look at poor Marina Sirtis in the pilot, doing her darnedest to avoid flashing the audience whenever she sits)
I'm all for androgyny in fashion, but impractical clothing such as mini skirts/kilts whatever you want to call them would have been better suited to civilian garb than Star Fleet uniforms.
Imho, the skants would have to be about knee-lenght to look good and practical,
I am a male with some relevant experience.
A bit of background...I was born in 1956; I began watching TOS in 1966, and I am old enough to remember mini-skirts being in fashion.
Some years ago I noticed a man wearing a skirt like garment. I later realized that this was a Utilikilt. Utility kilts, as well as traditional Scottish kilts, are worn at knee length. My first purchase was a Utilikilt.
Subsequent purchases:
1. Macabi Knee Length Skirt
2. Running Kilts
Sewing projects. As a kid I learned how to sew a button back onto a shirt. I was able to do the following projects with hand sewing:
1. A simple Caftan (also spelled "Kaftan")
2. Conversion of mens jeans into a skirt.
When the Running Kilt arrived, I realized immediately that it is
not derived from the traditional Scottish kilt. For a kilt think of a wrap around design with pleats in the back. The garment I unpacked was a short A-line skirt, with short slits on the sides. The length is just above the knee. This design is optimized for running in hot weather, and I can confirm that this garment is useful for dealing with the heat. I have worn this garment while doing a brisk walk around the neighborhood during the summer. (I gave up jogging when I got arthritis in my knees).
However, I am self conscious with the short length of the Running Kilt. I expect that I will commit indecent exposure if I ever try to sit down in public, so I have never tried. I do my walk and then immediately return home.
On the topic of conversions, I came across a DIY web site for converting a man's shirt into a woman's shirt dress. I improvised with a purchase at a thrift store; I wear a size "L" shirt, the purchase was size "XXL". While standing, the purchase covers my butt; it is shorter than the Running Kilt, about as long as a Skant. I am even more self conscious than when in a Running Kilt. The improvised shirt dress was too short to wear even in private. I noticed that when I sat down, the garment would ride up in the back, and the only thing between my butt and the seat was my underwear.
