No one asks women in pants if they're crossdressers. But when a man wears a skirt, people reach for labels.

Labels are tools, and they're often boxes—so choose carefully.

Common terms

Androgynous

Origin: A 1600s beauty ideal in literature and painting; embraced by rock stars in the 70s.

Androgyny is vaguely defined as combining feminine and masculine characteristics, OR appearing as neither. If you keep a beard, the term might not land for those who picture androgyny as something more ambiguous.

Crossdresser

Origin: A clinical observation by 1920s sexologists studying gender; eventually replaced the outdated, though similarly defined, transvestite which became tied to pathology, fetishism, and criminality.

Am I a crossdresser?

A crossdresser is defined as a person who wears clothing typical of the other sex. While this may technically be true for many skirted men, the term is loaded for multiple reasons:

• Crossdressing is often tied to wearing full women's outfits and make-up—sometimes in an attempt to pass as a woman
  
• Some still associate the term with things like fetishism
• The term implies that certain garments are gendered

Since men's fashion brands haven't caught up, men often shop in the women's section. But that doesn't mean they're 'dressing across genders.'

Drag queen

Origin: Theatre and performance in the 1800s; replaced female impersonator, a slightly older term from vaudeville and cabaret.

Drag queens take on personas. They play with gender for art and entertainment. And while we all perform our own version of gender, however subtle, drag has a clear line between the performance and everyday style.

Effeminate

Origin: Religious and moral discourse in the 1300s

Effeminacy has long been wielded as an insult, used to police men's behaviour and enforce rigid masculinity.

Similar terms include sissy, historically used to shame boys and men who defied gender norms—though some kink/fetish communities have attempted to reclaim it. Discussions about the 'feminization of men' often use fear to pressure men into traditional masculinity.

Femboy

Origin: 90s internet and youth culture.

Femboy is a modern, reclaimed term, used with pride online. Men who call themselves femboys embrace a look that is both playful and defiant. While some may see it as limiting or even infantilizing, the term is part of a larger push to redefine masculinity.

Gender nonconforming (GNC)

Origin: Gender nonconformity first appeared in a 1991 academic paper, though the concept existed for centuries and gained traction in the 70s.

GNC is a favourite. It captures the spirit of not fitting into a preset mold. Its meaning is self-explanatory: a rejection of cultural and societal expectations tied to gender. And it leaves open the question of what exactly is being defied—the man, the box, or the binary itself.

It's part of a broader family of terms that explore gender expression beyond convention, including Gender bender, Gender variance, and Gender fluid (see 'Trans terms' below).

Metrosexual

Origin: Coined in 1994 through men's fashion and advertising, peaking in the early 2000s.

Metrosexual captured a moment when men's style, grooming, and self-care became cultural talking points. It framed aesthetic awareness as a modern phenomenon, but the idea was hardly new. Long before metrosexuals, there were dandies—men who dressed with precision and flair, popularized in the 1700s by the wildly influential and problematic Beau Brummell. Today, both terms are largely historical, but they linger in every man who curates his look with intent.

Beyond fashion, some terms rooted in trans identity and non-western cultures.

Transgender identities

Some step away from the idea of "man" altogether. Short of transitioning to a woman, they might use one of these terms:

• Non-binary: Neither strictly man nor woman
• Genderqueer: Challenges traditional gender categories
• Genderfluid: Shifts between or mixes genders over time
• Agender: Feels no connection to gender at all

These words reflect an ongoing conversation about identity—something deeper than clothing. Some see a man in a skirt and assume he must be questioning his gender. Others believe transitioning is about wanting to wear skirts without pushback. Neither is quite right. Most men in skirts have no interest in transition. And those who do rarely—if ever—make that choice just to justify a wardrobe.

Non-western identities

Many cultures around the world have long recognized gender diversity. These terms are tied to specific cultures and histories, and they shouldn’t be used lightly. Here's a quick look at a few of them:

• Hijra: A third gender in South Asia, with spiritual and ceremonial roles
• Kathoey: A Thai term, referring to trans women or effeminate men
• New Half: A Japanese term for trans women or feminine AMAB individuals
• Travesti: A South American identity, often feminine-presenting but not identifying as women
• Two-Spirit: A term used in some Indigenous North American cultures, blending gender and spiritual identity

Remember, these identities belong to people with their own rich traditions. They weren't shaped around fashion choices.

Do I need a label?

Words have power:

"Confidently give something a name and the uninitiated will believe it." — Greg

Some prefer using more than one term, each in different contexts.

For others, labels feel too loaded. Many terms still imply that certain garments are inherently feminine—or meant for women.

Maybe the real question isn’t which term to use, but why we feel the need to label at all. Either way, you've got options if someone asks about your style.

What to say instead

1) Use simple phrases:

• I'm a man who wears skirts
• I'm not a fan of bifurcated garments
• I'm my own guy

2) Invent something new:

• I'm a skirtonian
  
• I prefer monopants
• You Scottish? Nope, I'm skirtish.
• My fashion is freestyle (comes back to freedom)

3) Pick three words from our Style Word Bank that describe you. Include a word that captures what you like most about skirts—bold, breezy, eccentric, flowy, sleek, or fun. This option is more specific, and less political.

You don't owe anyone an explanation, unless you're in the mood to give one.

Final thoughts + Questions

Labels can help define, but they can also limit. Men in skirts don't need to be boxed into labels. They want the freedom to dress without assumptions. The language is evolving, and we're all part of that change.

In the end, what you call a man in a skirt is up to him. There's no shortage of terms, each with its own history. Choose your words, or better yet, let your style do the talking.

How do you define your style?

What other labels have you encountered?

If you could coin a new term, what would it be?