I started dancing in NY/NJ in the 1970's, and called contra and English until mid-80's - and then had about a 15 year hiatus. Before my break I only remember one male (to judge from facial and body hair) who regularly wore dresses or skirts to dances. After I returned to dancing, there was a gradual increase, though in the beginning it seemed some men chose kilts as a way to mute the statement. And then.... 

I should note that my memory is not known for being accurate, so this is just an observation, not a definitive statement. A source for more extensive information would be CDSS, which has pictures from camps for many years; and the Pinewoods archives also have many pictures. If one lives near the U. of New Hampshire, the CDSS archives are there and should be a useful source.

David

On Wed, Sep 11, 2024 at 7:42 PM Joe Harrington via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Seems the edge of memory here so far is around 1990. Does anyone have access to a photo or video archive from before, say at the CDSS?

—jh—


On Wed, Sep 11, 2024 at 7:25 PM Bob Hofkin via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
On 09/11/2024 15:11, Louise Siddons via Contra Callers wrote:
> separate the garment from its gendered connotations

Louise,

I started wearing skirts because they were more comfortable than jeans
over a fairly substantial knee brace. Turns out they are better for
ventilation, too.

I definitely enjoy the twirl effect, and find the skirt a practical tool
for guiding the directionally-challenged through a hey. I've had fun
making up silly answers when asked why I'm wearing a skirt, always
trying to communicate the contra community's openness and acceptance,
which goes far beyond fashion choices.

Bob H (Nevada)
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