A piece of clothing that hangs from the waist and covers part or all of the legs. It can be worn by people of any gender, though in many cultures it’s more common for women.
“Skirt” comes from Old Norse “skyrta,” meaning “shirt” or “tunic,” and is related to the English word “shirt.” The two words split in meaning: “shirt” stayed for upper-body clothing, “skirt” moved to lower-body clothing. Viking influence helped fix this difference in English.
“Skirt” and “shirt” are basically clothing twins that grew up with different jobs. One went north (thanks to Norse) and wrapped the legs; the other stayed with the chest. The words are so close that they reveal how fashion and language can drift apart together.
‘Skirt’ is a garment historically associated with women in many cultures, and the word has also been used derogatorily to refer to women (‘chasing skirts’). Clothing norms around skirts have been used to police women’s behavior and respectability.
Use ‘skirt’ neutrally as an item of clothing that anyone may wear; avoid using it as a metonym for women or in sexist idioms. Respect people’s self-described clothing choices without judgment.
["garment","bottom","kilt (where specific)"]
Women’s choices about wearing or rejecting skirts have been central in various movements for workplace equality, school dress code reform, and gender expression rights.
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