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I'm someone who, when they eat out somewhere and get bloated (or have to sit for a long time), would much rather be sitting/eating in dress than in pants or anything whose waist I can feel getting tighter against my body as I bloat. I wear comfortable underwear, so that the bloat doesn't affect the feel of that. I also think I look better in dresses and I feel happier about my appearance in them, and for me that says a lot because I have had problems with self-esteem for as long as I can remember. But I do get worried about something. "They say" that women who wear clothing that is "easier to remove" are more appealing targets for men who search out rape victims. All the rapist has to do is lift up my dress and pull down my underwear and I'm doomed. Sure, I could wear some sort of shapewear under the dress or some shorts, but that defies my purpose of wearing the dress (i.e. not feel my bloat as badly).
(Slight digression - I've always worn my hair in a long ponytail for almost 30 years, yet they say "long-haired women" are more prone to being rape victims - but I don't think it makes much of a difference what your hair length is, IMHO)
Given that women have been wearing dresses of various lengths for ages, I wish I were not burdened with this fear, since it goes without saying I'm not the first woman to wear a dress and certainly won't be the last. I search for dresses that go below my knee (middle of the lower calf) or to my ankle because I feel they look better on me (I'm tall).
Also, when I go grocery shopping, I tend to wear pants/shirts, unless I went somewhere before that, where I preferred wearing a dress for whatever reason.
Trigger warnings for the link below. It's heartbreaking.
There are exhibits of rape victim's clothing that show it truly doesn't matter what you're wearing. So wear the skirts and dresses. I think it's more a lack of situational awareness or distractions like phones that make us targets than what we wear.
The things that make me feel unsafe are heels I cannot run or fight in, a purse that can be grabbed, and oversize earrings that can get ripped out. My hair is blonde and VERY long and people have tried to grab it just randomly in public, especially if it's down and flowing, but I have MAJOR issues with people invading my personal space and a growling murder stare is usually enough to make them back tf up. For me skirts are reserved for formal events and costume events (I used to do a lot of living history and reenacting). I also always wear a pair of little bike shorts or high waisted shapewear under my skirts because THIGHS, and never felt unsafe because of the dress/skirt.