Hey friend!

For skirts: honestly,what works best for me for clothing that doesn't conform to agab is to go for stuff that has the measurements written out. Get a tape measure and figure out the narrowest circumference around your belly. That's your waist. Then the widest circumference around your hips. Depending on where you want your skirt to sit, the waist band size should be between those two measurements. I find that bottoms sit better when they're only tight in one place, such as a circle or pleated skirt vs a pencil one. Maybe that'll be different for you if you don't mind revealing your hip shape! Also, just go to second hand shops (I remember some good ones from Edinburgh, though I've only been there to visit a friend), and try, try, try things on.

Welcome to the club. I'm in America so obviously my experience is a bit different and there are gaps in my cultural knowledge.

1. I don't know. Generally any LGBTQ group should suit you, and if there is a gay bar I highly recommend going. Gay/trans/queer/whatever people are all sort of part of the same community, and I guess people assume that something both NB-specific and local might not draw as large of a group, but I could be completely wrong.

2. I don't know much about this either, except anecdotally about shorter haircuts becoming popular among American women around that time, coincident with the rise of high culture in New York and other major cities, as well as some progress in feminist movements. I imagine queer people were still closeted though.

3. I have a waist that's anywhere from 26" to 31", equivalent to a small or medium (depending on country of origin, brand, gender, and stretch. Read the reviews.) Skirts from China tend to run small, and you should also consider that your hips are a different size from your waist. You can wear a skirt at any vertical position, but also consider that your hips might block it from going all the way up if the zipper is too small and there is no elastic.

A year ago I spent a couple hours shopping for the perfect stripper-style microskirt in my size, and while it fits perfectly, when I wear it I look like the "problem" that far-right characters are trying to "solve". Miniskirts are acceptable for most people, microskirts are better for especially hot wearers or select settings. I've never been a fan of dresses, but a former AMAB partner with a similar body to what you describe ordered one that fit them perfectly. I believe they used a tape measure at different positions to get a precise size.