The following day, Peter, Michael and Uncle George go fishing. Peter’s mother, aunt and James go shopping. They browse aisles and aisles of dresses in the boy’s department and James tries so many on he gets dizzy.
Aunt Jo points out a number of styles that would be perfect for Peter, but his mother thinks it should be his decision. She tells Helen that she just went out and bought their first dresses and made damn sure that they wore them. “Both were dead against them at first.” Jo explains glancing at her son, “James, clearly loves them now, and Michael reluctantly accepts them… if I tell him to wear a dress he’ll wear one.” she adds. “He probably won’t like it but…”
“Oh Jo that’s I bit mean don’t you think.” Helen says to her sister-in-law.
“I don’t think so… was it mean when our mother’s insisted we wore a pretty dress on a particular occasion?” Jo asked. “I mean…” she added, cocking her head, “…the old, because we’re girls argument doesn’t wash any more.”
“I know I know you’re right.” Helen replied. Her eyes flicked across rows and rows of dresses. “I’d have to fight him into any of these…” she said, removing one and admiring it, “…and if it does turn out to be a passing fad, I’d worry that he’d hate me forever.” she said, replacing the dress. “I think it’s best to leave it up to him and… see how things pan out.”
“Believe me, this isn’t a passing fad.” her sister-in-law replied. “Its been going on for years, but it’s only in the last year or two that it’s gained mainstream exposure.”
Meanwhile on the fishing trip, Michael has gone to the toilet, leaving Peter and his uncle alone. His uncle says “Your aunt is quite surprised that your mother hasn’t bought you a dress yet.”
Peter asks his uncle if he thinks ‘all boys will be in dresses eventually’ as Aunt Jo claimed the previous day.
“You know ten years ago, I’d have loved to have been a boy again.” Uncle George reminisces, “But these days, I don’t envy you.” he reluctantly admits. “My honest answer is yes. If I thought for one moment it was just a passing fad, I’d never have let your aunt put my boys in dresses… but times are a changing lad, and they don’t look so bad in them.” he adds. “You’ll get used to it.”
“It just seems so unfair… I mean,. It’s OK for James because he likes them, but Mike doesn’t and he still has to wear them sometimes.” Peter says.
“Well from time to time we all have to wear something we don’t like.” Uncle George glances down the track to make sure Michael isn’t in earshot. There’s no sign so he turns back to his nephew and says, “But Michael likes some more than others.” Uncle George says, “I expect you’ll get your turn soon enough lad, and it won’t be as bad as you think.”
“I hope not.” Peter replies.
When they return to the holiday cottage, James shows off his new frock and Peter is relieved that his mother hadn’t decided to buy him one anyway… a thought which had lingered in the back of his mind all day long.
Over the course of the week long holiday, James wore a dress most days. Michael wore one of his on two occasions; the day they visited Crickley Hall and the evening they went to a posh restaurant for a slap up meal. Of course the subject of boys in dresses and the genderquake came up on many occasions. Peter’s mother continued to feel that dresses for boys was just a passing fad and would all be in the past before long, but his aunt felt quite the opposite, and rather eloquently explained how the roles of males and females were being irrevocably reversed.
Uncle George takes the boys for a day of go-kart racing on the last full day of their holiday… it’s one of the few days James wears traditional boys clothes. As Helen and Jo wave them off, Helen says, “It seems strange seeing James in jeans… I’d got so used to him wearing one of his dresses.”
“He wears them often enough.” Jo replies, “He loves his frocks but if he thinks he might get one dirty he’ll sacrifice a pair of his old pants instead.”
“So… how did you go about it, when you bought them their first dresses?” Helen asks. “Do they choose their own or do you always buy for them?”
“At first I just bought them one each and insisted they wore them… they were both reluctant, but once it was on, James took to it like a duck to water. Michael was more hesitant, and still is… but after I’d bought him 3 or 4 really prissy dresses, he soon decided to become more proactive in choosing his own, and believe me, he’d much rather wear a dress that he’d picked over one of my choices.” she explained. “Are you thinking of taking the plunge with Peter?”
“Well… if it doesn’t turn out to be a passing fad, I suppose I’ll have to sooner or later… I just want to do it properly and avoid traumatising him.”
“I really don’t think he’ll be ‘traumatised’ if you buy him a dress… it’s only an item of clothing.” Jo replies. “I read an article in Good Parenting magazine about parents’ starting their boys off lightly; buying say a plain blue frock to start with, and gradually working them up to prissy pink party dress.”
“Well that sounds logical.” Peter’s mother says.
“I may sound logical but it doesn’t work like that… if they hate the plain blue frock than the likelihood of them even accepting the more prissy styles is virtually nil.” she replied, “The best bet is to start them off with a really pretty frock, all satin and bows and frills; preferably in pink or peach… once he’s worn that a few times, you’ll have no problem putting him in something a little less fussy.”