Over the course of the next six months, Peter’s mother takes more of an interest in the genderquake, and its potential consequences for her son. She’d read articles about changing trends in magazines; about men becoming the underdog, boys becoming like girls used to be and the future of the male role in both society and the home. One article in particular grabbed her attention; Putting Boys in Dresses the Easy Way, which described a variety of approaches. Lower him in slowly with the occasional Sunday dress, present a routine with a skirt for school and ‘traditional’ boy clothes the rest of the time, or throw them in at the deep end and take away all of their old-boy clothes. The article concluded by weighting up the pros and cons of the different methods, but stressed the necessity clearly enough, an uninitiated boy will never find a decent wife to support him.

Peter and his mother are shopping and notice the mannequins of boys wearing dresses in shop window displays are becoming more and more ubiquitous. They go into a department store and notice that the boys department is now half dresses, and the girls department has only a tiny selection of skirts and frocks. It hardly seems like a year since the first small selection of dresses for boys was introduced to the high street.

“Why are we going down here?” Peter asks as his mother takes him into the dress section of the boy’s department. She insists it’s just for a look, and that he just might see one he likes. He insists he won’t, but that doesn’t stop her from holding a few against him.

An assistant approaches and knowingly asks if they’re shopping for his first dress. His mother says they just looking. Peter says he doesn’t want one, and draws her attention to the new pair of jeans and t-shirts he’s got. The assistant smiles and says and in a friendly, diplomatic manner that it won’t be too long before he’d have to go to the girl’s department for those… “And you wouldn’t want to buy clothes from the girl’s department would you?” she smiles, before pointing out a candy pink Lolita dress and tell his mother that this is a good ‘starter’.

“Yes, so I understand.” his mother replies. “It is very nice… but also very expensive.. especially since he doesn’t like dresses.” she adds. Peter is relieved to finally leave the store with just his new jeans and t-shirts… but is becoming increasingly worried about the future.

~o(O)o~

The days weeks and months slips by. One Saturday afternoon, Peter is out with his friends whilst his mother spends the afternoon reading the paper with Radio 4 on in the background. On hearing an article about the genderquake being introduced, she puts down her paper and turns up the volume….

Presenter: “it was barely three years ago when John Lewis’ introduced their first range of dresses for boys, bringing the trend out of the backstreet boutiques of the larger cities to the high streets of towns and cities of all sizes … we’ve been speaking to the marketing director of Debenhams, who’s new TV ad campaign for their new range of boy’s dresses has already caused controversy … ”

Guest: “It’s simple economics, little girl’s no longer dream of being a princess, they want a career, a house, a car, children and a husband. We’ve all seen it in our daughters and nieces for decades, they’re just not interested in being pretty any more! Ask yourself, when was the last time a little girl wanted a My Little Pony, a Tinker Bell duvet cover or a Disney Princess DVD? If anybody can remember those things. … The fact of the matter is, we have dresses, we know how to make dresses and I think as a society, we like dresses … they’re not going away … what I’m trying to say is … now that girls on the whole don’t wear dresses, it makes perfect economic sense to market them to the boys instead .. and nobody can argue that they’re not catching on.”

Presenter: “What started in the children’s department is now, albeit slowly, making it’s way to the men’s department, with skirts, frocks, heels and hosiery now widely available in, amongst others; Burton, Top Man, Greenwoods… sales are reportedly and understandably slow.” … “Do you think it’s too much for most men? Is this why sales of such items are practically non existent?”

Guest: “Of course it’s too much for most men… today. But in spite of the rumours that ‘all boys hate dresses’ and ‘it’s their mother’s playing dolls’, many boys love their dresses, they love being pretty, and those boys are going to grow up, so it’s essential that Debenhams and the chains you’ve mentioned are there for them.”

Presenter: “so, the future… in say fifty or eighty years time, do you think boys will be playing with dolls and dreaming of being a princess?”

Guest: “ [laughs] Well they’ll certainly be playing with dolls because that’s essential for learning child care… dreaming of being a princess? … a prince maybe, but it’ll be a prince in a beautiful long gown with long gorgeous hair waiting for a princess to come to his rescue.”

Presenter: “Total role reversal?”

Guest: “Exactly.”

Presenter: “Well that concludes Weekend Woman’s Hour for this week, I’d like to thank Jayne Peterson of Debenhams. We’ll be back at 10am on Monday when we hear from 12 year old Laura who’s part of a dying breed: the girlie girl.”