I knew there was a big mirror behind me and the last thing I wanted to do was to turn and face it.
I felt the assistant’s hands on my shoulders and they gently turned me around.
My reflection is half legs,
half dress,
with my gormless face perched on top.
I reiterated that it’s far too short,
but my mother responded by asking the assistant if the same style is available in pink.
“If you don’t stop whining John I’ll buy you a pink one instead.” she threatened.
It worked and I stopped whining.
Then the assistant said she’d show my mother how it fastened the dress
She began routing up my back,
lifting my dress right up
as she fastened some straps around my chest.
“Oh, I see.” Mum said in her intrigued voice.
“That’s clever,” she added as the assistant explained that the fastening is designed to prevent self-removal.
Mum turned me around and smiled as she looked me up and down.
She reiterated how beautiful it was as she pointed out the embroidery on the outer layer.
“Aren’t all these little bow motifs sweet?” she said.
I don’t think my mother expected me to offer an answer and she didn’t seem to mind when I remained silent.
She let go of my dress and said
“Right, shall we go and find some nice shoes and underwear to go with it?”
I knew this bit was coming so had resigned myself to the fact we’d be heading back upstairs.
What I hadn’t expected was not being allowed to put my own clothes on first!
Feeling half-naked, I trotted through the shop and up the stairs wearing only the dress, my underpants, and my socks.
The shop wasn’t busy but it wasn’t empty either and all eyes were on me as I passed them by.
The staff smiled, as did the adult customers…
but the youngsters who accompanied them looked at me with pitiful eyes.
Some, like Peter, are already petticoated.
Others, like me, are wearing normal boy’s clothes…
but also like me, maybe for not much longer.
With help from the assistant, Mum chose me the worst pair of knickers I’d ever seen.
They’re white with a huge love heart on the front that’s outlined with frilly pale blue lace.
The legs and waistband are trimmed with white elastic lace
On the center of the waistband,
just above the ‘v’ of the love heart is a pale blue satin bow.
Mum tells me they’re gorgeous and takes great delight in showing me the rows of ruffled pale blue lace that cover the bottom.
“Please don’t get me those Mum,” I begged.
Mum tells me that if I don’t like my blue dress,
then she can always get me the pink one instead.
“Which means pink and white knickers just like these ones,” she added.
I conceded and agreed to stick with blue.
Mum chooses me a little white vest also with pale blue lacy trim.
Compared to the knickers it was relatively understated.
But things soon got worse as she spent several uncomfortable minutes choosing me a suspender belt.
Initially, I didn’t know what they were for and I wish I hadn’t asked.
“To hold your stockings up,” she told me.
She found one with satin bows over each of the clips in the same shade of pale blue
Mum heeded the assistant’s advice and bought me a pack of three pairs of white stockings.
These consisted of a plain 30 denier pair,
a two 15 denier pairs;
one with little love hearts on and one with little bows on,
just like those on my dress.
In the footwear section, she took my socks from me and chose me a suitably prissy pair of shoes, made me try them on.
I reluctantly agreed to have the pale blue ballet shoes.
These also had a bow detail on the toe as I feared I’d only end up with heels if I didn’t.
I also wanted this ordeal to be over with sooner rather than later and footwear is the last thing on the list.
Or so I thought!
No.
It turns out that I also need something for my hair and a handbag.
Of course, I tried to get out of having to have a handbag too,
but Mum told me I needed one.
“What for?” I asked.
Mum told me it’s so I’ve got something to keep my ‘things’ in.
“What things?” I whined.
When she listed a spare pair of stockings and a clean pair of knickers,
a handkerchief and ‘maybe’ a lipstick and vanity mirror,
I reminded her that this is all only for a few hours.
“I won’t need any of that stuff for one party,” I claimed.