“My Jamie wears woolly tights in the winter.” The assistant stated. “Although he did take some convincing.” She added.

“I think Michael will take some convincing too,” Karen replied with a knowing smile.

“I didn’t give him a choice in the end.” The assistant answered. “Tights or nothing, I told him.”

A brief silence followed. Karen looked down at her son in his new school shorts. Deep down she couldn’t wait to see him with his knee socks and shoes on. “Do they feel OK Michael?” She asked.

Michael looked down and nervously ran his fingers down over his hips towards the hem. Being box pleated they felt very wide and very odd. “They feel really strange.” He murmured.

The shop assistant placed a small stool next to the boy. “See how they feel when you’re sitting.” She suggested, adding, “It sounds strange but some boys prefer the skirt.”

“Er… make sure you smooth them under you as you sit love, you don’t want to crease it.” Michael’s mother told him as he began to sit on the small stool. She then turned to the shop assistant and said, “Sorry, did you say some of the boys wear skirts? I didn’t know they were allowed.”

“Oh, it’s definitely within guidelines.” Replied the assistant. Both ladies turned their attention to the boy who sat nervously on the stool in his short box pleated culottes. “Are they comfortable when you’re sitting?” She asked. “Or would you like to try a skirt if the shorts are a bit er… constricting?”