Karen bundled her son of to the changing room and told him to remove his shoes and pants. He did as he was told and no sooner he had his pants off, his mother opened the curtain and held out the bizarre pair of shorts for him to step into. They had full-length knife pleats all around the back and sides and a flat panel on the front. He could plainly see the two legs as he looked into them but knew they were like no pair of shorts he’d ever worn before.

His mother pulled them up and showed him how to fasten them. “Fasten this side first.” She said as she fiddled with a button on the inside of the waistband over his right hip, “And then this side.” She said as she fastened a second button on the opposite side.

Michael looked down and saw what could only be described as a skirt. He knew they were shorts really but they felt strange, especially when he ran his fingers over the endless pleats around the back and sides. “Let’s go and show the expert.” His mother said as she led him out into the shop to show the assistant.

Michael stood blushing as the two adults asked him to turn slowly so they could see how it looked. “I think the twelve-inch may be nicer.” The assistant suggested, “That’s the fifteen-inch drop and looks a little long.” She added, and with that, he was back in the changing room trying a second skort on. This was significantly shorter than the first one and both his mother and the shop assistant agreed that it looked far better.