Skort

Fashion has given the English language a new word to contend with: “skort,” a hybrid garment consisting of a mid-thigh-length pleated skirt with a matching pair of short bloomers attached underneath.

All the major athletic apparel companies now offer skirts, or skorts. (What's the difference between a skort and a running skirt? Nothing, really, but I like the latter term better.)

Trina: I'm holding a pair of skorts. Jen: (gasp) Trina, listen very carefully to me. Put the skorts down and back away slowly. BACK AWAY! Look for the nearest exit!

Often erroneously confused with culottes (see also: culottes), the skort appears to be a skirt in the front (due to a clever little fabric flap) but reveals its essential shorts-ness from behind. The skort is typically short (often very short) and is designed for sporty activities such as tennis and hiking.

Skorts—a hybrid garment that traditionally blends culotte-style shorts with a wrapover fabric at the front that resembles a skirt—have soared in popularity lately thanks to the rise of “tenniscore” fashion.