Culottes are a split or divided skirt.http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=culotte The term skort (a portmanteau for skirt and shorts) is more widely used in some areas. While some garments sold as culottes resemble short trousers, to truly be a skort it needs to look like a skirt. Thus, they differ from trousers or shorts by being much fuller at the bottom (hem) than at the waist.