Isn’t the whole “pink for girls; blue for boys” thing over?

[Anonymous]

I never buy pink clothes for my daughter and still about 1/3 of her wardrobe is pink from gifts and hand me downs. My problem isn’t pink per se, it’s just now boring it is for there to be nothing but pink. I’m not willing to waste the money replacing items I got for free, but whenever someone asks I mention how gorgeous she is in navy and dark purple, or how we love her teal onesies. When people ask where we get her clothes I say Primary and Hanna and Zara or Biden because I know even if I have to return, I’ll get store credit somewhere we can buy her something cute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gross. I wish the browns and oranges of the 70s would come back for kids.

Lol, no. No one needs a Harvest Gold onesie

avocado green

Someone get the child some vertically-striped slacks

Here you go:


Or perhaps your child might like this delightful latch hook vest:


Or this:

I LOVE ALL OF THESE

I'm 50. I think I had that raincoat and umbrella, and my brother had the pants (or ones just like it). To Mom's credit-no fringed vests at our house lol!

[Anonymous]

I expressly did not want pink for my DD. We asked family and friends not to buy pink items for her as a baby (we said anything but pink, so people still bought very gendered stuff, but we also got lots of white and red and green and yellow, thankfully).

Well, once she was old enough to express a preference, guess what her favorite color is? Yup -- pink. She is OBSESSED. We have just given in. I buy her pink stuff all the time, knowing it is the easiest way to make sure she will like it. I do try to mix in other colors as much as I can, but I'm realistic about it. I can buy her t-shirts in other colors, but her shoes pretty much have to be pink. Or if I'm getting her a hat to wear all summer, it better be pink. Her bedroom is very colorful but overwhelmingly pink, and her favorite shade is that pepto bismol bright pink. Never thought I'd be here!

I'm sure she absorbed some (all?) of it from just cultural indicators that "pink is for girls". But after observing her for a while, I also think it's just a really appealing color for some little kids? Like there is something comforting about it. In the natural world, pink is a color associated with flowers, springtime, fruit, and health (pink flushed cheeks and pink tongues). All good stuff. Lots of good associations with blue and green, too. But other colors have some negative associations. So I think at least some of it is a natural appeal.

I think the bigger issue is that we discourage boys from liking pink as a "girl's color" even though there's no reason for this. I think the fact that girl's like pink is normal; the fact that many boys will express an aversion to pink is a social construct we've imposed on them. Most girls will say they like blue, too, even if they prefer pink. But boys will say they don't like pink. That's concerning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s sweet and old fashioned. It’s over by age 12 months for most.

It’s not old fashioned at all - in fact it’s going strong. Have you been to a baby shower lately?

PP here: I meant old fashioned in a good way. Like classic. These kids will have their whole lives to wear neutrals. Decorate their homes in neutrals. Buy a car a neutral color and so on. No one is going to look at your sweet preschooler and say “ I wonder if they will be trans one day …” Let a kid be a kid.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s weird when people act like hating pink is a feminist badge rather than misogynistic itself.

[Anonymous]

I temper way back in the late 80s reading an article where the mother said my daughter MUST ALWAYS wear neutrals. Because that’s just how very stylish and advanced I am. Looked ridiculously expensive on a 1 year old but TETO.

[Anonymous]

My girls wore pink until one day they didn’t. One day they said no more cute cloths mom we want …. Whatever everyone was wearing back then. They were 6.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gross. I wish the browns and oranges of the 70s would come back for kids.

Lol, no. No one needs a Harvest Gold onesie

avocado green

Someone get the child some vertically-striped slacks

Here you go:


Or perhaps your child might like this delightful latch hook vest:


Or this:

I LOVE ALL OF THESE

That is some truly ugly stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gross. I wish the browns and oranges of the 70s would come back for kids.

Lol, no. No one needs a Harvest Gold onesie

avocado green

Someone get the child some vertically-striped slacks

Here you go:


Or perhaps your child might like this delightful latch hook vest:


Or this:

I LOVE ALL OF THESE

I'm 50. I think I had that raincoat and umbrella, and my brother had the pants (or ones just like it). To Mom's credit-no fringed vests at our house lol!

That raincoat and umbrella are super cute!

[Anonymous]

I used to dress mine in these clothes suitable for adults but made for preschooler that they sold at Hecht. It was fun. But they looked like Jackie Kennedy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gross. I wish the browns and oranges of the 70s would come back for kids.

Lol, no. No one needs a Harvest Gold onesie

avocado green

Someone get the child some vertically-striped slacks

Here you go:


Or perhaps your child might like this delightful latch hook vest:


Or this:

I LOVE ALL OF THESE

I'm 50. I think I had that raincoat and umbrella, and my brother had the pants (or ones just like it). To Mom's credit-no fringed vests at our house lol!

I'm 42 and I had that exact umbrella.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s weird when people act like hating pink is a feminist badge rather than misogynistic itself.

Try “it’s a personal preference”. I hate pink and purple. They’re ugly to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I expressly did not want pink for my DD. We asked family and friends not to buy pink items for her as a baby (we said anything but pink, so people still bought very gendered stuff, but we also got lots of white and red and green and yellow, thankfully).

Well, once she was old enough to express a preference, guess what her favorite color is? Yup -- pink. She is OBSESSED. We have just given in. I buy her pink stuff all the time, knowing it is the easiest way to make sure she will like it. I do try to mix in other colors as much as I can, but I'm realistic about it. I can buy her t-shirts in other colors, but her shoes pretty much have to be pink. Or if I'm getting her a hat to wear all summer, it better be pink. Her bedroom is very colorful but overwhelmingly pink, and her favorite shade is that pepto bismol bright pink. Never thought I'd be here!

I'm sure she absorbed some (all?) of it from just cultural indicators that "pink is for girls". But after observing her for a while, I also think it's just a really appealing color for some little kids? Like there is something comforting about it. In the natural world, pink is a color associated with flowers, springtime, fruit, and health (pink flushed cheeks and pink tongues). All good stuff. Lots of good associations with blue and green, too. But other colors have some negative associations. So I think at least some of it is a natural appeal.

I think the bigger issue is that we discourage boys from liking pink as a "girl's color" even though there's no reason for this. I think the fact that girl's like pink is normal; the fact that many boys will express an aversion to pink is a social construct we've imposed on them. Most girls will say they like blue, too, even if they prefer pink. But boys will say they don't like pink. That's concerning.

I like pink (though I don't wear it much) and my boys wear a lot of pink and like it. They're young (5 and 3) so haven't had much influence from peers when it comes to clothes yet. We'll see what happens when they do. I've always dressed them in lots of pink and blue because I like those colors on kids. The older one's favorite color has always been purple.

[Anonymous]

On a related note, why are kittens for girls clothes and puppies for boys? When was that decided?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Newborns all look alike. It’s helpful to see a baby in a pink or blue onesie, so that well meaning people like me can make appropriate comments about your beautiful baby OP. “Oh she’s just beautiful!” “Congratulations! He is so cute.”

Good lord, do people worry about things like this? Just ask if you need to know the gender.

I never cared when people though my bouncing baby boy was a girl because he was so pretty, with gorgeous long eyelashes. It was simple enough to say, he’s a boy when someone called him she. No big deal.