Son wants everyone dressed in black for his Star Wars party - Too much to ask of others?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP who originally posted about not being allowed to wear black as a child. I just asked my mom about it and she said it actually stemmed from how my grandmother (dad's mom) viewed the color - as sad and somber, meant for funerals and mourning. She believed that kids should wear bright and fun colors and my mom agreed with her so she kept black out of our wardrobes.

Again, we are a non-religious family, so religion has nothing to do with it. Definitely no pearl-clutchers, either. And we were raised in Naples, FL and Potomac, MD for those asking where I grew up.

Right, understood.

But it's just a color, and the no-black-ever rule is not one that most parents enforce anymore. Your experience was an unusual one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP who originally posted about not being allowed to wear black as a child. I just asked my mom about it and she said it actually stemmed from how my grandmother (dad's mom) viewed the color - as sad and somber, meant for funerals and mourning. She believed that kids should wear bright and fun colors and my mom agreed with her so she kept black out of our wardrobes.

Again, we are a non-religious family, so religion has nothing to do with it. Definitely no pearl-clutchers, either. And we were raised in Naples, FL and Potomac, MD for those asking where I grew up.

Right, understood.

But it's just a color, and the no-black-ever rule is not one that most parents enforce anymore. Your experience was an unusual one.

PP here. I'm not sure it was that unusual. There was an entire thread dedicated to this topic once and it was far more common than you would think. Looking at my own friends right now, none of them allow their kids to wear black either. They even specifically make a point to tell people that when discussing gifts of clothing for birthdays / holidays / etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP who originally posted about not being allowed to wear black as a child. I just asked my mom about it and she said it actually stemmed from how my grandmother (dad's mom) viewed the color - as sad and somber, meant for funerals and mourning. She believed that kids should wear bright and fun colors and my mom agreed with her so she kept black out of our wardrobes.

Again, we are a non-religious family, so religion has nothing to do with it. Definitely no pearl-clutchers, either. And we were raised in Naples, FL and Potomac, MD for those asking where I grew up.

Right, understood.

But it's just a color, and the no-black-ever rule is not one that most parents enforce anymore. Your experience was an unusual one.

PP here. I'm not sure it was that unusual. There was an entire thread dedicated to this topic once and it was far more common than you would think. Looking at my own friends right now, none of them allow their kids to wear black either. They even specifically make a point to tell people that when discussing gifts of clothing for birthdays / holidays / etc.

...and you live in the DMV? Because this is actively odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP who originally posted about not being allowed to wear black as a child. I just asked my mom about it and she said it actually stemmed from how my grandmother (dad's mom) viewed the color - as sad and somber, meant for funerals and mourning. She believed that kids should wear bright and fun colors and my mom agreed with her so she kept black out of our wardrobes.

Again, we are a non-religious family, so religion has nothing to do with it. Definitely no pearl-clutchers, either. And we were raised in Naples, FL and Potomac, MD for those asking where I grew up.

Thank you! I'm the poster who asked for more details on why this would be a thing and I appreciate the explanation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:pp here, and my kids didn't own any black clothes until they went to a funeral last year. Primary reason is that it clashes with their shoes which tend to be navy or pastels.

I had trouble finding black kids clothes on the fly for a funeral. I searched high and low and ended up having to buy something off Amazon. DD ended up wearing a black dress with pink polka dots and DS just a black polo. It's really not that common a color for little kids clothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP who originally posted about not being allowed to wear black as a child. I just asked my mom about it and she said it actually stemmed from how my grandmother (dad's mom) viewed the color - as sad and somber, meant for funerals and mourning. She believed that kids should wear bright and fun colors and my mom agreed with her so she kept black out of our wardrobes.

Again, we are a non-religious family, so religion has nothing to do with it. Definitely no pearl-clutchers, either. And we were raised in Naples, FL and Potomac, MD for those asking where I grew up.

Right, understood.

But it's just a color, and the no-black-ever rule is not one that most parents enforce anymore. Your experience was an unusual one.

PP here. I'm not sure it was that unusual. There was an entire thread dedicated to this topic once and it was far more common than you would think. Looking at my own friends right now, none of them allow their kids to wear black either. They even specifically make a point to tell people that when discussing gifts of clothing for birthdays / holidays / etc.

...and you live in the DMV? Because this is actively odd.

PP again. Yes, I live in Potomac, and the friends I'm referring to also live in Potomac. With a handful in DC. I really see nothing weird about it. (in case our ages matter, I'm 34, and my friends are between 30-40 years of age)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:pp here, and my kids didn't own any black clothes until they went to a funeral last year. Primary reason is that it clashes with their shoes which tend to be navy or pastels.

I had trouble finding black kids clothes on the fly for a funeral. I searched high and low and ended up having to buy something off Amazon. DD ended up wearing a black dress with pink polka dots and DS just a black polo. It's really not that common a color for little kids clothing.

Also I remember asking my neighbor mom-friend if I could borrow something and she had none, said she didn't believe in black clothes for little kids. She was in her 30s in the city so it's not that outdated of thinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:pp here, and my kids didn't own any black clothes until they went to a funeral last year. Primary reason is that it clashes with their shoes which tend to be navy or pastels.

I had trouble finding black kids clothes on the fly for a funeral. I searched high and low and ended up having to buy something off Amazon. DD ended up wearing a black dress with pink polka dots and DS just a black polo. It's really not that common a color for little kids clothing.

Then your Google-fu needs some remedial work. Here's a five-second Google of offerings on three of the top US-selling brands' sites:

http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1062939&vid=1&pid=328500012

http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1073239&vid=1&pid=436609002&redirect=true

https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/boys/t-shirts-and-tops/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP who originally posted about not being allowed to wear black as a child. I just asked my mom about it and she said it actually stemmed from how my grandmother (dad's mom) viewed the color - as sad and somber, meant for funerals and mourning. She believed that kids should wear bright and fun colors and my mom agreed with her so she kept black out of our wardrobes.

Again, we are a non-religious family, so religion has nothing to do with it. Definitely no pearl-clutchers, either. And we were raised in Naples, FL and Potomac, MD for those asking where I grew up.

Right, understood.

But it's just a color, and the no-black-ever rule is not one that most parents enforce anymore. Your experience was an unusual one.

PP here. I'm not sure it was that unusual. There was an entire thread dedicated to this topic once and it was far more common than you would think. Looking at my own friends right now, none of them allow their kids to wear black either. They even specifically make a point to tell people that when discussing gifts of clothing for birthdays / holidays / etc.

...and you live in the DMV? Because this is actively odd.

PP again. Yes, I live in Potomac, and the friends I'm referring to also live in Potomac. With a handful in DC. I really see nothing weird about it. (in case our ages matter, I'm 34, and my friends are between 30-40 years of age)

Sorry. It's an outdated and weird-ass mode of thinking. I do love that Kanye himself is sporting black in your hot-take photo, though.

[Anonymous]

I swear I feel like this town (this forum?) is composed only of former Alabama sorority sisters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:pp here, and my kids didn't own any black clothes until they went to a funeral last year. Primary reason is that it clashes with their shoes which tend to be navy or pastels.

I had trouble finding black kids clothes on the fly for a funeral. I searched high and low and ended up having to buy something off Amazon. DD ended up wearing a black dress with pink polka dots and DS just a black polo. It's really not that common a color for little kids clothing.

Then your Google-fu needs some remedial work. Here's a five-second Google of offerings on three of the top US-selling brands' sites:

http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1062939&vid=1&pid=328500012

http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1073239&vid=1&pid=436609002&redirect=true

https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/boys/t-shirts-and-tops/

Thanks pp, but funerals usually happen a few days after the death and I didn't have time for Gap and Old Navy's pony-express shipping. Brick and mortars don't carry the entire lineup of the website you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:pp here, and my kids didn't own any black clothes until they went to a funeral last year. Primary reason is that it clashes with their shoes which tend to be navy or pastels.

I had trouble finding black kids clothes on the fly for a funeral. I searched high and low and ended up having to buy something off Amazon. DD ended up wearing a black dress with pink polka dots and DS just a black polo. It's really not that common a color for little kids clothing.

Then your Google-fu needs some remedial work. Here's a five-second Google of offerings on three of the top US-selling brands' sites:

http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1062939&vid=1&pid=328500012

http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1073239&vid=1&pid=436609002&redirect=true

https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/boys/t-shirts-and-tops/

Thanks pp, but funerals usually happen a few days after the death and I didn't have time for Gap and Old Navy's pony-express shipping. Brick and mortars don't carry the entire lineup of the website you know.

Which is totally understandable. But please do take in the fact - given that the majority of kids' clothing purchases now occur online - that major national and international brands would not offer black clothing for small children if the majority of their consumers were unwilling to buy black clothing for their small children.

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised at this too. Your daughters don't have a pair of black leggings? Your sons don't have any t-shirts with a black background?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't have an issue with black. I did have an issue with a mom telling me to bring my child as a specific character from a movie. That was OTT!! I have disliked her deeply since.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Under no circumstance was I allowed to wear black as a child. As a result, I also owned nothing black. Please don't make this a requirement for attending to your son's birthday.

That's amazing, where did you grow up? Very rural or religious area?

I'm not that poster but also didn't wear black as a kid and don't buy it for my kids. I'm from the DC area and not religious. I just think black is a weird color for kids to wear. I think my moms view is that it wasn't an appropriate color for kids except maybe a recital dress.

NP here. Why are black clothes on kids considered weird or inappropriate? I'm not criticizing, just curious as I've seen posters on other threads mention this before. I looked through the prior pages and didn't see any explanation. I would love it if someone would share precisely what the thinking is on the ban on black.

It's just not a common color for kids. Go on old navy or gap's websites under the kids section - how many black tops and bottoms do you see? Just glancing under Gap's boys section, there's not one solid black shirt, sweater or t shirt (plenty of Star Wars shirts though). So you would have to actively seek out these items.

Gap did not have a lot of black boys' tops, but several different styles of pants came in black: http://www.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=6187#pageId=0&department=16
Old navy has several black tees and polos: http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=36097&sop=true

I saw several black tops for girls at Gap (including a Star Wars themed one!), including some with no prints: http://www.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=14417#pageId=0&department=48 Lots of black pants and leggings too: http://www.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=6274#pageId=0&department=48

The girl tops in all black in that link are hideous. The only one that's decent is the long sleeve tee and I would not pay $29 for it.