Pink... pink... and more pink.

[Clark2008]

I just posted this on a thread in DU/G about gender roles and it made me want to come over and ask the Lounge a burning question: why are all little girls' baby clothes in pink? H

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=72351&mesg_id=77469

I was a tomboy. When I wasn't riding in rodeos, I was helping my Dad and his grandfather in my great-grandfather's shop. I played with the occassional dolly, but I found Matchbox cars and horse figurines and catching salamanders and crawdads in the creek much more enjoyable. Fast forward a few years to the time I was first pregnant: it was a boy (is a boy) and I was so relieved! Cars and super heros and race tracks and cool gadgets! And NO PINK! I hate PINK! Yeah!!

Well, guess what? It's a few years later and I'm pregnant again and we've just found out that... it's a, gulp, girl!! She's thus far, at 20-weeks in-uetero, a healthy little girl. Has all her little fingers and all her little toes and my jaw line and her little heart and brain are formed and functioning, etc. etc. So I get all excited about my little bitty girl and I want to prepare her room and buy her some little clothes so she's not constantly in my son's hand-me-downs and what do I find? NOTHING BUT PINK. It's a nightmare!!! I'm having to spend way more effort than I should have right now hunting down bedding in peaches and greens. I can't find a onesie in peach (found some in green) and I feel like the whole girl world has been Barbie-fied!!! Not only is the Barbie-pinkification of my unborn little girl's world so overwhelming, I also must deal with people who look at me like I've gone insane because I don't want to dress her like she's a cherry tart! Hasn't it dawned on someone that, well, not everyone looks good in hot pink, baby pink, cherry pink, cool pink, rich pink... PINK! I have olive skin and auburn hair. Pink makes me look ill! If my little girl takes after me in any way, shape or form, she won't look healthy in it, either!

So... while I'm willing to purchase some items in rose and I know I'll get some pink stuff as gifts, am I wrong to want to avoid this color like the plague? Do I have to sucuumb to the culture wars and purchase Barbie-pink shoes, and Barbie-pink dresses and Barbie-pink onesies?

When did gender specifications become so prevelant in our society that I have to shop in the "I don't know what gender my baby is" section of the store on the website to find something that's not blue OR pink?

And, I don't remember my son having to deal with this issue: his clothes came in all colors - greens, deep reds, dark blues, yellows (no pink, I don't think). Is this recent?

Maybe I should just shut up and be glad my baby girl is healthy. I'm 37 years old and haven't had a bit of problem during this pregnancy, outside of a few sinus infections.

[uppityperson]

1. note aside, most small kids love pink.

Boys, girls, in betweens. I think it is because that is the color they experience the soonest (light shining through to inside) and they love pink, then more on to purple. UPJr used to get mad at people "I like pink and I am a boy! What is wrong with that?!?!" when he was little and wearing pink rubber boots, tiny pink raincoat while fishing.

I figured that any clothes that were clean worked. Buy secondhand since babies don't usually wear out clothes and get whatever the hell you want. Or just don't tell anyone it is a girl. Hmmm, tell them it's a boy and oops! Lots of cool clothes.

[Left Is Write]

4. All three of my children like pink and purple - two girls and a boy.

The oldest girl is all grown up, though.

[Clark2008]

7. I always thought they liked richer colors at first - red, dark blue,

green, yellow - because their eyes can't see the muted pinks and baby blues very well at first.

In fact, I know I read that somewhere... hmmm... I'll have to go look that up. My son's favorite color has been red as far back as either one of us can remember.

Oh - and I have a co-worker who's mil owns a consignment shop. I'm sure I'll be spending a lot of time there.

And, I don't mind her being a girl, mind you. I want her to be a girl. *I* am a girl. I just "ain't" fond of pink. LOL.

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. My daughter wore corduroy overalls (in all colors) for the most part.

But that was 1990.

My son wore a lot of green and yellow one piece outfits before moving into a basic Old Navy wardrobe. He also wore his sister's hand me downs. I guess we just didn't fall into the gender trap. I've never thought of it.

I am so glad everything is going well for you. :hug: Pregnancy induced sinus troubles suck big time. I remember counting the days until I could breathe through both nostrils at once. With my daughter I was "lucky" enough to catch Mono... Bleh...that was the most horrid 6 weeks of my life. Stay strong.

[Blue State Blues]

3. Congratulations

Congrats on your healthy little baby girl and best wishes for a healthy pregnancy and easy birth.

If you can handle the sticker shock, hanna andersson usually carries a selection of clothes in bright, fun colors like lime green, red, peach. Really soft organic cotton, too. Of course, they also carry plenty of pink, especially in the smaller baby sizes (but you know, pink looks good on babies, and it cuts down on strangers walking up to you saying, "oh what a cute baby boy"). hannaandersson.com or new and gently used on ebay.

Baby gap and old navy usually carry cute non-pink things, mixed in the sea of pink. You're more likely to find non-pink outside of basic onesies and rompers, though.

Gymboree (again, beware of sticker shock or shop sales and ebay) frequently has girl lines in non-pink colors like this red/white line http://tinyurl.com/2nmz5a , this peachy line http://tinyurl.com/3d7jjj or this yellow line http://tinyurl.com/28cda3

Kohls often has Carter's outfits and sleepers in yellow (hard on most newborn complexions, though), green, lilac, or baby blue (but for girls, like this http://tinyurl.com/3c7pbm).

Good luck finding clothes that suit your taste. It's possible, but it will definitely take more time (and probably more $$$) than giving in to the pink. I'm sure you will raise a strong, confident, powerful girl no matter what she ends up wearing.

[Kali]

5. Good dose of clorox in a hot water wash will take care of most

pink - at least in cotton. A few pink clothing items won't seem so bad if most of the other stuff (room, sheets, car seat etc) aren't the same color.

[Clark2008]

6. LOL!!!

Hadn't thought about the bleach aspect. I supposed bleach IS the wonder-cleaner I always thought it was. :)