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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To want to ban pink

65 replies

Manoodledo · 13/08/2013 11:53

Apparently we're having a girl, after two boys. Apart from being quietly pleased (even though I thought I really wasn't bothered about ever having a girl! and I still somehow feel I'll believe it when I see it), I'm slightly dreading the sea of pink that's coming my way. I really dislike pink, especially that sickly pastley baby pink that so much stuff comes in and would be loath to dress my baby in it. Can I really ask people not to buy pink? Has anyone else tried?

OP posts:

TinyTear · 13/08/2013 12:16

Even the clothes you don't like will come in handy when the baby is sick/vomity...

FoofFighter · 13/08/2013 12:17

I'm with you, dreading the onslaught of pink if this is a girl. I feel the same about pastel blue for boys though, just awful dreary shades, why would you want to use them when there's so many lovely bright shades instead!

Beamae · 13/08/2013 12:17

Also, a preference for non pink makes people think I am weirdly militant. MIL rang me once to ask if it would be okay for her to buy a pink toy basket to keep toys in at HER house! As if I thought in our twice yearly visits my daughter's eyes would be burned out of their skulls if they ever caught a glimpse of the colour. It still bugs people. Family still bring it up occasionally, even though one of my girls might be wearing a dress with pink in it at the time. It's very tiresome.

Sirzy · 13/08/2013 12:17

I don't see why you need to ban any colour. Seems a bit petty to me!

I wouldn't dress a baby in head to toe pink (or head to toe most other colours) but really does the odd garment as part of an outfit matter? DS has a bright pink tshirt which he loves.

TheCraicDealer · 13/08/2013 12:18

I have career envy Vivipru. Fancy swapping with me? The world of insurance is very glamorous, I promise.

5madthings · 13/08/2013 12:19

i had a girl after four boys, she is 2.5 and yes we have avoided the sea of pink!

my dd doesnt like pink at the moment! my ds3 does and he wears it, and purple.

there are loads of lovely non pink clothes, a bit of pink is fine just not a full on sea of pink.

also there is nothing wronf with pink, weneed it to not be seen as just a girls colour. pink is fine for boys too!

stepmooster · 13/08/2013 12:23

its not the colour pink, its the fact that every bloody toy I want to buy my daughter either comes in pink or blue or is designated as a girls toy or a boys toy. I hate the fact that at the age of 1 she is supposed to want to grow up playing at being a princess and worrying about her looks. Pink in my mind just associates itself to the whole insipid princess rubbish.

As we're expecting DC2 any day now (a boy) I would much rather my folks and friends bought her gender neutral toys/clothes so we can hand them down. They don't last 5 minutes anyway and are so expensive.

Of course DD may well love pink, but I want her to work that out for herself and not have it imprinted on her brain before she can even walk/talk.

littlewhitebag · 13/08/2013 12:24

I have had three DD and although the youngest is now 15 yo I don't recall being given too much pink stuff for them. You maybe just have to wait and see what comes your way. Perhaps your DD will look beautiful in pink. It is just a colour. No need to get all antsy and want to ban it. .

sleeplessbunny · 13/08/2013 12:24

pink is just a colour. I think "banning" it is OTT and turns it into more of an issue. I felt a bit like you before I had DD but I soon realised it was a pointless exercise, now DD likes to choose her own clothes and she chooses all sorts of colours. Your parenting is far more important than what colour clothes she is wearing!

quesadilla · 13/08/2013 12:25

Vivipru I'm guessing you do mass market stuff and fair enough... no one ever lost money making pink clothes for little girls. :)

But out of interest is there really a significantly lower demand for, say, blue or red items in the same styles?

I don't have a problem with pink (and I think banning it is highly counterproductive) but sometimes I'm left totally open-mouthed at the wall-to-wall factor of it in retailers.

If you go into the average supermarket that stocks kids clothes, or a mothercare etc, I'd say well over 60% of the clothing on display for little girls is pink. Does it really have to be that monolithic?

I can see its always going to be popular but surely there must be a niche for people who don't automatically want everything in pink for their daughters (and don't have Notting Hill budgets)?

DonDrapersAltrEgoBigglesDraper · 13/08/2013 12:25

This pretty much sums up my thoughts on the matter...

Again, much as I sympathise, I'd be wary of making too big a deal of it.

ViviPru · 13/08/2013 12:29

Ha Squoosh & TheCraic it has its moments . Recent highlights include being asked if I can make the photographic tiger look happier

We really do try and mix it up but the masses just err toward buying pink, so buyers tend to play it safe and place a lot of pink. I used to do a lot of work for Next who always run a classic pink 'story' alongside collections with less conventional palettes, as do a lot of retailers.

If I ever buy clothes as gifts for friends kids I tend to favour more offbeat, Scandi colours, but these can often be harder to find so I do sympathise.

RobinSparkles · 13/08/2013 12:31

I think that you should buy whatever colour you want for your baby but when it comes to gifts from friends and family, you should smile, say thank you and that's that! Don't ask people not to buy pink - it will come across as extremely rude, IMO.

A friend of mine made a big thing about not wanting pink. She likes pink, I've seen her wear it, so I'm not sure why but, TBH, it made me want to buy the frilliest, pinkest outfit I could find but I didn't, I'm not that mean!

aquashiv · 13/08/2013 12:32

Not a fan of pink although a darker pink has grown on me. There is no rule that says girls have to wear pink but good luck with telling people not to buy pink.

marriedinwhiteisback · 13/08/2013 12:32

I love pink. Wan't allowed it as a child because my said I was too plain for it. Had. My colours done in my 20s and it is a colour I should wear. When I was single I had a pink house and our house in france is painted pink outside!! DD isn't awfully into pink despite my encouragement but Dh treated hmself to a pair of pik shorts this summer. Our new house has lots of sage and dove grey because pink will go with it!!

Kinect · 13/08/2013 12:33

Pink is kind of pink banned here. People still buy pink stuff, I exchange or donate it.

squoosh · 13/08/2013 12:33

Those pesky sullen tigers!

The Scandi baby brands are so lovely but so expensive. I buy them for my favourite people's babies

ViviPru · 13/08/2013 12:33

You hit the nail on the head with the word "niche", quesadilla

I solely work for high-volume value retailers because they pay the best day rates and have the most consistent work available yes I have no pride and the pressures on margins are just ridiculous so buyers are very risk-averse when it comes to palettes.

IneedAsockamnesty · 13/08/2013 12:34

Ban it I would. Nothing wrong with the colour but it would bug me if that's all the baby ended up with.

Most of my kids lived in babygrows and rompers untill the were about 1 so if they all end up one colour it would be tiresome.

RL convo with older relative.

Her... What do you need for the baby?
Me... Nothing I've already got everything from ds
Her.. Seriously you can't do that everything ds has is boys its wrong.
Me... Last time I checked all baby's are the same sort of shape
Her... Storm off yelling about abuse upperclass twits and lesbians.

Some people get really weird about it.and those are the types who besiege you with a sea of pink.

badguider · 13/08/2013 12:36

Just tell anybody who will listen how much you LOVE other colours... I have inherited a ton of pale blue stuff for my boy on the way, it's pretty blah... I am making sure anything I buy is green or purple or has spots in lots of colours etc etc... people who know me well know that I like these varied colours so hopefully will be more imaginitive with gifts but if they're not then ah well, it's just clothes...

RobinSparkles · 13/08/2013 12:37

"Pink is kind of pink banned here. People still buy pink stuff, I exchange or donate it."

Yep, that's what I would do too, if I didn't like an item that was given. Or I would keep it for days that we weren't going anywhere, arts and crafts, messy play etc.

Pachacuti · 13/08/2013 12:38

Interestingly, Asda has quite a bit of pink in its toddler boys' range this summer.

IneedAsockamnesty · 13/08/2013 12:38

Fwiw I quite like pink myself I just don't like t being the only option.

The relative I was talking to as an 8yo gd who can't possibly own a toy or wear an outfit that s not pink and frilly its quite sad really.

soverylucky · 13/08/2013 12:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bowlersarm · 13/08/2013 12:41

YABVVVU

I love pink. I have three boys. I love browsing the baby girls shops whenever anyone has a girl and love choosing and buying something pretty and pink.

I would feel very sad if you were mean and ungracious enough to take this pleasure away from me.

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