To be starting to think that girls clothes are shit?

[Sockstealer]

Basically I've been looking at clothes for my nieces, I'm also pregnant so I've been thinking I could be having a daughter this time.

I buy most of my ds' stuff from Next or H&M, there's loads of cool, trendy and practical stuff. Functional coats and shoes, tshirts with Lego, dinosaurs, super heroes and funny pictures or slogans, sensible trousers.

I'm looking at the 'girls' sections and most of what I can find is what looks like somebody has vomited a load of pink, glitter and sequins, pictures of birds and cats, daft slogans like 'think pink'. Leggings and more leggings (I mean they're not going to keep your legs warm), shiny fluffy coats with leopard print or sickly pink that's going to show up every mark. And what characters are there, frozen or hello kitty?

Is there a shop that I don't know about that sells better stuff?

I had to give up looking because all the pink was hurting my eyes, and even the stuff that isn't pink is smothered in hearts or fairies.

Monkey - yes the Zara stuff is really nice and I never see too much pink

I also get a lot of nice non pink stuff for dd in tk maxx but I guess it's luck of the draw there

I did mean to say my now black loving 7 yo also went through a pink glittery stage...but grew out of it.
I hate the pink toys, prams, wellies etc (especially ones that say princess!) because as someone upthread said that is a ploy to stop you using them for more than one child etc
But you can't deny that pale pink/pastels for an active child is not a good colour choice. You may buy them because you don't know any better - no experience - or because you can't bear the thought of your DD in 'boy's' colours/clothes. Marketing? Stereo typing? I don't know - I know my mum was thrilled when DD2 was into pink glitter.
And yy on the shoes - clarks did get better but at one time all the 'girls' trainers were white and pink - maybe one darker colour. And the boys did tend to be really 'boyish'.
Looking at waterproof coats for girls - DD1 had a lilac coat - it was lovely and really warm but needed washing every week. She also had a pale blue coat at one stage - a boys I think - and I had the same problem. So I then went for bright patterns to try and disguise the muck, but once they get to a certain age they are too bright really, they get self conscious. Eventually I got DD1 black waterproof coats and fleeces - they were boys but she didn't know. Now as a teen she doesn't wear a coat!!!
Tried a similar thing with DD2, struggling to get her a coat out of season - one shop had bright pink girls or green 'boy's' ones. She choose the green one - then saw a boy wearing the same coat at school and started refusing to wear it again because it is a boys coat.
I did manage to get her a navy blue one with a pink lining - like a waxed type and she loves it. In fact she needs a new one but so far everyone she has tried on she hasn't liked them as much -so I'm still looking...

DD is 5 and we lead a very outdoorsey lifestyle, she has lots of practical clothes as well as girlie clothes, while she does own pink frilly impractical stuff she also owns lots of lovely clothes that are warm, practical and not pink.

This weekend she was in blue trousers with a white polka dot and a yellow jumper and on Sunday green trousers with a leaf print and a purple cardigan.

I actually hate the fact that all DS's clothes are Navy, Red with the odd touch of green and brown more than I hate DD's clothes

I do agree with the OP a little. I always used to be tossing aside tops in despair in the shops because they have a horrible picture or a pointless, meaningless slogan.

And because they seemed badly made, or not very practical, or ill-fitting.

I don't mind pink, or glitter or whatever (and my daughters like it anyway). I do object to clothes being cheap and poorly made and impractical. I hate it when things get worn thin, or holey, or stretch or lose their shape

So now I am ultra-selective and I buy my DD1 fewer more expensive but hardwearing clothes that actually last, and I pass them down to DD2 although I don't actually like the look of Polarn o Pyret, and I've never bought anything from there.

I mainly shop online at Boden and Vertbaudet, with occasional bits from Lands End (I got an excellent glow in the dark top for DD from there), Fat Face, Benneton, Esprit and John Lewis. It's expensive, but the clothes last, and I find it easier to find things that are to both mine and my daughters taste.

I always used to choose clothes from the boys section, and DD2 is still happy to, but DD1 would be mortified to wear boys clothes now (she's 7), so I don't make her.

I struggle to believe that normal leggings are that warm though. DD has some jogger material leggings and some cord leggings that are OK for winter, but the thin cotton ones are just like going out in PJ bottoms, surely? My girls wear their leggings under trousers when it is really cold.

I really don't get this idea that unless you get all your girls clothes from Polarn o frigging Pyret, they are doomed to wear 'pink glittery shit' or 'mini hooker clothes' (not said on this thread, but have seen this said on other similar threads).

I get all my daughters clothes from Next, Sainsburys, h&m, Asda etc and although she has a few bits of pink, a lot of her clothes are just nice bright colours. Last time I was in next they did have the obligatory pastel pink section, but they also had whole sections with different colour schemes eg. Red and navy, turquoise, and also a horrible mustard yellow and brown. You really don't have to just dress them in pink glitter, just avoid that bit!

Also, leggings are great, so much better than jeans/trousers on little ones. I have found it much easier to dress dd than ds in this respect as leggings are much more widely available for girls. As we speak she is wearing a pair of navy ones from......Next and they didn't cost £18.50 either

I do agree about the pink Lego, pink bike helmets, pink globes etc - that's just bullshit, although its easily avoidable.

When I was about 5 I hated trousers, and, bar school uniform, I refused to wear a skirt or dress unless it had a frilly underskirt. I think I turned out ok.....(although dd does have a leopard print coat so maybe not!)

Most of my dd's clothes are from next and h&m and she has hardly anything pink or overly girly! Maybe try the larger stores on a retail park or online?

Loads of non pink in M&S aswell

the pink pervasiveness aside, I've noticed that there's a huge difference between women's clothing and men's too - in thickness.

Women's jumpers tend to be much thinner and not so much warm as for style, whereas men's tend to be thicker and warmer.

(I buy men's jumpers to wear in winter, not interested in freezing, thanks!)

Dd's are 7 and 8.

We haven't got a Polar n pyret budget, but get most of their clothes on ebay - so Boden, Fat Face etc.

New stuff from Sainsburys H& M etc.

Leggings are great, worn under school uniform (less baggy crotch issues!) warm and practical, especially with winter boots.

Both dd's have jeans boot and tshirts from boys ranges that they have chosen themselves, and both have been through phases of pink and princess's. Dd1 now is all boys sports clothes, skinny jeans and emily strange tshirts and dd2 is, mmm, quirky.

Advent - surely it depends on what you buy from what shop. The last think I brought from polarn was a plain white long sleeved Tshirt for ds. Surely there can't be much about a plain top that you hate? I don't buy the patterned stuff from there either

Yes, Art of course it depends what you buy, and I'm sure they must have some nice things, but generally their patterned stuff isn't really to my taste, I find it a bit eyewatering.

I tend to buy most things online and get a whole load from the same place at once to save on postage costs. So for eg last winter I just bought everything the DC needed from Boden, this winter was Vertbaudet and Lands End - and there just isn't enough I like at Polarn to justify a big order. Would be different if there was an actual shop near me, then I could "pop" (ha ha) in and just pick up one thing. But the way I shop, there needs to be lots of things that I like available from one place, and I have to be confident they will all be good quality - so I stick to what I know .

gendering works (or rather does not work) both ways. I agree that girls' clothes are mostly impractical pink and glittery (and don't get me started about shoes), but boys' clothes are mostly dark sludge coloured with some silly slogan about being a monster.

By the way, Polarn's Swedish and European webshops don't even have sections based on gender. Only tops, trousers etc, and parents are free to decide if that particular t-shirt is suitable for their boy of girl. Polarn's UK shop has the option to search by gender - due to popular demand, I guess?

I mean where's all the superheroes for girls, where's the cheeky monkeys and dinosaurs?

I don't want superheroes on clothes, I loathe all the transfers and branded pictures. Love the appliqué things from Boden though (I appreciate they are more expensive but they wash and last for ages). You aren't looking hard enough OP.

Op I used to think the same about tights for babies, but I've found them really cosy at this time of year, and also practical as DD can't pull them off as she does with socks.

Also, I think it really does depend of you are shopping in large or small branches, and what sells well in your area. Head offices do their buying and distribution based on what's sold previously, so if you're in an area that likes frilly pink shit you're shafted

I agree with you generally about pink, frills, cutesy characters etc, but I have to say that after 10 years if buying for nieces and now DD, I think high street chains are getting the message and there does seem to be more choice out there now. There definitely seems to be more plain denim, practical clothing etc for girls than there was even 5 years ago.

Oh I love my boys in tights and shorts sometimes. They wore that combo lots around 1-2 years. Occasionally now even eldest at almost 5, super cute with leather boots.

For my daughter, I buy from Gap, Boden, Next and Sainsbury's.

We seem to manage it - with Asda, Tesco - H & M - BHS -DGP buy from M & S.

Though my DD d like the occasional jeans with flowers embroidered down or something girly on their jeans or tops. Having said that youngest is happy in older DS cast of as well - as while DD1 went though a big dress stage it never stopped her climbing tree of climbing frames

Shoes can take more shopping for with girls -some years.

It's harder for my DS - not only are some of the messages not very nice about entire gender - I'm very limited as he as eczema so everything has to be cotton. Some years it nigh on impossible to find anything but plain t-shirts which our DS doesn't like and often avoids wearing.

I think what you want is out there.

See, I agree re the superheros, at the recent Children in Need 'superheros day', most schools did fancy dress superheros round here. The boys went in various spiderman, batman, superman, ironman costumes, the girls either went dressed in handmade outfits the mums had put together, or princesses. Boys are heros with super powers, and girls are princesses. Great. The closest was going as Elsa from Frozen as she can at least shoot ice from her hands...

Anyway, just to add, was just in M&Co today, lots of pink sparkle but also lots of non-pink clothes for girls and cheap.

But actually, worth noting that the children's clothes only are echoing adult clothing trends. Compare woman's non-formal clothes to mens. Woman's jeans tend to be tighter, more restrictive than mens. Woman's tops, tighter, less flexible clothing. Woman wear skirts and dresses, again more revealing and less practical/warm than male clothes.

Woman's shoes are generally less practical - stand on a train platform at 8am, how many woman are wearing trainers or boots like uggs that clearly they are going to change out of when they get to the office into the smart ones they will wear that are appropriate for their outfit/day at work? Now look at the men in suits, how many men are wearing suits with trainers, or is it more than men's smart shoes are also practical and comfortable enough to walk to the station/office and wear all day?

Not saying there's anything wrong with a grown woman dressing in feminine clothing (wearing a skirt today myself!) but you can't assume that girls clothes are designed in a cultural vacume. Woman chose less practical clothes for themselves (due to a variety of social and personal reasons), they chose to also buy the same for their DDs (or else the shops would stop selling them if everyone went to the boys section).

ermm you can buy thick leggings, fleece lined leggings and thermal leggings too so no need for anyone to freeze ... just sayin

Its so easy to shop for girls dd is 8 and is a girly girl. I hate that the term is used in a derogatory manner now, but I don't think its anything to be ashamed of. She has plenty of dresses and skirts and not many pink or sparkly items to be seen. A wardrobe full of reds and greens and blues. Yes she has pink and glitter/sequins, but she chooses them.

she has 2 older brothers and plays sports, goes to the park, rolls in mud and climbs trees, as ell as baking cakes, sewing and playing with dolls. She just does it all in a skirt or dress.

We buy from Next, Gap, Boden, Joules, John Lewis, M&S, Sainsburys, Monsoon, H&M, Forever 21, Zara.

Well I think YABU - I buy loads of my 2 DD's clothes from H&M and they have very few pink clothes. I think H&M do a great variety of colours, styles etc for children. Not everything in H&M is to my/their taste, but it doesn't need to be.

I'm really happy to be able to buy organic cotton garments at HS prices.

Also my 2 could live in leggings year round - never a problem apart from on the coldest/hottest days.

I have two girls and a boy and find the girls much easier to shop for - and we have nothing sparkly or covered in hearts etc! Next had loads that isn't pink, lots of blues, yellows etc. I love leggings and would like those for my boy, boys tracksuit bottoms are often a horrible shape. Leggings are fab! Although if I am honest, clothes are not a big issue for me, and I don't tend to spend much time or money on them.

MaryWestmacott that is a good point about women's clothes.

When the weather is really cold, I borrow DH's boxers and wear one of his jumpers, because I know they will keep me so much warmer. The boxers especially, they keep my back so nice and warm, it's almost like wearing thermals.

Every time my DH buys clothes for our 18 month old DD, he buts it from the 'boys' section. I don't care though as she looks good in blue! She does have some pink clothes, but mainly blues, greens and purples so it is possible to buy non-pink stuff. She does has quite a few itms of clothes with cats on though - that's all my fault