To think baby boy clothes designers are lazy?

[PhoebeGeebee]

Pregnant with first baby (a boy) started to look at some items to start buying and am struck by clothes designers obsession with baby boys and items of transport. Trucks, cars, buses, planes, boats - you name it, it's on a t shirt or a babygrow.

I don't mind the odd item, and I get that boys do like trucks and cars etc... the older they get, but why surely there could be some variation for babies!

Girls clothes tend to be quite pattern heavy, and I don't see why this can't be the case for boys too. There's something about the whole gender assumption thing that bothers me - and I know I sound like a bit of a twat. AIBU?

[ohidoliketobe]

It's funny. When I had DS 2 years ago I hated all the boys clothes and would look at the girls clothes thinking there was so much more variety in stypes and colour. DC2 (girl) due in 2 weeks and all the girls stuff I come across just seems to be a sea of pale sickly pink and frills , I'm looking at the boys stuff and thinking it's so much better this time around!
FWIW I do find Sainsburys great for boy's stuff. My DS has an array of chinos in various colours from there, bright reds and blues to more muted khaki and burgundy.

[CowGull]

The best things I have for DS are some hand-me-downs from SIL, bought for her DS 15 years ago but subsequently worn by his younger sisters without any problems because they are just cute, colourful clothes for a baby, not a 'little prince(ss)'. I can't find anything like them in the shops now, when did it change so much? And don't get me started on the bloody slogans on everything, terrible stereotypes or the bloody obvious eg 'Mummy loves me'.

[pinocchiosnose]

John Lewis do quite a lot of nice boys clothes

[crayfish]

My DS is 13 months and still totally bald so still looks like Harry Hill with a collar on.

What's worse is those outfits that make little baby boys look like a chimney sweep, all braces and waistcoats and flat-caps. They are ridiculous. I also agree that jeans are usually far too stiff to be comfortable.

[SirKillalot]

I have two boys and get bored of the same blue, grey and brown clothes. Zara is pretty good though.

[eggyface]

Also boy's clothes for babies seem to be inappropriate designs like jeans with heavy buckles or tight waists and braces with metal bits on... who'd put a little soft baby in those? And bloody rugby shirt type things with high collars. Babies don't have necks! My son looked like Harry Hill for the first 4 months.

[roseteapot101]

i noticed this to it seems you need to really look to find the nice stuff

i really like mothercare

www.mothercare.com/newborn/little-bird-by-jools-good-night-sleepsuit/LJH350.html?cgid=clothing_little_bird_newborn

[PhoebeGeebee]

Thanks for all the suggestions! That's my rainy Sunday afternoon sorted.

I've bought a few bits from Sainsburys, and JoJo seems pretty good but been quite shocked at everything else. I'm not looking forward to age 2/3/4 where everything is vehicles or slogans telling me how much trouble/how noisy/ he is. Grrrrr.

[sandylion]

Boots are normally a better high Street choice so disappointed by that photo! Sainsbury also decent!

[BillSykesDog]

Sainsbury's do really nice boys clothes. They seem to have a bit more imagination about the patterns and have animals and stuff as well as the usual cars etc. It frustrates me that the choice for boys is much narrower though.

[crayfish]

Jojo Maman Bebe have some nice stuff though actually, DS has some lovely things from there and Zara isn't bad for more neutral things in non-sludge colours.

[SlinkyB]

Oh, Monsoon are the worst for having a "Children's" section which is 90% girls! We have a store nearby which does NO boys stuff, but lots of nice girls stuff. It's like they assume women with boys won't want to spend a bit of money on them

[crayfish]

I think girls clothes are worse to be honest, everything is pink and flowers and ruffles and quite impractical stuff - why would a four month old need a frilly dress?!

Boys stuff is criminally boring though. All DS ever has on is joggers/jeans and t-shirts and the t-shirts are mainly animal print based or the usual trucks/cars/tractors. I love patterns like stripes and stars and thinks but it's always just a blue t-shirt with a picture of a tractor on it. Sigh...

[Moonrocks6]

I personally prefer boys clothes. Can't be doing with the varying shades of sickly pink that all girls clothes seem to be in.
I have really struggled with nice gender neutral baby clothes without spending a fortune or sticking to grey/beige.

[MrsJoeyMaynard]

I wonder how long it would take the clothes designers to stop making baby clothes with transportation on if everyone just stopped buying them?

There are less gender specific baby clothes out there - or at least there were a few years back - but they're harder to find.

Having said that, my almost 3 yr old son will almost always pick a t-shirt with a vehicle on it when he's picking out his clothes for the day, if there's a vehicle option available to him.

[Jammiesrock90]

I hate that there is hordes and hordes of girls and a small amount of boys asda is the worst for it. Your lucky to make it out of the girl sections not covered in pink glitter

[5minutestobed]

I agree OP I actually took this pic in Boots the other day as I couldn't believe that literally everything was blue!
Try some Scandinavian clothes, maxomorra are fab. Polarn o pyret(sp?) or frugi all do lovely colourful stuff.

[Spudlet]

I agree. I don't mind the odd tractor but it gets repetitive fast!

[yougottheshining]

Agree about Scandinavian brands. But then Scandinavians in general seem to have things pretty sorted, so it's probably no surprise that their kids clothes are great too.

[SimplyNigella]

I agree, it's harder to find lovely clothes for boys but they are out there. DS generally wears unisex clothes, the Scandinavian brands are great (Smafolk, Maxomorra) as are Tiny Cottons, Bobo Choses, Beau Loves and on the high street Zara are good, some H&M and Little Bird at Mothercare.

[neonrainbow]

sainsburys have some nice gender neutral things/not sludgy boy clothes. stuff with koala bears and things.

[SlinkyB]

Try the Little Bird range at Mothercare (Jools Oliver's brand).

Totally agree though. Last Christmas Boots had a clothing catalogue out which had a page with the headline "Clothes fit for a princess (or prince!)"

Or something like that. Just confirmed the designers always think of boys as an afterthought

[yougottheshining]

This site has some really nice colourful stuff for babies and children of both genders: www.loveitloveitloveit.co.uk/

[Iguessyourestuckwithme]

We dress Dc2 in some of his older sisters clothes. So he has bright colourful leggings, some nice plain/striped/patterned tops, a few warm cardigans.

[ElspethFlashman]

Little Bird is my favourite too.