Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The fear of dressing babies in the "wrong colour"

110 replies

Praisebe · 09/05/2018 23:58

So i was picking up a few bits online for my baby and came across this review for some bibs. Do people actually think this was in RL or is this some sort of joke Confused what does this woman think is going to happen if her baby son wears a pink bib that he'll turn gay or god forbid not be her "little man"

The fear of dressing babies in the "wrong colour"
OP posts:
inappropriateraspberry · 10/05/2018 08:34

When expecting our first, we painted the nursery blue, not knowing the sex of the baby. Everyone seemed to think we must have known it was a boy. We just liked the colour and ended up having a girl! Who wanted to wear a massive pink bow in her hair yesterday, with red wellies and 'boys' tracksuit bottoms! We now have a baby boy, and sure, I'm not putting him in her old dresses, but he's been rocking the pink babygros!

DiddimusStench · 10/05/2018 08:48

Both my girls are in blue today. The oldest because it’s the colour of the school uniform and the youngest because it’s a lovely romper suit (and he flat wear before being out in the too small pile sniff. Oldest DDs favourite colour is blue which MIL just doesn’t understand. If she buys clothes for her she said ‘I got her blue because I know she likes blue but thought I’d get this because it’s still quite girly.’ Hmm

DiddimusStench · 10/05/2018 08:49

AND THE LAST WEAR not flat wear. I am queen of the typos today!!

Pompom42 · 10/05/2018 08:51

I bought my DD some Bing pyjamas and a Peter Rabbit top. Specifically things she'd asked for. And yes I found them in the boys section of the shop but bought them anyway.

Eeeeek2 · 10/05/2018 08:52

My friend is hoping I'm having a girl so I can pass all my ds clothes to her as I won't need them. Urrrr I'm planning on using my ds clothes for the next baby, boy or girl. If it's a girl I might buy a few dresses too (if my mother doesn't get in there first)

GaspingGekko · 10/05/2018 08:57

DS4 loves frills and sequins and "pretty" things. DH is totally convinced that he will catch gay if he ever wears that stuff.
There's a shop I use with a big range of boys and girls tops with sequins on. Love buying them for DS - double bonus of making DS happy and upsetting DHs inner neanderthal.

jaseyraex · 10/05/2018 09:14

I had this with a potty I bought! All the reviews were people moaning that you couldn't choose a colour, so they were upset that they'd recieved a pink potty for their boy and vice versa. As if it matters what colour of potty your kids piss in. The potty isn't even fully pink or blue, it's white with a blue or pink stripe around the bottom! I find it bonkers that colour actually bothers people so much.

Kitsandkids · 10/05/2018 09:17

I like pink and always have done - apparently it was the first colour I knew as a toddler. That said, I don't always want to dress my baby daughter in pink. There's a shop in my town that sells baby clothes and the 'girls' clothes are on one side and 'boys' on the other. Not long ago I stood in the middle in kind of disbelief as every single item on one side was pale pink and every single item on the other was pale blue. No other colours at all. It was like they were sending a message out - girls must wear pink at all times and boys must wear blue.

The local Facebook selling pages are always full of asking for things 'for a boy' or 'for a girl.' When has any baby cared what colour pram it's pushed in or highchair it's sat in?

liquidrevolution · 10/05/2018 09:33

@Eddierusset I have seen adult skirts in the snarly material on the sewing circus website. Worth asking!

JenBarber · 10/05/2018 09:39

The 'mental problems' the lady was refering to was probably (gasp) homosexuality.

bubblegumbubbles · 10/05/2018 10:10

I'm confused by elderly people having a problem with colours used on babies, it's my nan who bought my son his pretty turquoise and pink baby garments. They were very "girly" imho I still put him in them but I'd have thought it wasn't an issue in their generation what you dressed them in?

BrutusMcDogface · 10/05/2018 10:13

Only on MN are little boys running around in dresses.

And in my town.

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 10/05/2018 10:17

Ds had a lot of hair when he was born which never fell out, just got blonder and curlier. Didn't matter what we dressed him in, people assumed he was a girl.

I'm due again in a month and he or she will be wearing their brother's cast offs regardless.

bumble908 · 10/05/2018 10:17

I tried to find dungarees last week for DD and ended up having to buy from the boys section.
They had a unisex section with none there, and the girls only had denim skirts. I was very surprised

BrutusMcDogface · 10/05/2018 10:22

I've seen loads of lovely gender neutral stuff in the shops; next, for example, has a great range. I'm absolutely DONE with bloody unicorns. Angry

BrutusMcDogface · 10/05/2018 10:23

I have bought lots of bright, rainbow coloured, and black and white stuff for the little boy in my tummy!

Quickerthanavicar · 10/05/2018 10:25

At a local school the girls wear blue checked summer dresses. Obviously by Year 6 they are all lesbian car mechanics, but that's something the school will have to live with and all the teachers' cars are in excellent working order.

Mousefunky · 10/05/2018 10:29

I think the worst thing about this is it’s a BIB. They are constantly covered in sick and crusty food anyway so why does it matter what colour it is? It will be murky and brown in no time anyway Grin.

No but seriously, I don’t buy into colour stereotyping at all. My DD’s almost never wear pink. When they were babies they had a variety of colours and patterns. DS had a fluffy leopard print coat with ears, I loved it and he looked adorable in it.

OnTheList · 10/05/2018 14:07

Thanks for all the links to dinosaur dresses Grin

I must have been shopping in the wrong places

Original poster
Praisebe · 10/05/2018 16:53

I've found next to be the worst for it. On their website its very much girls unicorns pink and glitter and boys have dinosaurs bear and stripes etc i was also confused by JL recently with their response to #letclothesbeclothes where they haven't actually done anything about it they've just put tags on the boys range saying For BOYS and Girls and on the girls they put For GIRLS and boys madness people fell for it too Confused

OP posts:
Original poster
Praisebe · 10/05/2018 16:55

Brutus i dont know what im having yet but ive chosen to do the same as you i just love a bright sea of rainbow colours on a baby

OP posts:
BrutusMcDogface · 10/05/2018 16:56

In the next shop in my town there are loads of gender neutral clothes! Confused

BrutusMcDogface · 10/05/2018 16:57

Praisebe- me too! Smile

Original poster
Praisebe · 10/05/2018 16:59

I found loads of nice colours in H&M and Gap too and I've been on Frugi and Mini Boden for a few things

OP posts:
ikeepaforkinmypurse · 10/05/2018 17:03

I hate this kind of threads and the disgusting comments about homosexuals, whilst pretending to be open-minded and modern.

I refuse to put my boys in pink and my girls in blue, they are dressed as boys and girls, that's my choice and nobody's business.
no, I am not afraid they "turn gay", I find this hugely offensive.

Being gay doesn't mean being camp or butch, thank you very much. Being a gay man doesn't mean you have to wear a pink tutu, being gay doesn't make you any less of a man. My boy is not dressed like a girl, it's completely irrelevant if he's straight or not. It's not the point! (and same for girls and being butch).