To put my son in leggings with kisses on them?

[changedmyusername6]

The comments today have included:

"Oh X I normally love what you put him in but those make him look so camp" (camp??? I was shocked)

"Are those your DD's?"

"They're so feminine, he looks like a little girl with short hair"

AIBU to think it's ridiculous? He's not in a dress and tights.

That’s a standard girl outfit. You can of course put your ds in it, but unless you’ve been living under a tick for the last 20 years you can’t be surprised that people comment.

iamagreyhound when is the last time you shopped for a young boy? Pink has been a fashionable colour in the boys section for quite a while

They're more typically feminine leggings.

If he was old enough to choose and wanted then then I'd say all power to you.

But he's not and you're picking his clothes so it seems like you know that it's going to cause a stir.

I'm all for breaking down fixed gender stereotypes, but do feel a bit off (not sure why) when I see parents actively dressing their child in things clearly designed for the opposite sex when the child isn't old enough to have decided. It almost feels like some people (general here not the OP) seem to think they get brownie points for sticking a boy in a dress and then going 'omg!!! I can't believe people thought my 7 month baby boy was a girl just because we dressed him in a pink unicorn onesie and a tutu with sparkles on. How can people be so closed minded'

Llama leggings are great. I hate the lip ones, I think they are inappropriate for boys or girls. They are not kisses, those lips are sexualised. The mouth and the drool look like they’re lips at the point of orgasm. Wouldn’t put them on a child. Just because people sell things on Etsy doesn’t mean you should buy them!

It’s not a unisex outfit. You are completely free to use it for a boy or girl, but that applies to all things and is not the definition of unisex.
Maybe you need to start letting him choose his own outfits, op?!

Rock not tick obvs

There's so much pink in the boys section? Do people really not notice?

Or are they vampire lips? I still wouldn’t put it on a kid though.

He looks really cute and it's a cool outfit but I probably wouldn't put a 4 year old boy in it because of people's negative reactions.

I always remember my mum wanting me to wear this dress to a christening which was really an old fashioned party dress and over the top. Other children at the christening were laughing and sniggering at me. I was only 3 or 4 but it stayed with me.

He can pick his own outfits.

If he’d asked for it, fair enough, but I think you’re being a bit try hard; deliberately dressing your ds in a pink Tshirt and kiss patterned leggings combo and then disingenuously pretending to be shocked that people have an opinion on it.

^ This.

I’m no fan of gendered clothing and it irks me that girls/boys clothing is so firmly split girl/boy so young in the U.K. DD often chooses from the boy stuff and nobody bats an eyelid. I don’t have an issue with any child wearing any clothing. But for you to pretend you think this is a unisex outfit is crazy. The leggings might be right on the verge but teamed with a pastel pink tee, that’s a gendered outfit whether you want to pretend or not.

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I agree with both of the above.

Just seems like you did it knowingly to try and make a point/push people's buttons.

At 4 I'm very surprised your son doesn't have an opinion on what he wears.

I certainly wouldn't pass comment but i would assume your son had raided his sister's clothes. If he chose them, whatever, if you did.....unless it was a laundry emergency in which case anything goes. Remembering 9 year old DS in cousin's Barbie pyjamas

Geraldine I think you’re looking at a different pair. The OP’s are a sort of olive green with pale pink lipstick prints on

He doesn't have an opinion on what he wears yet

He can pick his own outfits

Which one is it?

I wouldnt put either gender in them 🤔

they are fine my lb is 5 and wears leggings with all colours and patterns on them he loves them , he also wears all different colour tops , coats, rainbow wellies and has long hair. We both like what he wears and he's 5 and loves colours. He gets loads of compliments and also does sometimes get mistaken for a girl but so what I don't see that as a insult and he chooses what to wear. I don't see why other people care that much what anyone else child wears. There are plenty of things I don't like but it's none of my business

Oh I thought it was the pair on the last page with the red lips, sorry. Seen the right ones now.

Yeah, the top would be pretty standard for a boy these days, the leggings are a bit girly but if he’s not objecting I really can’t see the problem. They look practical and comfortable which is the main thing for a 4 yo.

It’s not like you’re dressing him up in a sparkly princess outfit and announcing ‘Ptolemy hasn’t decided his gender yet’ is it?

Thanks namechange for pointing out btw.

It's all very well saying he can pick his own clothes but are all the clothes you buy for him chosen purposely to make a statement and give the 'shock factor'? Because if that's the case it doesn't really matter what he chooses, it'll have the same (intended) impact as the leggings

Thanks namechange for pointing out btw

More than welcome, I’m clearly a bit overinvested in leggings today

I think he looks cute OP. I don't like the kisses print personally so wouldn't have bought them for my DS (2.9) but if it had been a different print in the same colours I would've. I'd also have dressed him in a pink tee, DS has a couple of pink tees which shock horror, were bought from the boys' section!

I dress my DS in leggings all the time, I've only ever bought them from the boys section. He's very slender and I've now however decided I'll be buying his jeans/jeggings from the girls' section from now on as I'm sick of jeans falling down on him.

DS is wearing what some ludicrous people will say is effeminate today - plain black leggings and a dusky pinky long sleeve top. BOTH from the boys' section!

They're not to my taste but look unisex to me

Im really not keen on the print on the leggings.... the pink tshirt is fine- I have seen them in boys multipacks too, I think leggings are practical and comfortable.. they aren’t for me or my sons but again I can see why people chose them, but there is nothing unisex about those leggings at all... to me it’s like you are making a political statement through your son!

Oh god this thread is horrible! My DD likes (and chooses) clothes with dinosaurs/ trucks etc and is always misgendered, which she actually doesn’t tend to give a shit about, though is very happily a girl. We’ve taught her to politely correct them and move on. But for some reason this is even worse for boys who are always policed on anything pink.

OP, people will always have an opinion on this because their brains are stuck in the 1950s and shock horror, you’ll give him the gay if he wears kisses.

If he truly doesn’t care what he wears, then it’s brilliant that you can give him a range of options (yes, including pink!) so that he can make his own mind up. And teach him to correct any misgendering if/when it happens.

Life is not colour-coded!

To all those getting up in arms about others describing them as camp, the dictionary definition of camp as an adjective is 'effeminate', which is entirely appropriate to this debate