To buy DS a ‘girly’ hoodie?

[FourteenSixteenTwentyTwo]

DS is 4 and his favourite colour is ‘rainbow’. He doesn’t have a concept of gendered colours, something I’ve been trying to avoid.

I just posted in S&B asking for recommendations for hooded blankets for him for Xmas but then I realised the predicament is actually more about the colour/style.

I have bought myself a beyond tacky pink unicorn hooded blanket for Xmas. Ive bought DP a plain navy blue one*. I know, given a choice, DS would absolutely love to pair with me and have pink and unicorn. And I absolutely don’t mind and usually encourage him to choose what he likes.

However we are now at that age where school play dates are starting and gendered attitudes are starting to come through. DS hasn’t mentioned clothing yet but has alluded time to time about ‘girly’ toys and such - something that didn’t exist in his mind before school.

My concern is that if I do buy him a pink unicorn hoodie he’ll tell his friends or show them when they are around and they will laugh at him. He’s so little and I don’t want to do anything too outside the norm with him that may cause him problems, but nor do I want him to buy into the boys get navy, girls get unicorns. I’m very much of the ‘you be you’ option but so scared for him as bullying is brutal (something I know too well).

So what do you think? AIBU to buy a pink unicorn hoodie for DS?

*DS specifically asked for hooded blanket to wear when working (inc team meetings) hence why his is navy and not also pink. Otherwise I’d be buying him an equally tacky one.

My son is 1 and he has some clothes from the “girls” section just because I like a bit of colour in his wardrobe.
I think companies are getting better (I’m sure I saw something with a rainbow on it last time I was in the boys section of Next) but there’s still a long way to go.
If you overhear any kids or adults say it’s for girls, always challenge them and ask them WHY. They never have a good answer, because there isn’t one.

@FourteenSixteenTwentyTwo

I am going to buy him what he’ll like. I don’t have a problem with him having it at all. 90% of his wardrobe is brightly coloured (mostly Frugi from the sale). The other 10% are gifts from family and very boyish.

I think I’m just worrying more than I should. We were in a toy shop a couple of weeks ago and he told me the dolls were girl toys - I can only assume that’s come from school.

I think I’m going to go with the blue unicorn one from next at any rate. Unicorns like mummy, blue coloured like daddy. Win/win.

If he would prefer the pink unicorn one then go for that over the blue one. There's no point making a half hearted attempt to say yes you can have unicorns but they must be blue. Unless he genuinely prefers blue. It's like saying to girls, yes you can like science but only if it's sparkley.

Aww he sounds like my DS! I buy him whatever he likes. His favourite hat is a glittery Elsa one, he has pink sparkly Crocs and he loves the clothes in the girls’ section. My family are all very macho which I find very cringe and pathetic. DH is the opposite luckily and happily buys him pink water bottles and rainbow merchandise