old chestnut - pink for girls - driving me nuts

[nellieellie]

I know its been a thread before but I am so tired of the difficulty getting my 18mth DD clothes that are not pink. Don't get me wrong, she has some pink clothes but I really resent the fact that in some shops, everything for girls is pink. It's not just the clothes either, but even toys seems to be gender-marked. I go round to a friends house and her little girls snap their clothes off and put on pink tutus and look at themselves in the mirror; friends who bought my DS imaginative activity toys give DD clothes and dolls (in pink). Friends with older children hold "princess parties" for their little girls and little girl friends. My DD looks nothing like a boy but routinely is termed "little boy" at toddler groups/parks etc because she is not wearing pink. And this despite her flowing wavy hair and inch long eyelashes.
Other people talk of how their little girls are so interested in their appearance, and as young as 2 look at themselves in the mirror to see if they are "pretty".
I'm sure that the gender divide on clothes is worse than ever - as is the way toys are marketed as either for boys or girls. The worrying thing for me is that while toys for boys is invariably about doing stuff, or being active, girls toys have a bias towards appearance and looks - "prettiness". What is so good about a "princess" at a Princess party? - presumably dressing up and looking a certain way. For boys,say a "pirate party" is about rushing around, putting on silly voices and climbing up the crows nest - or sort of. I just remember my childhood as being fantastically oblivious to how I looked - having too much fun playing and running about. I don't want to isolate my little girl from her peers - and have nothing against a little bit of pink and dressing up from time to time but I don't want her to be sitting in front of a mirror putting bows in her hair (or getting me to) in the morning before she goes to nursery. I just want her to be a kid. Eating disorders are on the increase and I honestly think that in creating an enclosed world of pink and princesses for our girls we are giving too much emphasis on looks and appearance.

I can see them now. And am appropriately jealous!

Message withdrawn

nappyaddict no she had no pink- at all. I told everyone from day 1 no pink. MIL didn't like it but soon got the message. The only vaguely frilly stuff also came from MIL

She is 23 now. If I was trying to do the same thing with DD2 it would just be impossible.

It's not impossible but difficult. My friend doesn't like pink either and it involves lots of traipsing around every shop in the city as opposed to how i shop for DS and get it all in one shop

Lovely lovely clothes christiana!

Thanks dancingqueen for the www.pinkstinks.co.uk website. Great to know there is a campaign about this. Some of the stats on the site re girls wearing make-up and perfume is scary.........

I've just been shopping for my DD and in Primark, Next and Zara they have loads of things for little girls which are not pink (but still girly/ pretty). Loads of gingham green/ yellow/ yes and pink! Stripes in red and green etc etc. And loads of blue dresses etc.

I remember reading an article by Maggie Alderson and she had a theory that girls who are deprived of pink as children are the women that grow up to be constant pink wearers, adult barbie enthusiasts and generally end like Barbara Cartland, Marilyn Monroe or Anna Nicole Smith. If you let them wear pink they will eventually decide turn into women that are fashionable.

Or they might end up like my SIL who wears pink from head to toe and will only buy pink phones etc. I didn't wear a lot of pink as a child because it doesn't really suit me and I don't wear it now. Theories are all very well but unless they're backed up by some research, they're just theories.

It was a jokey theory. Sorry I didn't clarify myself properly.
But yes I hate all the pink. I did find that when buying clothes for my unborn neice/nephew it was all very pink blue or beige. Very little green, yellow etc.. I ended up finding some stuff in TK Maxx, POP and Monsoon (not the cheapest though).
I still buy a lot of stuff from Australia though. Bonds are great for bright colours.
www.bonds.com.au/catalogue/#baby/387/4339

Oh, sorry, think that was my fault for being humourless! Having slight sense of humour failure as I have a vomiting two year old and she wants mainly to lie on me and vomit. Which is nice.

Bonds do gorgeous stuff.

And what is that beige thing about? I find it hard to think of a less cheerful colour to dress a baby in!

Oh dear. Have you thought about wearing a bin liner? I did this once. Works a treat!

Actually, that is a genius idea. Thank you! We both smell vile.

agree - too much pink can cloying. but, i loved pink as a little girl as it was rare in the seventies - clothes were darker it seems - perhaps better for wear and tear and did not show the dirt! brown was very popular in our house with five kids and no washing machine!
sainsbury's - just bought lots of non pink clothes in lilac, blue, yellow, and primark do some nice cheap funky girls clothes.
also, la redoute.