Butt Ruffle

Saturday, 3 March 2007

My ultra feminist mother did her job well. Raised to poo-poo gender stereo types, I do the plumbing in the house, used the miter saw, and hate pink. So much have I been raised to hate all things traditionally feminine that I have been doing all that I can to find the perfect going home outfit for Sprout that isn't pink. Today I finally caved to the shopping bug and branched out beyond online to actual stores. I spent what was I beleive well over half an hour in the newborn section of Babies-r-Us searching everywhere for a cute, soft, non pink, hopefully non pastel outfit for Sprout. Going over things twice to make sure I didn't miss anything. Getting increasingly frustrated by the fact that while boy stuff comes in nice rich blues and greens, girl stuff comes in pink, maybe purple, and sometimes yellow or green with pink. They had one thing with frogs and pink (which wouldn't have been completely horrible), but it was for a premie, and after Thursdays fall, I didn't think I should tempt fate and get it just because it was cute.
As I got more frustrated, the oddest thing happened... I started really liking the pink. I think it was the butt ruffles. I realize they're a girly thing, but I like how it sounds. Butt ruffle, butt ruffle, butt ruffle...
I really don't know how it happened, but I almost walked out of the store with a large variety of pink things. Maybe it was something in the air. I managed to resist, and just get something cute and purple that says something about daddy (awww). And the world's softest pair of baby socks, which I am sure will never stay on her feet, and will end up being a dog toy.
I did realize something though, maybe I don't hate pink so much, just the idea of pink. A color that is expressly suposed to be girly. Even beyond the world of newborn attire, its girly. There may be a few men out there who own a pink hued dress shirt, but those men tend to be girly metro sexuals, or ones that think because it cost over 100 the color doesn't matter. Boys don't have anything like that. Blue is a universal color, or else we wouldn't have our great American love affair with our jeans. Green as well is everywhere. When my mom was working so hard to tear down gender stereotypes with me, did she dress my brother in pastels... No. She dressed him in primary colors. Not always easy for any infant, but far easier for a boy. Colored onsies for girls come in shades of light pink and white. For boys they come in white to navy. I found one multi color pack for girls with a darker purple, but that was one, out of many.
The end result, I'm rebelling by dressing my daughter in pink. Not exclusively pink, but there will be pink. Among other things, the risk of telling everyone you're having a girl means that you will get lots of pink. I'll stop fighting it, and give in to the pink. Especially knowing that people who really know me, know I'm a non traditional type of girl. The kind that thinks black on babies is uber cool. (especially when it looks like this: http://www.blacksheepbaby.com) They'll branch out from the pink so Sprout will have variety in her life.

I do believe I'm getting closer to have the outfit for going home figured out. Still can't explain why I'm obsessed.

I found a yellow with pink printed stuff on it coverall thingy. No mitten hands, but you can't have everything.

A green and pink flowered romper thingy, but I would need to get socks and such for it. Maybe for a party later or something.

And, kid you not, a blue and white floral, with ruffles, so I know its "girl" body suit. Again, no on the mitten hands. Oh well.