Lamentation on the Color Pink

I have a small list of things that need researching. Maybe by me. But more likely by someone on a quest for a Master's thesis topic. One of the items on the above-mentioned list is how the color pink became the call-sign for almost every US-born baby girl. I'm sure it started out as a way to avoid embarrassment, as babies do tend to look pretty androgynous. ("You're baby boy is so darling!" "Yes, ma'am. She is." Oops!)

A century ago, discerning girl infant from boy infant must have seemed like an impossible feat. Those old Victorian photos show even the male of the species adorned in frilly white layettes with a lacy matching bonnet. If I try dressing my boys like that these days, I would hear about it for sure.

About pink, though. Try finding an outfit for a girl (age 0-5 years) that is NOT pink, purple, or a combination of the two. They are rare. Having birthed a couple girls, it didn't take a long time to get pretty sick of the color.

But it's not JUST the pigment of the color pink that has come to represent a problem in my mind. What does pink represent? I think of it kind of like a newborn's corset, nibbling away at her future range of motion. Why you might ask? Okay, I'll get into it:

After my first son came along, I noticed a huge diversity of shades, styles, and patterns in his wardrobe.  My excitement for his dressing routine contrasted greatly with that of my daughter, whose clothes all looked like they'd fallen out of a bottle of Tums. It's true, the boy got a whole rainbow with an abundance of styles:  stripes, tie-dyes, plains, and a huge array of prints. But my daughter's outfits proved equally limited in color and style. Frills, flowers, sparkles, and princesses. Yep. That's about it.

Don't get me wrong! I'm so very grateful for all the clothes. Anyone would be. But the difference between little girl and little boy choices really interests me. Especially since a difference really does seem to exist--right from the get-go.

So, the cuteness of pink apparel on a baby girl cannot be denied. Huge cuteness factor! But when everyone wears it, do we even notice it anymore?

Something else to research, too:  What effect, if any, do these pinks and princesses have on young females--since it's practically all they've got in the closet? Are they getting a message from us adults? Do our clothing gifts whisper a certain expectation for beauty, perfection, and girl-appropriate activities? While boys sport the baby soccer jerseys and the empowered super-heroes, all the pinks and princesses really do is look lovely and maybe sing. (Too bad we don't have any prints of those maidens slamming a volleyball or solving a math equation.)

It's a small thing, for sure:  the color of baby clothes. But my kid is small, too. The clothes look bigger to her.

You want to know the saddest part of all? I really, really like to wear pink myself.