Dressing Boys (clothing choices)

[Bathsheba]

Not wanting to hijack BW's thread HERE. I'm hoping to continue the discussion about how we dress our sons.

What, do you believe, crosses the line of appropriate clothing? Do your boy/s only wear masculine colours? Blue, Brown, Black. What is your definition of a masculine colour? Did you dress your baby son in what many consider to be "gender neutral" colours: Green, yellow, red. Do you consider these colours to be gender neutral?

Do you put your son/s in sandals? Are you specific about what type of sandal... eg Pre-1970 it was common to see young boys in T-bar type leather sandals.

Do you feel panicky about the idea that your boy might favour feminine colours or styles? How would you react if your son wanted to wear a dress? or a pink T-Shirt.

Do you think current society has any "hang ups" or inappropriate expectations when it comes to boys clothing? Too limiting? Too message-laden? Or is the current situation really positive due to the "anything goes" policy?

[Phteven]

No problems with my sons wanting to wear pink. I don't fancy pink much myself (although I do wear it on occasion) but if they want to wear it that's their call.
Yasin's favourite jumper last winter was his pink fleece one. I told him he could have any colour on the rack and he picked pink. He also had much love for his glittery white snow boots with furry lining.
Imran has a pink t-shirt - it came off the boy's racks so obviously a few mums must choose pink if they're putting it in the boy's section.
Both my boys wear sandals. I never though that they were feminine before.....
Yasin loves Angelina and has an Angelina book that he likes me to read to him. He also loves Thomas....

ETA - I'm perfectly happy to wear a man's shirt myself if it fits and it's comfy.
As for dresses. If someone sent one of my boys a kilt I'd let him wear it. Yasin has a dish-dash but never wears it. If either of my boys wants to wear a dress they're welcome although I would feel that I should warn them that they might get funny looks and maybe be teased. If they're cool with that then they can wear the dress. They're only little once so why not let them enjoy it without imposing the restrictions of gender on them.
We have some gorgeous photos of my brother dressed as a princess when he was three - now he's 33 and he has no gender issues.

[Bathsheba]

With the sandals: if you are my vintage LOL you might be familiar with children's books like the Little Golden Books series that (Pre-1970's) feature boys (illustrations etc) wearing what many people today might consider to be girly sandals. Personally I like the look... and British children's shoe company Start-Rite still make them... occassionally you might see young male members of the royal family still wearing them. What makes them "girly" I guess is the covered toe. If I can find an image of them I'll link.

[Rouge]

My daughter doesn't wear pink so I don't see myself dressing my son in pink. However if he came to me and said he wanted to wear pink I'd oblige

And if you go back to certain period stages of french fashion, powder blue was a feminine colour and pink (or salmon) was a boys colour. These were very aristocratic colours.

[Phteven]

LOL at the sandals Bath. Yasin has a pair like that. They're hand me downs from my sister. Never occured to me that they were too feminine - they look quite comfy and they're great quality.

[Bathsheba]

Cai: Yep, I mentioned that about blue being feminine, pink being masculine in BW's thread. Interesting how colour symbolism isn't set in stone... how it fluctuates... that it's interpretation is a product of culture, time and place.

Remember how horrified most of 'us' (Australians of the 1980's) were that Lindy Chamberlain chose to dress her DD in black...

Bron: Yes! Fantastic quality! I scour second hand shops for un-used or little used Start-Rite sandals!

[butterfly_warrior]

I haven't had a son to dress for very long, but apart from refusing to put him in a frilly dress, I can honestly say that what I want to dress him in doesn't appear to be particularly "masculine" as it's impossible to find in stores.

Where are the bright colours for baby boys? I'd love to dress him in red and yellow as well as blue, but instead I can only find drab brown, green and grey. Dark, sombre colours with slogans splashed all over them. Dispense with the slogans and give me plain, bright-coloured clothing, dammit!

Obviously, Sam's a little too young to be expressing any obvious preference for clothing... but he is currently wearing a jump suit with pale blue, orange and green stripes which others have considered to be horridly girly, but I think the colours suit him!

I don't think it would worry me too much if Sam wanted to wear a pink shirt when he's older... I think the skirts and dresses would, though... However, if someone were to give us a kilt in DH's family tartan, he may just get dressed in it!

BW

[Rouge]

Remember how horrified most of 'us' (Australians of the 1980's) were that Lindy Chamberlain chose to dress her DD in black...

HAHAHAHAHA!!! Some people are still horrified... believe me

[BeautifulMadness]

when my son was a baby i dressed him in yellow ( as its my fave color ) greens,blues. Now its jeans,he has alot of different colored tops. but most are blues,reds and browns.

he has his sandals they re just sooo cute but he loves them. i think itd be funny to see my son in a dress i think he'd look cute lol

[Bathsheba]

Just to add my thoughts on baby clothes:

Because I had a DD first I had loads of her used baby clothes. And I didn't hesitiate to pop my DS that followed in anything that both fitted, was comfy and not going to raise eyebrows while out shopping LOL so he wore lots of clothes that are what I guess most people would consider to be gender neutral... I recall bottle green, burgundy, white, orange and purple being predominant. However at night I would happily pop him into a pink Bonds grow suit if that's all was left in the drawer. Didn't phase DH either although we did have a bit of a giggle. It really was no biggie.

[Visitor8]

Hmmm Chase had a fairy dress, he walks around the house in high heals (mine) and loves his doll...

If someone has issues seeing my boy wearing a fairy dress, that it THEIR issue not mine lol