If you are a fan of the popular American sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S, you must know the episode where Emma, Ross and Rachel’s daughter is often mistaken for a boy. And, so she starts making little Emma wear a bow in her hair to let people know that she is a girl. This incident happens with most babies, as when they are small, it is little challenging for onlookers to distinguish their gender. On the other hand, it is quite frustrating for parents as well to keep on pointing out that he is not a ‘girl’ or she is not their cute little ‘son’.
If you make your little girl wear skirts and dresses, people can easily make it out that she is a girl. However, you wouldn’t want your daughter’s wardrobe to be limited to only these two types of clothing, when there are so many choices around, of shorts, dungarees, jeans, etc. But, again they being boys’ popular clothing can create quite a confusion. So how can you set your child apart. Here are a few ways parents can dress up their kids that help in their gender identity:
Colours: Though personally, I don’t endorse gender-specific colours as I find all colours pretty and think kids look beautiful regardless of the colour, the retail market has separate colours for boys and girls. So pink, violet and pastels are for girls, while blue and orange are for boys. So, take your pick according to the gender of your child.
Prints: For boys, take clothes with prints of teddy bear, boats, fish and horses, while girls’ clothes can have stars, flowers, berries, dolls, etc. If you are buying cartoon prints, popular boys’ characters are Ben and Holly, Spiderman, Superman, Winnie the Pooh, Chhota Bheem, while girls absolutely adore Dora, Sofia the First, Frozen’s Elsa and Anna, Barbie, Hello Kitty, etc.
Slogans: Slogans printed on clothes can also distinguish boys’ clothes from girls’. On boys’ clothing, you will usually find, ‘Mamma’s Little Boy’, ‘Prince Charming’ printed across, while on girls’ clothing, most popular slogans are ‘Daddy’s Little Princess’, ‘Little Ladybird’, ‘Girl Power’, etc.
Patterns: If you have ever gone through sepia coloured photos of your parents’ childhood, you must have noticed that in those days, boys used to wear checks, vertical stripes, etc., while girls had polka dots, floral motifs and paisley prints on their clothes. Not much has changed since the 60s. Even today, checks and stripes are predominantly found in boys’ clothing, while polka dots, florals print and print of cute bugs like bumble bees, butterflies and ladybugs are reserved for girls. I personally like to challenge the stereotype, and as I am a big fan of gingham checks which is très a la mode at the moment, I make my daughter wear them in soft colours that she prefers.
Cuts: Strappy dresses, one shoulder or cold shoulder sleeves are for girls. I don’t know if you have ever noticed that t-shirts in the boys’ section are often square with loose sleeves which allow plenty of movement, while girls’ section have t-shirts and tops with tight sleeves or cinched waist to make them appear feminine.
Paraphernalia: What if you are like me who doesn’t like stereotyping clothes for any specific gender? What if you want to make your son wear pink or your girl blue? Also, most onesies or rompers are unisex and look the same whether it’s for a boy or a girl. What to do in such a case? Well, if you add some paraphernalia to the clothes, it’s not difficult to distinguish between girls and boys.
- Add bows, buttons, ruffles, laces and frills on your girls’ tops, skirts and dresses. My daughter has many pairs of shorts and leggings with lacy trimming and scalloped edging around the neck and sleeves of tops and dresses. Not only they add character to the clothes, but they also make them look dressy and fun. On the other hand, you can pick up a bow or neck tie for your son to wear on his pink or lavender shirt that should make him look like a boy and won’t leave anyone in any confusion as to the gender of the child.
- Hair accessories can also come to your rescue. Hair bands, clips, headbands and tiaras scream that she is a girl, while waist belts with shiny buckles are undoubtedly for boys.
- Cute sleepers, shiny or studded ballerinas or sandals are for girls, while cork floaters, sneakers and shoes are for boys.
I am sure the information will help you dress your baby in a way that no one will ever ask you ‘is it a girl or a boy?’.