When it comes to dressing our little girls, we focus way too much on what looks cute on them and way too less on how clothing affects them. When we dress our little girls, we are creating an identity for them. We set up a foundation of style through which they can express themselves as they grow older. For the longest time, I stood by the idea that girls should be allowed to wear whatever they want. That there was no right or wrong way to dress your little girl. Going by the title of this blog, I’m sure you can tell my views have changed. Here’s what I think!
Pretty only in pink?
Attributing a baby’s gender to colour is something we’ve followed for generations. If you spot a piece of clothing in a bright pink colour in a store, high chances are that it’s for a girl/woman. Sure, your little girl might look nice in pink but I bet she will look good in blue too. Our minds have been programmed to reach out for this pretty colour first when we are shopping for our daughters. There is nothing wrong in your daughter liking pink, but until she decided that’s her favourite colour let her try other shades instead of stacking her wardrobe with all shades of pink!
Confining her choices to feminine clothing!
I myself am guilty of following this rule stringently the first few years after my daughter’s birth. In fact, one of the reasons I always wanted a daughter was so that I could dress her up in cute dresses, skirts, and gowns. It took a while for me to realise that I was limiting her choice to “pretty feminine outfits”. I didn’t want my daughter to grow up thinking she had to dress only in girly outfits. I wanted her to be comfortable wearing whatever she wanted but I wouldn’t achieve that if I continued dressing her the way I did. Now, she has a variety of clothing options from baggy tee shirts, shorts, jeans to dungarees.
Putting her in costumes that perpetuate gender stereotypes!
Why is it that most of the costume options for girls are limited to either being cute or pretty? Is being a princess every girl’s biggest dream? What if my daughter wants to be the Scarecrow from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ or even a mechanic? This Halloween, my daughter wanted to be a pirate and I couldn’t have been happier. Dressing your little girl in costumes that perpetuate gender stereotypes should be a thing of the past. Next time, don’t hesitate to choose Elastigirl or even Edward Scissorhands over Elsa!
Masking her natural beauty!
I know I might get a lot of flak for this but this is just my opinion. I do not believe in little girls wearing makeup. More often than not, makeup is used as a tool to mask our flaws. So what message are we sending to our young girls when we let them wear makeup? What flaws do they have that they need to cover up? I let my daughter try on my lipstick sometimes just for the fun of it but I’d never let her wear makeup seriously. I want her to value her characteristics more than her outer appearance.
As the mother of a young daughter, these are just some of my thoughts on how little girls should not be dressed. But I’d like to know your perspective too. Let me know in the comments below as to what you think!
