On numerous occasions there has been discussion on here about girliness, pinkness, gender definition through clothing, and more specifically, the notion that girls only wear pink, and on some occasions I have lamented the fact that Pia gets called a boy – a fact I know does not waver irrespective of whether she is wearing all pink and frills or not. Many of you have pointed out to me that, indeed, it wouldn’t make any difference and that she will probably continue to be called a boy till she has long hair and her hair is pulled back with cute little clips. It is true that we don’t subscribe to the typical girly baby conforms of pink, lavender or embroidered flowers on everything. It is true we don’t have pink sheets, blankets or stroller things. But that doesn’t mean I don’t achieve some femininity for Pia – there is always something she is wearing which defines her as a girl (well, most of the time). Since she started getting (very) mobile, and standing up and crawling around, I have felt the need to perhaps venture into the unknown realm of The Skirt. I could, perhaps, fashion a nice little skirt, with structure, out of some fabrics, which would stop all those people calling her a boy. Surely a little red skirt, with little red squirrels on it, would scream Little Girl? Surely all the sales assistants, all those mothers at the park, all those other children, would see she was dressed in lovely cashmere of the finest quality, and cute Japanese fabrics….they would all rush to call her a girl.
Apparently not.
[Red cashmere courtesy of Blossom. Red squirrel fabric from Superbuzzy. Grey knit Fold Top 6.5st]
Why dont you get her one of those pink headbands with a little bow on top..hehe
My little girl was mistaken for a boy all the time, and now my baby boy is mistaken for a girl. I can't win.
Posted by: Jo | July 16, 2007 at 09:39 PM
can relate with my little girl. even kim beazley called her a boy AND she was wearing pink. true. my mum used to sticky tape bows to my head... now there's an idea. NOT! :) anyway, i think pia looks gorgeous!
Posted by: kirsten | July 16, 2007 at 09:49 PM
For what it's worth my nephew is always mistaken for a girl!
She's adorable buy-the-way and love the outfit!
Jill
Posted by: Jill | July 16, 2007 at 10:06 PM
Oh yes, it can be hard to deal with the world's assertion about gender. Amy was labeled boy no matter what. Perhaps it was the very bald head, perhaps she really did look like a boy (whatever that is), perhaps people made assumptions about me, and thought I looked like the mother of a boy (now there's food for thought).
I don't know.
But the days she wore pink and dresses and skirts were the same as the days she wore jeans and red and grey so I gave up. And some days I didn't care at all and others I did and I'm not at all sure why those days were like they were and why the others were like they were.
Did everyone call Max a boy? Because I'm dying to see if anyone thinks Wil's a girl...
Posted by: sooz | July 16, 2007 at 10:08 PM
I say WHO CARES- Pia is a beautiful baby who is way beyond her time!
Posted by: Meagan | July 16, 2007 at 10:22 PM
I could go on about this forever. My girls was also called a boy and my boy is called a girl. I love Pia's little skirt and top and I cannot believe how big she is.
Posted by: Mama Urchin | July 16, 2007 at 10:25 PM
She's beautiful. and feminine in a perfectly understated way.
Posted by: Alicia A. | July 16, 2007 at 11:57 PM
oh my! she is so big and beautiful...and dressed to perfection.
davis has been called a boy even while wearing pink, flowers, ruffles, a dress, a skirt... whatever. doesn't matter. one day she'll be able to tell people herself that she is a girl. until then i just smile and laugh to myself.
i do draw the line at glueing a bow to her head with a drop of honey as my mother keeps threatening. thankfully mom lives far away and davis' hair seems to be growing in quickly. ;)
Posted by: girlh | July 17, 2007 at 12:03 AM
I have to tell you, I've had two little baby girls myself (they aren't babies anymore though) and it made NO difference what I dressed them in, everyone still thought they were boys. I quickly learned that comments about my "sons" were good for a laugh and that it was much more fun to dress them in anything I thought made them look good.
I think Pia is stunning.
Posted by: Amanda | July 17, 2007 at 12:32 AM
I am guilty of having a pink stroller and dressing June in pink most of the time to distinguish her as a girl and it doesn't matter, everyone thinks she's a boy no matter what...
What a beautiful outfit, I cannot wait until more of those fold tops are available. And baby leggings!! What a great idea, I will have to keep an eye out for those this fall so she can still wear her dresses!
Posted by: Bertha | July 17, 2007 at 12:34 AM
pia is a trendy baby girl to me, doesn't matter what you put on her! i adore the red cashmere with grey leggings! (do you like color fuchsia on girls? i think that's the beautiful version of pink!)
Posted by: blossom | July 17, 2007 at 12:42 AM
You can't win for trying. I've already told you my two best stories about Lola being mistaken for a boy: her being changed in an airport men's room and a guy at the next sink calling her a "cute little fella" then correcting himself when he saw her barrette... all while she was naked from the waist down, and then by a woman in a natural foods store because her carseat was blue. It's all ridiculous and convuluted and by the time Astrid came around a few years later I'd stopped trying to make sense of it.
We want our children to be recognized by others for who and what they are. No parent can be faulted for that. It's the world and our strange ideas of gender that are fucked up, not you, Alison.
Pia is gorgeous. Her skirt is pretty fabulous too.
Posted by: Sarah | July 17, 2007 at 01:03 AM
I don't get people. My 9-month-old son was wearing shorts white with small orange polka dots (and appliqued onesie) and someone thought he was a girl. Apparently boys can only wear blue, too. I must have missed that rule.
Posted by: Lera | July 17, 2007 at 01:14 AM
My kids wore almost exactly the same baby clothes, which I considered gender neutral. My son was almost always thought to be a girl (he was blonde) and my daughter to be a boy (she was brunette.)
At least she'll get to hear that she's strong and smart, which is statistically said more to babies people assume to be boys.
My daughter wouldn't wear skirts once she was moving. Hard to crawl in.
Posted by: radmama | July 17, 2007 at 01:19 AM
Well, you already know how I feel about the whole dressing like a "girl" or "boy" issue. ;) Pia is the best dressed little girl out there and will be the envy of all her little playmates!
Posted by: sally | July 17, 2007 at 02:21 AM
I think she looks like an ever so adorable little girl.
and I have told you a million times... your style and taste in dressing her- Id be thrilled to have it applied to me :)
Posted by: stinkerbell | July 17, 2007 at 04:17 AM
What a gorgeous outfit, I love those colors together!
What would get me is how people would sometimes get so defensive when I would correct them, as if I had somehow deliberately misled them, ahaha.
Posted by: Donna | July 17, 2007 at 04:49 AM
People used to constantly refer my youngest daughter as a boy, even if she was in a black-and-white dress with a ruffle collar. Honestly, I just don't think people are even really paying attention.
Posted by: Rachel | July 17, 2007 at 05:28 AM
i am kinda having the opposite problem with my little ones...i have twin boys and one is always being mistaken for a girl (he is super cute and has these gorgeous full lips, could that be it?) the other guy is just handsome, no mistaking him. it makes me feel for the little guy, but he is too young to know, so why worry, eh? i guess the blue stuff just is not identifying enough for little mason. pia is looking so grown, i love her very unique outfits...so lovely.
Posted by: mamie | July 17, 2007 at 06:26 AM
you can't win, don't try. love the outfit. having to baldy babies I have found that lack of hair throws everyone off, no matter what your kids wear. no one could ever get the sex of my kids right.
Posted by: Christie | July 17, 2007 at 07:57 AM
my older son was taken for a girl constantly when he was a baby and toddler, even if he was wearing a total "boy" outfit with matching hat.
now he is 10 and likes to wear his hair shoulder-length -- and he is taken for a girl all the time! he just shrugs it off and says he thinks some people aren't up on what's in style. so true!
(your daughter is gorgeous! :^)
Posted by: Lori | July 17, 2007 at 09:19 AM
Some days I dress my 9 m.o. daughter in head to toe pink and people still ask whether she is a girl or a boy.
I think it's the hair thing. Daisy is nearly bald and therefore is taken to be a boy. Once they have long hair then they are obviously a girl!
I just think that are beautiful babies.
Posted by: Jo | July 17, 2007 at 09:26 AM
Well, either way (and I have no qualification to comment) she looks cute as a button in her lovingly handcrafted clothes.
Posted by: Jessicah | July 17, 2007 at 10:48 AM
Yes you can never win I can dress the girls head to toe in pink and people always asked if there was one of each (one of each what?). Now they wear a lot of boys clothes - why does it seem most girls clothes are light pink and velour - darker colours don't show the mud.
Posted by: Kate | July 17, 2007 at 10:48 AM
It doesn't matter what you do.
People don't look.
Posted by: Shula | July 17, 2007 at 11:29 AM