![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
costume thoughts: gender and clothing
Jun. 7th, 2005 10:31 pmThis post over at Bitch Ph.D about the struggles she has finding gender-neutral children's clothing for her kid reminded me how we start enforcing outward gender appearances at such ridiculously young ages. Reading through the comments, it turns out that little girls are given a little more leeway, but that the idea of boys wearing pink or nail polish (or both!) is somehow still absolutely verboten, even though it seems small children of both genders like to play dress up and enjoy shiny things.
Thinking back, I can't remember my parents ever pushing my sister and I to wear dresses at any age except when we went to church, and even then it was usually something we could move around (or alternately, sit comfortably) in. The only exception I remember were a pair of diabolically itchy frilly panties, a gift from my grandmother that I was forced to wear only once. I was only about 2 or 3 at the time, and yes - they were so awful I remember them even now! My parents were terrifically sensible people who realized that small children run around and get dirty - I don't think I had more than one pair of shoes at a time until I was in 6th grade or so and started caring about fashion.
But then, we were girls, and I suspect that even 30 years ago it was easier to deal with girls in pants than with boys in bonnets. I shudder to think what would have happened to any brother we might have had - my dad could be very traditional and would have had a coronary if he'd a son with long hair, let alone pierced ears or the other androgynous men's styles I remember from the 1980s :P If the comments over at Bitch PhD are any indication, there are a LOT of fathers and grandfathers who still haven't revised their narrow definition of acceptable masculine style.
Which is a real pity, because some guys can carry off nail polish, or eyeliner, or skirts with wonderful style and still appear totally macho and hot (slim, dramatic gothic guys spring to mind). It's all in the personality, you know, and admittedly you know you've met fairly brave guy when he'll wear a skirt in public (no, kilts do not count).
Still, all those gender-reinforcers might be onto something. I grew up in pants and still wear them most of the time, and love a well tailored suit :P
Thinking back, I can't remember my parents ever pushing my sister and I to wear dresses at any age except when we went to church, and even then it was usually something we could move around (or alternately, sit comfortably) in. The only exception I remember were a pair of diabolically itchy frilly panties, a gift from my grandmother that I was forced to wear only once. I was only about 2 or 3 at the time, and yes - they were so awful I remember them even now! My parents were terrifically sensible people who realized that small children run around and get dirty - I don't think I had more than one pair of shoes at a time until I was in 6th grade or so and started caring about fashion.
But then, we were girls, and I suspect that even 30 years ago it was easier to deal with girls in pants than with boys in bonnets. I shudder to think what would have happened to any brother we might have had - my dad could be very traditional and would have had a coronary if he'd a son with long hair, let alone pierced ears or the other androgynous men's styles I remember from the 1980s :P If the comments over at Bitch PhD are any indication, there are a LOT of fathers and grandfathers who still haven't revised their narrow definition of acceptable masculine style.
Which is a real pity, because some guys can carry off nail polish, or eyeliner, or skirts with wonderful style and still appear totally macho and hot (slim, dramatic gothic guys spring to mind). It's all in the personality, you know, and admittedly you know you've met fairly brave guy when he'll wear a skirt in public (no, kilts do not count).
Still, all those gender-reinforcers might be onto something. I grew up in pants and still wear them most of the time, and love a well tailored suit :P
