3/28/12 Gazette.Net: Pink for girls, blue for boys? Prince George¶s author says clothing¶s not so black-and-white 1/3 gazette.net/…/pink-for-girls-blue-for-boys-prince-george-s-author-says-clothing-s%26template%3Dga… Mar\land Communit\ News Online Follow us: _ Weather _ Traffic _ Contact Us _ Mobile Communities Classifieds Ga]etteBu\andSell Calendars SEARCH Wednesday, March 28, 2012 Share E-mail Comment Print More News Unfunded liability of teacher pensions not likely to shift New buildings almost complete for government- run senior care in Frederick County Fort Washington Forest partners with nonprofit to bring mentorship, guidance to students Maryland legislators consider 6 anti-human trafficking laws In Montgomery, Gifted and Talented labeling debate comes to the fore advertisement Wendy Rittman was so frustrated with the clothing options available for her 8-year-old daughter that she opened her own online boutique in 2011. “We just couldn¶t find the right mix of clothing for her,” said Rittman of Mitchellville, who founded My Bougie Baby. “The clothes I sell now say, µI¶m a girl, but I don¶t need to be in pink and tulle to be a girl.¶” Jo Paoletti of University Park, a professor in American studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, had similar concerns about gender stereotypical clothing while raising her daughter and son, now 30 and 25. She spent the past 30 years researching why people in the U.S. typically dress girls in pink and boys in blue, and her research now has been published in a book, “Pink and Blue: Telling the Boys from the Girls in America,” which is part academic research, part history and part personal narrative of Paoletti¶s own experience with children¶s clothing. During her research, she met other Prince George¶s parents who had similar concerns and were looking for ways not to dress their children in gender stereotypes. “There are girls who are tomboys. There are boys who are not macho men,” Paoletti said. “Kids that are gender-non- conforming, like the boy who wants a pink shirt, interpret the FOSTER PARENTS NEEDED Kidspeace has 2 locations that serve Families for children of all ages are n Especially seeking families for adoles mothers, and sibling groups. Training and financial support provided. Click here for more information. Looking for the right home perfect neighborhood? Click here to learn ever\thing \ou want to know about neighborhoods before \ou bu\ Need a car? Find lots of local cars for sale. Click here. ADVERTISEMENTS RECENTLY POSTED JOB Telephone Part-Time CHARITY A great National Children's Center/Apogee Retail CLEANING Merry Maids - Gaithersburg MAINTENANCE AND FOOD SERVICE MARLTON GOLF CLUB - Upper Marlboro Montgomer\ Prince George's Frederick Sports Business Politics Entertainment Opinions JOBS CARS COMMEN76 (0) Pink for girls, blue for boys? Author says clothing¶s not so black-and-white University of Maryland professor looks at history of children¶s outfits in new book b\ Holl\ Nunn, Staff Writer Holly Nunn/The Gazette Trends in children¶s clothing in the past tw o decades have polarized girls¶ and boys¶ clothing, w hich author Jo Paoletti of University Park said puts children into binary categories and leaves little room to express different w ays of being a boy or a girl.
3
Embed
Pink for girls, blue for boys? Author says clothing¶s not …pnc/Gazette-3-28-12.pdfPink for girls, blue for boys? Author says clothing s not so black-and-white University of Maryland
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
3/28/12 Gazette.Net: Pink for girls, blue for boys? Prince George’s author says clothing’s not so black-and-white
In Montgomery, Gifted and Talented labelingdebate comes to the fore
advertisement
Wendy Rittman was so frustrated with the clothing options
available for her 8-year-old daughter that she opened her
own online boutique in 2011.
“We just couldn’t find the right mix of clothing for her,” said
Rittman of Mitchellville, who founded My Bougie Baby. “The
clothes I sell now say, ‘I’m a girl, but I don’t need to be in
pink and tulle to be a girl.’”
Jo Paoletti of University Park, a professor in American
studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, had
similar concerns about gender stereotypical clothing while
raising her daughter and son, now 30 and 25.
She spent the past 30 years researching why people in the
U.S. typically dress girls in pink and boys in blue, and her
research now has been published in a book, “Pink and Blue:
Telling the Boys from the Girls in America,” which is part
academic research, part history and part personal narrative
of Paoletti’s own experience with children’s clothing.
During her research, she met other Prince George’s parents
who had similar concerns and were looking for ways not to
dress their children in gender stereotypes.
“There are girls who are tomboys. There are boys who are
not macho men,” Paoletti said. “Kids that are gender-non-
conforming, like the boy who wants a pink shirt, interpret the
FOSTER PARENTS NEEDED!Kidspeace has 2 locations that serve Maryland.
Families for children of all ages are needed.Especially seeking families for adolescents, teenmothers, and sibling groups. Training, guidance,and financial support provided. Click here for more information.
Looking for the right home in theperfect neighborhood?Click here to learneverything you want toknow aboutneighborhoods beforeyou buy
Need a car?Find lots of local cars forsale. Click here.
ADVERTISEMENTS
RECENTLY POSTED JOBS
Telephone Part-Time CHARITY A great
National Children's Center/Apogee Retail
CLEANING
Merry Maids - Gaithersburg
MAINTENANCE AND FOOD SERVICE
MARLTON GOLF CLUB - Upper Marlboro
Montgomery Prince George's Frederick Sports Business Politics Entertainment Opinions JOBS CARS
COMMENTS (0)
Pink for girls, blue for boys? Author says clothing’s not soblack-and-whiteUniversity of Maryland professor looks at history of children’s outfits in new book
by Holly Nunn, Staff Writer
Holly Nunn/The Gazette Trends in children’s clothing in the
past tw o decades have polarized girls’ and boys’ clothing,
w hich author Jo Paoletti of University Park said puts
children into binary categories and leaves little room to
express different w ays of being a boy or a girl.
3/28/12 Gazette.Net: Pink for girls, blue for boys? Prince George’s author says clothing’s not so black-and-white