Strollerderby : clothing

American Apparel Leggings - Crass or Cute?

Brett Singer — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:40:00 GMT

When you think "kids", you think "fashion." And when you think "fashion", you think "Lamé".

That's Lamé, as in "lah-may", not lame, as in dopey. (Or, if you're a little nerdy, the LAME MP3 encoder.)

Anyway, I personally don't think of fashion when I think of kids, and I hardly ever think of lamé, gold or any other color. American Apparel however, the fashion company with the creepy ads, apparently thinks "toddlers + lamé leggings = GREAT idea.

A reader tipped us off to these "shiny leggings" which are available for adults, and also your kids!

The adult version is described as "A flash from the past, these sexy leggings are easily dressed up for a night on the town." The kiddie version? "Our shiny Lamé leggings, now available for little ones."

So... what does this mean? That the "sexy leggings" you love are now available for your daughter?

The kiddie leggings are "Not intended for sleepwear." Both adult and child sizes are "Form-fitting." Good to know.

In general, I find American Apparel's ads wicked creepy. The models look awfully young and, as The Onion so brilliantly parodied, often look drugged. (I'm not saying they are drugged. But that seems to be the look that the company is going for.) So the idea of the same people making children's clothing gives me the heebie-jeebies.

BUT! What do you think? Are the kiddie lamé leggings cute? Or creepy?

Image: American Apparel

Baby Toupee Creator Speaks

Teacher in Affair with 6th-Grader to Host 'Hot for Teacher' Night

Australian Kiddie Show Star Appears In Laddie Mag

Classic Mother Songs For Mother's Day

Japanese Potty Training Video

6 Reasons Why it Sucks to Be a Kid Today

Cole Gamble — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Rebecca Kelly feels very sorry for today's youth. We had it better. According to her, "back in the good old days, being a kid was awesome, but now today's youth is choking on yuppified bulls*** like organic nonsense, parental controls, and more."

1) Food is No Fun

When we were kids we had lunches packed with Fruit By the Foot, Teddy Grahams, and Squeeze Its. Now kids get organic crap like fruit leathers, vegetable-flavored “chips” that have the texture of packing cellophane, and sugar-free, 100% juice. What ever happened to “3% juice” juice that you could squeeze out of a cartoon face? Sure, some kids nowadays still have gloriously unhealthy lunches, but yuppie parents regard these children as contagious chunksters who could pass the “fat” virus onto their precious kids via direct, sticky-handed contact.

2) Clothing Has Gotten Ridiculous

Young girls have belly-baring shirts, kid-sized halter tops, and rhinestones on everything, while young boys look like mini douche bags with their youth-sized rugby shirts and cargo shorts. Pre-teens are just as bad: girls are pairing leggings with everything and boys are popping every collar they can get their hands on. What happened to Osh Kosh overalls and cute crap like duckies and froggies on little kids' shirts? Why the hell would you want your 7-year-old to go to school wearing a t-shirt that says “spoiled brat” and hot pants that have the word “princess” emblazoned on the butt?

3) Parents are Too Paranoid

In the good ol' days, we could go exploring in the woods behind our house, climb the tallest tree in our yard, and sled down the stairs in our house using a blanket or a laundry basket. Our parents didn't care as long as we came for dinner when they shouted. Now everything in the house is childproof, kids are on leashes so they don't stroll more than two feet away from their parents, and parents go insane if their kid gets a single scratch or bump. Cuts and bruises gave us character, and they taught us valuable lessons that we were able to learn for ourselves (e.g., stoves are hot, roofs are high, table corners are pointy).

Now that I come to think of it, I don't know why I didn't perish as a kid in a roof-jumping off accident or from obsesity triggered juvinle diabetes. Man, we do parent our kids like wussies these days.

To read more of Rebecca's article, go here.

More Good Stuff:

8 "PG" Movies Way Too Scary for Kids

Disturbing Baby-Swinging PSA

Dumb Kiddy Product Makeovers

9 Steps to Keep Your Kid from Ruining a Wedding

Eating Your Baby's Placenta

10 Great Books For (Traumatizing) Children

Don't Give Me Your Tired, Your Stained

JeanneSager — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:35:00 GMT

The best thing about giving birth eleven months after my aunt? We are swimming in the hand-me-downs.

No, I'm not the type to turn my nose up at some free goodies for my kid. But I'm learning not all hand-me-downs are created equal.

Case in point: the onesies spotted in mold from being left covered in spit-up in a laundry basket. Seriously, you didn't think this should just be chucked out?

Nor am I a fan of the t-shirt with juice stains down the front from a dribbling toddler's first attempts with a real cup. Face it, kids are slobs until they get a handle on coordination.

So why do parents think it's OK to pass these kinds of clothes down to someone else? You could say I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth, but really, these aren't gifts. This is garbage that I now have to pay to throw out.

None of this grodiness has come out of my aunt's house, I will note. She and I share similar taste, so the booty I get out of her kids' closets is just the kind of thing I would have bought . . . only I didn't have to. Which is the point of hand-me-downs. To pass along clothing that is still in good condition, that can be used by another kid. And I could practically kiss the feet of the hand-me-downers. Or at least bake them one of my (family) famous banana breads.

There are some stained items I'm OK with - pajamas, after all, aren't going to be seen by anyone but her father and me. My aunt has even thrown in a few undershirts with a warning that they were no longer pristine white, and I thank her and put them on my kid anyway. Again, they're not for out and about.

The rest, I sigh and chuck right in the trash. I'm certainly not passing them along to the mom who gets all of my daughter's hand-me-downs. I like her way too much for that.

Am I just being a crankpot? Or is it common courtesy to toss the disgusting in your own garbage?

Image: DailyMail

Crafty Playdate: Birthday Tees From Way Back

JeanneSager — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:31:00 GMT

I sometimes think my constant persusal of craft blogs is proof I'm a bit of a masochist at heart. Because looking at some of these totally rockin', oh so easy to do at home projects is like driving a knife into my still carpal tunnel from pregnancy plagued wrist.

I'm not Martha.

So when I find something that makes me go, dude, I could so totally do that, I have to share it with you. Because if I could do it, a completely untrained monkey flown in and suffering from the affects of ebola could probably do it.

And hey, I love monkeys. Who doesn't?

So what's the craft? Yeah, yeah, I'm getting to that.

Over at Tangled and True, Jenn takes you through the entire process of making a totally retrolicious vintage tee for baby.She gives you the font, walks you through the stencil making, even tells you what paint to buy. OK, so stencil practically readymade and a keep it simple stupid walk through? Hello, sold to the non-Martha mom browsing the net. Although, it's free, so is it really sold?

Anyway, the number shirts caught me - because with my daughter's birthday coming up, I've been debating "is it too dorky to buy her a 4 tee for her 4th?" Because right now, I don't care. I've found a craft project she and I can do together, that will result in a funky tee for her birthday, and (cha ching) work as birthday gifts for all the kids whose parents say "oh, they don't need anything and refuse to give me a blessed idea of what their kids like."

Check out the whole process over at Tangled and True and get cracking - summer birthday parties are coming up fast!

Image: Tangled and True

Weird Holiday Alert: Lost Sock Memorial Day

JeanneSager — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:04:00 GMT

Settle down now. I'd like to call for a moment of silence for all of my daughter's teeny tiny little socks, paid for with my precious funds and STOLEN by the gnomes that live in my dryer.

And while you're snickering, I am all too glad to tell you that somewhere, out there, there is someone who has thought to treat this tragic loss with proper reverance.

Also known as the loon who thought up Lost Sock Memorial Day.

It's a real honest-to-goodness holiday. I'm expecting Hallmark to roll out a card any moment now y'all!

Of course, the day preceding Lost Sock Memorial Day may have something to do with it. See, tomorrow, May 8, is NO Socks Day. It's the day after that, May 9, that's Lost Sock Memorial Day. So I'm thinking that all the people who ran around without their socks on No Sock Day were mourning the loss of their socks, and . . . well, OK, I'm thinking much too deeply about this one.

Perhaps this is why Crocs got so popular in the first place? No socks means no lost socks.

But this is such a parent-friendly holiday. Because, like it or not, we have to encase those adorable little tootsies in fabric at least some of the time. And since even the teeniest baby manages to burp her food to all the way down there, they will, at some point, have to go into the washing machine. And then to the dryer. Oh, the dryer, place where socks head shaking their little elastic tops in dread.

Anyone smell a dryer industry/sock industry conspiracy? Well, it's a thought. If we could only get the gnomes to move to their homes.

Have a happy lost sock memorial day this weekend!

Image: LittleMissMatched

Will Kids Lose Their Crocs?

JeanneSager — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:01:00 GMT

Could your kids' summer Crocs be the last they ever where?

The rubbery shoes that set the market alight in 2007 and had parents running out to buy easy on, easy off footwear for their kids is being described by business analysts as highly risky for investors. Some have gone as far as to say they see the Colorado shoemaker folding by the year's end.

Two years ago, the ugly (but oh so comfy) clogs were flying off shelves, and the stock was moving briskly at $72 a share. Now it's down to $2.99 a share; its fifty-two week high was a whopping $12.50. For parents who don't care for a stock lesson, let's just say things are bad. They lost more than half in 2008 of what they made in 2007.

But if the feet of the kids in my daughter's nursery school are a sign of anything, while Crocs popularity has fallen off with adults (who were largely made fun of by their friends), they're still holding strong with kids. As the mother of a Crocs wearer - the reasons are simple. They're easy for her to put on and take off by herself (especially as we haven't tackled how to tie your shoes) and easy to wash off when she stomps through a mud puddle or steps in something much worse.

Some parents were scared off by news that the shoes were getting caught in escalators last year (although others quickly pointed out that a foot clad only in a flip flop would be in even worse shape), but it seems parents are still buying Crocs.

What about you, Babble readers? Will you mourn Crocs if they slip off in the marsh or do you even care?

Image: Crocs

Big Retailers That Offer Big Sales for Families

JeanneSager — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:01:00 GMT

We're continuing our good economic news for families (think of that) today with a look at places families can save a buck . . . or fifty.

Children's clothing and accessories are must-haves, even when we're still wearing the pilled sweater from our high school days. So where can you go for deals on name brands that stand up to everything your kids will put them through, plus the washing machine? We've got the answers:

Barney's Kids: Don't believe us? Their sales rack will suprise. Like the little Democrat outfit up right now that will cost you $11, reduced from $45. Now that's change we can believe in. What to Know: Like most clearance racks, it's hit and miss, but ground shipping within the U.S. is cheap ($5 if you're spending under $50, keeping that Little Democrat outfit under $20) and returns are always accepted with a pre-paid shipping label.

Old Navy: The prices are already vastly lower than their major competitors (including parent company The Gap), but it's the Old Navy sales rack that's worth a real look. Think tank tops for $0.97 and jeans for under $10. What to Know: You can now combine shipping with orders from The Gap, PiperLime and Banana Republic to save money, and the Old Navy Weekly offers online coupons for in-store deals.

Children's Wear Outlet: Although its big focus is school uniforms, the outlet is home to some great prices. A B.T. Kids set of jeans, tee and sunglasses for a little girl is $12; a newborn boy's set of overalls, tee and three toys is $8. What to Know: The prices are already cut rate, but a sales section of the site reduces things even more. Returns are permitted within thirty days.

Target: More of an in-store savings site than online, the discount store has a seventy-five percent off rack every day that knocks kids clothes down to almost nothing. Stock up on the sizes your kids have yet to grow into, because a lot of seasonal ware covers these shelves. What to Know: The site often offers free shipping deals that extends to its clearance section, and returns can be made at any Target store.

Pottery Barn Kids: Another surprise for some who give the place a wide berth, PBKids has a sale section that's worth looking into for the whole family. Think sailcloth curtains in basic blue that could work just as well in a living room as the nursery. Like Barney's, the clothing is still hit and miss, but look carefully, there are finds to be found. What to Know: Click on sale, but also check out the additional seventy-five percent off section for additional savings.Final sale items (anything ending in $0.99) cannot be returned.

A big thanks to my colleague Sunny Chanel for some of these tips - check out her great shopping finds over at Droolicious!

Image: AllShadow

A Bargain A Day Guaranteed For Families

JeanneSager — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:02:00 GMT

The economy, the economy, the economy. Sorry, we're not done talking about it.

But seeing as stopping shopping for kids is all but impossible (you can still wear your high school jeans with the threadbare butt, but your three-year-old's jeans are already starting to look like he's waiting for the flood), we have some good economy news.

There are spots around the internet that offer up bargains for just a day - with limited quantities like the close-out stores but with some deep discounts. There are also the bargain a week spots, and the plain old "have great sales" spots. So let's dig in:

Green Baby Bargains: At noon eastern Monday through Friday, a new "green" baby bargain hits the site, aimed at moms, dads and kids from infant to five years old. With prices starting at fifty percent off retail, there are some great sales. The sale lasts only as long as the stock. Once they've depleted the inventory, they're done. All sales are final - there are no returns. What to Know: Every product is eco-friendly, made by eco-conscious vendors, and they ship internationally.

Mama Bargains: Not always cheap, this is a site with a lot of high-end products . . . for cheapER. Think a $750 Scandinavian Child Monarch nursery chair that recently went for $350 with free shipping.This is another site that changes its product from day to day, with relatively frequent repeats in case you missed something. Quantities are limited to three per buyer, to limit the chance that people will try to open up their own store or sell mass quanitites on eBay. What to Know: They do allow phone orders for parents who want to talk to a real person, but that will cost you a $5 handling fee. They don't ship out of the United States.

BabySteals: One more daily deal site, new sales go up at 9 a.m. MST every weekday, with weekends bringing back one of the week's "steals" on second chance Saturday and second chance Sunday. Prices are anywhere from fifty to eighty percent below retail, with a big focus on clothing for kids at rock bottom prices. What to Know: Four times a year, they have a baby shower with a whole mess of savings on products in one day. You can sign up for their daily steal e-mail alert to get tipped off.

eBay: One word - lots. Buying one outfit or one pair of jeans often won't save you much, even if you're buying used, because of the shipping costs. Buy a twenty-six piece lot of size 2T clothes, however, and you just walked off with a deal. What to Know: All the standard eBay rules apply. Check the seller's feedback, ask them questions if you have any, and read the descriptions well before bidding.

True Cuddles: The home of the week-long sale that changes, well, weekly, True Cuddles is Canadian based but ships to the United States. Sales go live on Monday morning at 9 a.m. MST and last until the inventory is exhausted. What to Know: The site also does giveaways and product reviews.

UP NEXT: Big Retailers That Offer Big Sales for Families

Taking Style Tips From Your Daughter

SunnyChanel — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:31:00 GMT

I don’t know about your kid, but mine has a penchant to dictate to me what I should be wearing at all times. And generally it’s something completely inappropriate, such as a party dress for a trip to the supermarket or heels and a tank top when it’s raining. In her eyes I “dress like a boy”. See, boys wear pants. Girls i.e. “princesses” wear skirts and dresses. Her fashion constraints are pretty damn concise and she tries to sell them to me with oodles of conviction. Apparently I am in good company. As reported in The Times Online piece "Should Mums Take Style Tips from Their Daughters?", Kate Winslet takes her eight-year-old daughter’s opinion of her clothing seriously. She recently stated that her “mum” wears too much black, a city dwelling sin that I am also guilty of.

The Times fashion editor, Lisa Armstrong, explored the daughter/mother clothing dilemma saying “When it comes to their mother's appearance, all daughters have views, ranging in ferocity from mildly scathing to fathomless reservoirs of scorn.” To avoid the scorn and the scathing, contributor Carol Midgley allowed her five-year-old daughter to dress her in, among other things, a salmon pink evening gown that made her looks like a “thick-waisted prawn”. Which just begs the conclusion that Armstrong came to that ,“I don't mean we should heed the stuff from five-year-olds about how they'd want us to dress like Barbie…” Yes, that is why I try never to let my own little fashionista near my closet.

If your daughter had her druthers, what would she dress you in?

Mine, a hot pink party dress with oodles of tulle (see her fantasy mommy dress above). Classy? Or maybe just Barbie.

Do Sarah Palin and Family Listen to the Ramones?

SunnyChanel — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:18:00 GMT

Are the Palins Ramones fans? Do they spend their time on the campaign trail singing such punk anthems as "Beat on the Brat", "I Want to Be Sedated" and "Teenage Lobotomy"? Oh, a gal can dream, but I have my doubts that the Ramone’s lyrical flavor would be something palatable to this conservative clan. Why would I even relate the Palin’s to the Ramones? Because of the two charges to the baby boutique Pacifier in Minneapolis that were part of the RNC funded shopping spree. One of the purchases was reportably (via Jezebel) for a “Ramones t-shirt and striped hoodie and some pants, for a two-year-old”. But before you start to refer to them as Sarah, Trig and Piper Ramone, the shirt was bought in size two. Either they got it for baby Trig to grow into or the Republicans’ personal shopper did a little game of “one for them, one for me”.

Via Jezebel and the Huffington Post

Salvation Army Says: We'll Take Palin's Clothes!

JeanneSager — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:35:00 GMT

Ever told your kids, "don't say it unless you mean it?" Someone should tell Sarah Palin. Because phone calls to charities have come up with a taker for the $150,000 in campaign clothing purchases.

The Chicago Tribune has been trying to reach the Palin campaign to let them know the Salvation Army office in Anchorage, Alaska is very interested in taking the governor's clothes off her hands when she's done with them. The last time Palin made a donation - an American flag pin and a scarf - they made $150 reselling the items. Imagining what they could rake in to help fill the coffers of the charity had PR Director Jenni Ragland very excited.

"We would most likely use it in one of our fundraisers here in Alaska to help support the work we're doing in the state," she said. Ragland said she'll be making a call to the campaign herself because you can't lose if you don't ask.

Technically it was Palin's running mate, John McCain who said she'd be donating the clothes bought with Republican National Committee monies to a charity. But what's Palin to do? Here's a major charity, right in her own state, that says they could well use the help. She's donated to them before, so she can't say they don't match her values. In fact, the Salvation Army in Anchorage operates an emergency care center for neglected kids and offers services for teens in crisis. How can a mom say no?

Image: DennisZaki.com [via Alaska Report]

Palin's Kids Traveling on the State's Dime, She's Trying to Claim "State Business"

Anti-Palin Ad Targets Parents With Teenage Rape Victim's Plea

Hey Sarah Palin, Make Your Kids Go to School

The Obamas wear cheap clothes

Piper Palin Carries a Louis Vuitton Bag - Is it Hers? Does it Matter?

Scare off Republican Trick or Treaters With the Obama Pumpkin

Morning News: Pregnant With Palin

Piper Palin Carries a Louis Vuitton Bag - Is it Hers? Does it Matter?

SunnyChanel — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:25:00 GMT

On the heels of the revelation that the Republican National Committee footed the bill for a $150,000 high-end shopping spree for the Sarah Palin clan comes the blogosphere posting, like at Deceiver.com, of this photo of Palin’s 7-year-old daughter walkin’ around sporting a $790 Louis Vuitton Monogran Canvas Montrogueil PM bag. The question is, is it her bag? Her moms? A random staffer using Piper as their own personal Sherpa? Or maybe it’s a fake? But having such a high profile display of counterfeit contraband would be an even bigger no-no than spending that much on a kid’s bag (one blog is saying the bag is indeed a fake).

But perhaps Piper is just part of the conspicuous consumption LV loving kid trend. Last week I posted a piece on one of the chicks from The Real Housewives of Atlanta and the mom who bought her 11-year-old not one but two LV bags for her birthday. Everyone is entitled to spoil their children if that’s what they’d like to do. But when it comes to politics and trying to prove to the nation that you are just like the small town folks i.e “real Americans” of Joe Six Packs and Hockey Moms ilk, it would be a better message to just carry a stylish tote from Target.

What do you think? Is it her bag? Is it a fake? And does it matter?

$150,000 Spent on Sarah Palin's Clothing

SunnyChanel — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:26:00 GMT

As a mother of five, you need to dress in practical, comfortable and spit-up friendly (read=disposible) clothing, especially with a drooling infant resting on your shoulder. But if a mother of five just happens to be running for Vice President, well all bets are off. Reported today on Politico, it was discovered that the Republican party bought Sarah Palin $150,000 worth of clothing and makeup for her and her family during the campaign. Yeah, what Joe-six-packer or Hockey Mom do you know that spends even 1% of that on their own yearly wardrobes? Yeah, not many. Huffington Post pointed out that “Palin received more valuable clothes in one month than the average American household spends on clothes in 80 years.”

A recent shopping spree saw clothes horse/huntress/mother of five/Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin spending pert near $50,000 at Saks Fifth Avenue, $75,000 on one visit to ~~Needless~~ Neiman Marcus and $5,000 at some high end men’s boutique.

Shortly before the story broke the McCain headquarters stated: "With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it's remarkable that we're spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses," said spokesperson Tracey Schmitt. "It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign."

A democratic stratergist Tom Mazzle said “It shows that Palin ain't like the rest of us," and that the topic “…can help deflate her cultural populism with the Republican base. The Plumber's wife doesn't go to Neiman's or Saks."

What do you think? Is $150,000 too much? Or appropriate for the electorial journey?

Also check out Morning News: Pregnant With Palin
and The Obamas Wear Cheap Clothes

Best political shirt ever - Everyone Poops

Brett Singer — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:15:00 GMT

Birds do it
Bees do it
Even people in the news do it
Everybody (everyone)
Poops
Republicans and Democrats
All of them are full of crap
Everybody (everyone)
Poops

I don't know what song that is, but this t-shirt inspired me to sing. Kind of sums up politics in general. Very non-partisan as well.

The Everyone Poops shirts are available in all sizes, including onesies, which I'm sure will be the big thing on the playground. No matter who wins in November.

Image/source: Threadless.com

Bill Murray asks about the Cubs

Unusual toddler gifts

Mom blackmails daughters ex with nude photos

The Singer Family says these people can't call themselves Singers anymore

Obama not sure how long he's been married

Giant Palin Poster

Sarah Silverman says: make granny vote for Obama

Dad buys beer for his toddlers

What Were They Thinking - Why Parents Dress Their Kids in Tacky Outfits

SunnyChanel — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:21:00 GMT

There are parents out there that think of their children as a living breathing baby dolls. That’s the only explanation I have for people who force their screaming and kicking children into outfits they have absolutely no desire to wear or their babies who are too young to know any better. Parents exert this control while they can, they won't be able to as soon as the kids start doing things like thinking for themselves and making their own clothing decisions. Via Jezebel, the BBC News’ Denise Winterman identified some basic and common categories and explored why parents opt to inflict these wadrobe choices on their offspring.

Matching Oufits:
"It's about creating a family identity and also controlling it. Children are seen as a reflection of their parents and matching their clothes can look clean and disciplined."
Jezebel's take:
Translation: The Control Freak.
Offender: FLDS families, Captain Von Trapp, Joe Jackson, Four Cohans, The Shaggs

Dressing a Child Like Yourself:
For those who want their own little mini-me. "It's like you are saying they are a chip off the old block. The child is a blank canvas and you are projecting yourself on to them."
Jezebel’s Take:
Translation: Total narcissist.
Offender: Christmas card families, Katie Holmes, Four Cohans

Bygone Fashions:
For those who want to get all old school with bloomers, sailor suits and short pants, these parents go for tradition and it’s “about not wanting your child to grow up too quickly, not wanting their childhood to end before it should."
Jezebel's take:
Translation: Delusionals who need to get some Madame Alexander dolls, stat.
Offenders: Tasha Tudor, whoever Baby Jane's mother was.

Dressing Kids Like Grownups:
Just look at any kiddie pageant with little girls dressed up and looking eerily like convention call girls and emergence of so many high end designers making shrunk down versions of their apparel like Juicy Couture, Burberry and Dolce & Gabanna.
“It's usually about the latest fashions and coolest trends. They are turning the child into what they wanted to be, but usually didn't become."
Jezebel's take:
Translation: Narcissists with misplaced values, but who want the best (shallow) things for their kids.
Offenders: Amanda Wingfield, Mrs. Bennett, most of Hollywood.

Gender Extremes:
There are those pesky gender hue rules for babies. Pink is for girls, blue is for boys. Why can’t they all just wear gender neutrals like green or yellow instead of announcing their sex via the color of their cloths. "Parents often construct an idea of how they want their child to develop from a very early age…gender is a big part of this and dressing their child according to gender stereotypes sends out a message about they see them and how they want people to react to them.
Jezebel's take:
Translation: Latent sexism and homophobia? Or just an excess of Disney movies.
Offenders: Larry Birkhead, Cathy Hilton, Barbie and Skipper's mom.

via Jezebel

The bra for your butt

Brett Singer — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Remember the manzier aka "The Bro" from Seinfeld? That was a joke. But the Brum, a bra for the female heiny, is real.

Yahoo! Shine covers (no pun intended) this latest trend in undergarments. As Jennifer Romolini puts it, "Butt is the new boobs. In fact, the hottest look in lingerie is actually something let's call butt cleavage and the best way to show off your butt cleavage is with a Brum."

BlackBook magazine offers further insight: "Anal cleavage has gained popularity this century with the rise of low-cut jeans (or should I say descent), the emergence of the whale tale, and most recently, posterior-revealing lingerie."

One of the two times I've been lucky enough to fly first class (frequent flier miles people – save them) I shared the flight with Victoria's Secret uber-model Adriana Lima. When we arrived in New York, Lima stood up and pulled her jeans down so that they revealed a little bit of what, on a fat guy, would be called Plumber Butt. On her, it was, well, something else. As far as I can recall she wasn't wearing ass-enhancing undies, but this was a few years ago so who knows. (And before someone says, "why were you looking at her butt?" it was first class, it was a small cabin, and she looked at me first! OK, no she didn't.) The point of the story is that there are indeed women who like to show off a little of what they've got going on back there (especially in New York, I guess), but is there a need for a specific piece of clothing to help them do it? I always thought that the thong was the preferred garment for showing your nether-cheeks. In fact, the Brum seems to cover more rear acreage than the traditional thong, although that could be in order to push out certain areas.

One commenter on Shine says that this is no different from the Miracle Bra, but to my male eyes it seems a little different. This also isn't the first product to act as a tush-pusher; Shine also covered Booty Pop panties, which are designed to make your booty POP(!).

So. IS this any different from a Miracle Bra? And would you wear a Brum?

image: BlackBook via Shine

Ohh, Baby - Orgasmic Birth Video

The Bro from Seinfeld (Daddytips.com)

Attack of the Strippers

Mrs. And Mrs. DeGeneres, and a male perspective on the name game

They Say: Incest Is Best?

Childfree and B*tchy. Why Yes You Are

FLDS Fashions Available Online

Amy Kuras — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:01:00 GMT

When watching the FLDS raid and subsequent court battles, I'm sure you had many thoughts going through your head, none of which I will attempt to guess at.

But I can guarantee (if you are a regular around here, anyway) that one thing you probably weren't thinking was "Where can I get my mitts on those clothes!!"

But perhaps your fantasy is to look like you just stepped out of Little House on the Prairie, or you're so concerned with the increasing whoreishness of girls' clothes that you want to just go the other way.

Then get happy, because the women (somehow I know it's the women) of the FLDS have launched their own clothing line. Which is available online, and I don’t really get how that would work since these are people who reject technology. But whatevs.

Also, how are they sewing these things, especially if this takes off? Are they sewing these by hand? How does is not take several decades?

So many questions. And yet, I must admit, I find the little girl's dresses kind of adorable and sort of want one for my daughter, and one of the cute sleepers for my son. What can I say, I loved Little House, books and show.

Breaking News: Guess What JLo Is Wearing For Her Delivery?

Kelly Mills — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:11:00 GMT

Oh, sometimes Christmas comes early at the Derby. Just when I was pondering the big questions of the day like, who will be our next president, and how can we deal with global warming, I got the answer to one burning issue that has been on my mind constantly since around October. In my inbox was a bright shiny press release, with the subject line "What J.Lo Will Wear To Deliver- confirmed" and the bold opening sentence (emphasis theirs), "We have info on what Jennifer Lopez is wearing in the delivery room when she delivers her twins." Oh, THANK GOD, I can finally sleep at night!

And what will the star outfit herself in while she's cursing her husband and throwing cups of ice chips at the nurses? Why, a (I shit you not) "designer hospital gown" from dearjohnnies. Actually, the PR folks seem to think she'll be wearing two: the "Ellie" blue one and the "Lucy" pink one. Like, halfway through her labor she'll be doing a costume change and returning for the second half of her dilation in something fresh for the big finale. No, the designers suggest you get one for the birthin' and one for the following day, at $65 a pop. Because as they say, "Having a baby is an extraordinary experience and moms deserve to wear something better than an ordinary hospital gown." Yeah, why settle for a regular person's hospital garb when you should have the very best? Oh, and (be still my beating heart) you can get them monogrammed!

All I can say is, Roberto Cavalli is going to be sooooo pissed. As you know, it's a very big deal to dress a star for her walk down the faded blue linoleum, and I just have to wonder if Ms. Lopez passed over Cavalli as punishment for outfitting her in this Grecian-Big Bird thing for her tour.

Oh, and I love this: "Designed with your comfort in mind, dearjohnnies can be worn during labor, in the days following your recovery and at home during the weeks to follow. Hospital staff will appreciate that you're still wearing a hospital gown. And you'll appreciate the soft fabric and loose fitting design as your body takes on the challenge of childbirth and then mends."

Right. Why, I'm sure when I'm at home mending I'll totally want to throw that placenta- and poop-covered hospital gown in the wash, and then don it while I come back from the challenge of childbirth. I mean, it's good enough for JLo.

Look, I've been up front about my feelings on delivery wear before, and how it's part of the commodification of the birth experience, and how freaking idiotic it is that women should worry about what they wear and how they look even while they are pushing a baby out of their hoo hoos or prepping for the c-section. But when you tack on the celebrity factor, well, all I can say is: Fuck. Me.

Things Fall Apart: Gap Outlet Boy's Jackets

Karen Murphy — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 21:17:00 GMT

Uh oh. I think I own one of these recalled jackets. I mean, my son does. I got it on eBay, which is fast becoming a clearance outlet for recalled crap. Hey, great! So glad I outbid you to win the Strangling Jacket From Hell. Actually, up to this moment, my biggest beef wth the jacket, which is warm and soft and has a cozy fleece inner liner, is that the cuffs were made for a gnat's wings instead of an actual child's hands. We struggle getting his not-so-big hands through those sleeves every day. The plus? Snow (if it ever actually ends up snowing here) won't get up his sleeves. But hey, it's recalled anyway.

It's the drawstring thing. Apparently manufacturers of cheap outsourced clothing still fail to catch on that these have been outlawed for awhile now. Whatever. What did I expect for, what, $15?

Oh, oops. If you bought yours from an actual Gap Outlet, and some 16,200 of you did from September through December 2007 (remember 2007?), then you paid more like $50. So forget you heard I got a better deal.

The jackets, cleverly called "'Warmest Jacket' Boy's Jackets", came in gray or navy in a variety of sizes and are hooded, zip in front, and have the telltale drawstring at the waist. In addition, Style number 513573 is printed on a white label sewn behind the size and product care label near the neckline.

If you return yours to the Gap Outlet before April 30 (my birthday! mark your calendars now!) you'll get, in addition to a refund of your full purchase prices, a $5 "appreciation card" (which you can then give me as the gift you always wanted to give but never quite knew what to get). Oh, and we're supposed to stop wearing the jacket immediately, though I'm thinking of cutting the drawstring and calling it a day.

Photo: cpsc.gov

Baby's First Christmas Gear. Or, How To Up-Dork Your Otherwise-Adorable Infant.

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:57:00 GMT

Your poor, scrumptious babies. All cute with their dimples and shamelessly blubbery thighs. Sigh. Now, what in the world are we going to do about those hideous My First Christmas you've stocked up on for the holiday season? (Oh right, that your mother-in-law's stocked up on for the holiday season). The whole explosion of reindeer, candy canes, penguins on sleds and briefly-white snowflakes is enough to make me let out a sob and beg for a binky. Imagine how your baby, already all comfortably used to the alterna-onesies and political tees, feels in those awkward, outdated jumpers and mini-sweats.Think of the children, people!

Liz, the ultra suave shopper sensationale at Cool Mom Picks, is asking why in the name of the swaddled Baby Jesus we need to label our kid's first holidays anyway? Do you think that without it, the parents will look back at photos of their five month old surrounded by gift wrap and say, "Hm, I wonder whether that was his first Christmas or not...", Liz writes. She also proposes the radical idea of investing in holiday gear for the kids that won't look dorky once the tree is down. This way, your kid looks as cute as she does every other day of the year and might actually wear that cardigan for more than 12 minutes at the Sears portrait studio. Point -- and challenge - taken.

All this complaining about up-dorking your child's seasonal outfit has me curious. Have you given into the First Christmas clothing mania? Or have you resisted the temptation and opted for your baby to wear something much hepper this holiday? Go on, confess what holiday heinousness you forced your child into, just for St. Nick's (or your *cringe* MIL's) sake.

Warmth and Kids

Karen Murphy — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 15:32:00 GMT

If you consult most parenting books, you'll learn that you should dress your kids pretty much the way you are dressed; in other words, if you're comfortable in winter with one layer on, so will your kids be.

Come to find out, that's not so true. At least, not in the world I've been in. Children actually have less capacity for keeping warm, especially babies, and also have less capacity for even knowing if they are cold. This was a bit of a hard concept for me to get, but once I started dressing my kids differently, I noticed a huge difference:

They felt supported and nurtured. Dressed in natural fibers, they didn't overheat with activity. Just keeping warm uses a lot of energy, especially for babies, so if you eliminate that stress in them, they have a larger capacity to expend energy on developing and growing. But don't take my word for it: read this.

My kids wear woolen underwear beginning in mid-autumn (like now!), wear hats and coats outside, and dress in layers inside. I know what you're thinking: "There's no way my kid will wear a hat!", or, "My child says he's not cold and won't wear his jacket." I just haven't let it be an option, and until my middle schooler decided that being cool at the bus stop was better than being warm (and at his age I can let him make those decisions), there have been absolutely no objections. And I've started wearing more layers and woolens and all in the winter and I'm warm for the first time.

So...wool? Really? Ugh! Not really. The woolens we wear are soft and not itchy at all, or you can buy wool-silk blends. Sure, they need to be washed by hand but it's really not been a big deal (you don't actually have to wash wool that often). They're a bit of an investment, but are totally hand-me-downable. My youngest wears wool terry jammies that used to belong to his sister. And babies look totally cute in them. And how can you resist that?

Peace Tees Are Da Bomb

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:47:00 GMT

The inevitable has happened. The war has started to come into view for my son. We're a very political family, so it's not like the war hasn't been present in our home before. It's just now my child is becoming aware of soldiers carrying big things (as in "Mommy, why are those guys carrying big things in their arms?") as the Today show plays in the background of our morning rush. Honestly, I don't know how to answer him. I know he'll learn eventually but in this moment, I am just not ready for my child to learn the word "gun." I feel like we need a change of focus,

It's not that I'm trying to dodge a bullet as it were, it's just that it seems so unnecessary for a little kid to know about global violence this early. I thought about that when I dropped my son off at daycare last week and a little boy came toddling up to greet us, sucking on a pacifier, clutching a teddy bear and wearing a shirt that said "War is Poop." It made me laugh. And it made me want to go online shopping, to fill my kid's dresser drawer with t-shirts that have the opposite energy of the news. We needed peace gear.

I was thrilled to land on Childish Clothing's site and find their adorable peace tees, all happy and bright green. Childish Clothing is designed by the Rockstar Momma herself, Skye Hoppus, and the clothes are edgy without seeming like they were really made for a mini-hep Daddy I cringe to see in the bars and playlots. The girl tees have sweet puff sleeves and the boy tees have seam detailing that make the shirt a few steps above boring old Target wear. Best of all the message is big and bold and front and center on my boy. While a t-shirt certainly isn't going to end the war or answer all the curious toddler questions, it does at least remind us all of where we stand as a family.

Crafty: Knitted Baby Viking Helmet

Patti — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:27:00 GMT

Things like this are exactly why I taught myself to knit: insanely cute yet functional baby stuff like these Viking helmet caps, in both male and female versions. Baby projects are especially great for their tiny size—what better way to practice a new knitting skill than to do it on a small enough scale that you won't have to rip too much of it out when you screw it up (that's how I learned to do intarsia)? And you have a pretty decent chance of finishing it before the baby actually comes along, too.

A complete kit to knit a Viking cap is available for $24.50 from Bella Knitting and includes the yarn (although, it doesn't seem to include the yarn for the optional Valkyrie braids, but you'd want to customize those based on whatever color of hair you think the baby girl might end up having anyway). And the yarn, Aurora merino, is machine washable. And that's good, because the various baby spews seem to show up in the darndest places.

The kit also comes with an explanation of how a baby is like a Viking, which...well, I don't need anyone to tell me that, but a first-time parent might appreciate the heads-up.

(via BoingBoing, via Craft)

Ecofriendly Crafts: Turn Your Kids' Clothes into Cute Totes

Patti — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 17:27:00 GMT

It's been a week and a day since the last time I posted an idea from Craft Chi (are you saving your wine corks? I am!). If she keeps up the pace I may have to put her on my payroll, because this is another excellent idea for people with an excess of adorable clothing that's no longer wearable.

This tote is made out of a girl's dress (and includes an optional section made of quilted fabric, but you wouldn't need to bother with that). Think of it: all those dresses that you're too sentimental to part with, just gathering mildew in a box in the garage. Why the heck would you not make one or two or twelve into a handbag? She uses contrasting fabric for the binding, but you could use a sash or store-bought trim, or a piece of another item of clothing, or whatever you want.

I love that it's handmade, I love that it's an automatic keepsake, and I love that it repurposes something that may otherwise sit unused in obscurity for decades. Guess what all the grandmas and aunties are getting for the holidays this year.

(photo from Craft Chi)

DIY Babylegs: So Easy, It's Barely a Craft

Patti — Thu, 31 May 2007 20:29:00 GMT

Man, sometimes an idea comes across my screen and I just want to hang my head in shame that I didn't think of it myself.

Jennifer of Z Recommends, thank goodness, is smarter than me. Want some of those cool-ass Babylegs but unwilling to spend the dough to try them out on a kid that might decide to hate them? Just make your own. Cut the feet off a pair of adult-sized kneesocks and boom, you got yourself some leg warmers.

I'm only sorry I didn't see this before this morning's Target run, or my kids would be all set for the cool evenings we're expecting this weekend without changing out of their ever-present dresses.

(photo credit: Z Recommends)