Pink Are for Girls, Blue Are for Boys

Oh, come on!

That would be my reaction. I've been perusing the children and baby's sections in several shopping centers for a while now. And it makes me sad to know that they all don't have many choices when it comes to colors. For newborn babies, the available colors are either white, yellow, occasional green, and the most famous of all: pink and blue.

Saleslady: Is your baby a girl, Ma'am?
Me: It should be a boy. (So the USG said, I added silently.)
Saleslady: Then why are you holding pink clothes?
Me: Well, why not?
Saleslady: Boys ought to wear blue, you know.
Me: (amazed) And who says so?

The saleslady decided to leave me at this point. Wise move.

Yes, yes, I know. Boys and girls have differences. But must we stress that ever since the moment they are born?

When my brothers and I were born, my father took pictures of us. They put me in a pink blanket, my brothers in blue. Perhaps it was done to simplify matters. I mean, as a visitor you don't need to come into the baby's room, open the clothes, to find out whether the baby is a girl or a boy.

It seems like a natural thing to ask. Normally, if you hear someone is having a baby, you'll have several questions in mind regarding:
      1. the baby's gender.
      2. the actual time of birth (day or night? What time? As if it really matters to all.)
      3. its weight.
      4. its height.
      5. whether it was a normal or a caesarean delivery.
      6. the condition of the baby and mother: are they okay?
      7. (add your own questions here)

Back to the colors. It appears to me that any baby is doomed to wear certain colors. Who knows, maybe a baby's preference is black. But (s)he won't have a say in it. (S)he'd be stuck wearing either pink or blue (white, yellow, green) until (s)he has reached a certain age where (s)he is allowed to choose.

Who decided that girls should wear pink and boys blue, anyway? Why do some people believe that it is strictly forbidden for boys to wear pink? What if they happen to like the color?

I visited many places before I was able to buy a baby's suit in another color: purple. And for the heck of it, I also bought a pink suit.