Pink and Blue: Telling the Boys from the Girls in America [Hardcover]

Jo B. Paoletti (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 6, 2012

"When did we start dressing girls in pink and boys in blue?" To uncover the answer, dress historian Jo Paoletti looked at advertising, catalogs, dolls, baby books, mommy blogs and discussion forums, and other popular media to examine the surprising shifts in attitudes toward color as a mark of gender in American children's clothing. She chronicles the decline of the white dress for both boys and girls, the introduction of rompers in the early 20th century, the gendering of pink and blue, the resurgence of unisex fashions, and the origins of today's highly gender-specific baby and toddler clothing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a fascinating piece of American social history, perhaps raising more questions than it answers. It is of potential interest to students and professionals in fields ranging from child development to gender studies to fashion to marketing, as well as to new and prospective parents.

(Library Journal)

Ms. Paoletti has managed to cram a wealth of information in a relatively fluid narrative that scholars will undoubtedly quote and casual readers will enjoy as an engrossing cultural history of parenthood, as well as childhood.

(Worn Through)

Pink and Blue is meticulously researched, with references to paper dolls, old retail catalogs and the arcane field of material culture studies. Her findings are fascinating.

(PopMatters)

A terrific new book...if you’re getting flack from someone for dressing your boy in pink or your girl in blue...hit them with a copy of Paoletti’s book. When they come to, maybe they’ll read it and leave you alone.

(CaféMom)

In Pink and Blue, Jo Paoletti delivers an insightful analysis of the origins, transformations and consequences of gender distinctions in children’s dress over the last 125 years.... A must-read.

(Daniel Thomas Cook, The Commodification of Childhood: The Children’s Clothing Industry and the Rise of the Child Consumer)

Pink and Blue is an interdisciplinary tour de force. Readers will never again take gendered children’s fashion for granted.

(Susan B. Kaiser, The Social Psychology of Clothing: Symbolic Appearances in Context)

Pink and Blue challenges the cultural panic over how children’s clothing affects gender and sexual identity. Paoletti shatters myths about what girls and boys "naturally" like, and does so with details that will fascinate both the casual and professional reader.

(Peggy Orenstein Author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter)

In Pink and Blue, Paoletti presents an interesting portrayal of an important gendered
system—a historical perspective that psychologists might otherwise underestimate and
undervalue.

(PsycCritiques)

The author is skilled in writing to a wide audience.

(Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences)

Recommended for: Those interested in the history of fashion, gender studies, and gender politics.

(forbookssake.net)

About the Author

Jo B. Paoletti is Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (February 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 025300117X
• ISBN-13: 978-0253001177
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #765,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jo Paoletti is an Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland. She has spent over thirty years researching and writing about children's clothing in America, particularly the development of gender differences. "Pink and Blue" is her first book; she is now working on two more: one on unisex trends in the 1970s and another on "age appropriate" styles for older women.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Tough Guys Wear Pink February 12, 2012

By Frank L. Hicks Jr.

Format:Hardcover

Whether new parents; old parents; grandparents of just formally a girl or boy, "Pink and Blue" is a book that should be on your list to read; very soon. Pink and Blue is a truly great scholastic work for the everyday reader; much more than girls wear pink and boys wear blue (do you know why?).This book scans centuries of babies and the baby culture. It deals with unisex, nonsexist, homosexual and all kinds of differences in the world of babies over the first 7 years of life.Ever wonder what the affect of sexual related colors have on us as we grow up; and after? Any of you guys have the guts to dress in pink?("Tough guys were pink?")Has this simple idea of sexual color scheme affected our nation or individuality? A hundred years ago this was all reversed; so why the change? How did the 60's affect the baby culture? Jo Paoletti offers you many hours of fresh, fascinating exploration in the baby culture. Just how controlled are you over the color you wear even as adults or senior citizens? Think about that and then read about it in Pink and Blue.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile read for thinking parents April 13, 2013

By Petal88

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a great book for anyone horrified by current pink and blue extremes for boys and girls, or anyone just interested in fashion history. Highly readable, which is impressive for an academic. I liked it a lot.