Don't worry, I'm still having the give-away. And all the pieces of fabric - all smaller than a fat quarter, mind you, but still very usable by crafters and dollmakers and other lovers of cotton fabrics - will have words on them, but they are part of the design. Pre-printed phrases or words or script or maybe even some "foreign" text, but they are the fabric pattern. I'm not doing any writing or printing or stamping, ok?
Not that I don't like the things that other folks do with making their own fabrics - the journal skirts, the bags - some stamped, some stenciled, and lots of other techniques - I love and admire them. It's just not one of the things I'm doing right now, but I truly do appreciate them.
However, that brings me to something I don't appreciate, courtesy of a trip to a shopping mall last night. Don't worry, I haven't lost my preference for non-mall stores, but some things you just have to do at a mall. Barnes & Noble is attached to the mall. So is Sears, the place we buy most of our tools and appliances - or at least we did until recent purchases keep failing us - which is why we were at the mall last night.
And there I saw something that really troubles me. No, it offends me, and it makes me really want to shake some people. It's about words on fabric; on articles of clothing to be precise. Articles of clothing worn by young, pre-pubescent girls - things like little pink short-shorts on a girl with a body that's just starting to develop, where you find the words "juicy" appliqued across her young bottom, or "hottie." What is wrong with their mothers? Those girls are so young, they can't be buying that clothing themselves. Sure, they probably pester the heck out of their mothers, and the mothers give in, but for heaven's sake, how can you be so spineless as to give in and let your tender BABY go out in public wearing such things? It's not much better when you stamp it across their chests, for pete's sake. My daughter and I have had endless (agreeable) conversations about not putting those kinds of words on the front of my granddaughter's chest. Really, do you want people reading your baby's chest? And then taking that next leap of thought? I shudder.
And speaking of shuddering, and bottoms, let me rant further. Form-fitting white summer cropped pants, no matter how good your figure is, and even if you are considerate enough to wear undergarments that keep you from having VPL (visible panty line) should NOT be made of material thin enough to allow the glow of your cheeks to shine through. And if your figure isn't good enough, PLEASE spare us all. Buy a mirror, have some pity.
Aren't you glad I don't go to the mall often? OK. Now, go spread some joy.
I’m still Lolo’s Child, but pivoting a bit to embrace one of her battle cries, “Another Adventure.” Sharing life challenges in my seventh decade, but occasionally sharing art and joy, as well.
8 comments:
Totally agree with you, rant and all!
Fortunately, my daughter feels the same about the clothes available for a six year old and has decided to sew clothing for her instead of buying that stuff.
She had a really hard time finding a little girl's swimsuit that wasn't designed by/for a woman of ill-repute.
Disgusting isn't it? Sexualizing young children with such attire is a new low for our society. Like you, I have very strong feelings on this subject.
You tell'em, Sue!I don't even have kids, but had a lot to say in whether our little great-nieces and nephews wore growing up!It's awful; it's showing up on younger kids; and unfortunately, it's showing the kind of non-caring parents they have.
"Kids learn what they live." That one is true!
I agree 100%! But have you taken a look in the girls department lately? There just aren't any clothes that aren't sexual or suggestive nowadays. The mothers must all be buying them. My friend's little girl is almost 7 and she wants to dress like Hannah Montana which is still too grown-up for her age. Yet she still will wear the "princess dress" I made her a couple years ago and gets compliments on it from the other mothers. (It's a fairly traditional little girls dress in sparkly pale pink, sleeveless with a waist bow and comes down to her knees.)
I used to design swimwear. Whenever I designed girls suits the buyers wanted smaller versions of the stuff that the teenagers were buying. Not too many of them wanted the more age appropriate stuff unless they were a catalog.
Odd isn't it? You would think that the mothers would want their girls to be children a little longer. They have their entire adult lives to choose whether to wear suggestive garments or not.
And no, I'm not a mom, but if I had a little girl I wouldn't cave in to their demands for the majority of the clothing that's available today.
LOL! White pants: truer words were never spoken!
I like old fashion clothes for little girls, they grow up way to fast..mini skirts for infants "please" roflol!!
I agree on the white pants too..are you a people watcher LOL
I'm with you on the white pants thing too... yech!
You made my day with this one! I am sick to death of seeing young girls wearing clothing that is ASKING for trouble. And those same parents are so upset and shocked when they get what they're asking for by allowing their children to wear those things. And truthfully, no matter how hard-bodied, hot, etc. even a 22 year old is, I don't want to see "Juicy" across her bottom.
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