It is only now, as an adult, that I look back at my hatred of pink in childhood and see it for what it was: a kind of self-hatred of my gender, or of what society’s expectation of my gender was. I grew up in a time when “girly” was frequently thrown around as an insult. It was made very clear to me: being a girl was not something to be celebrated.
At 31, I’ve grown more comfortable with my body and the clothes I like to wear. The fashion industry is also making important steps to keep up with demand for more gender-neutral clothing. As we gain a better understanding of gender and sex as fluid concepts, fashion is also becoming more malleable. And that’s a big win for little kids everywhere who just want to feel good in the skin they’re in.
