Hey Rumble, I thought you were a guy when I saw your avatar. Sorry.
Yeah, I might have to sound like a jerk(trust me I'm not) but, the way society at large creates gender roles for boys and girls at such an early age is pretty hard to resist. It's so easy for boys to wind up playing soldier and leaning toward guns and 'macho stuff' while girls get pressured into what a friend calls the The Pink Triad. Pink tea sets pink dolls and pink clothing. I mean even Mcdonalds happy meals contain Batman
action figures for boys versus American Heritage
dolls for girls.
*I'll get back on topic before this becomes a tangent in the worst way.*
Getting back to the dress up, I've always figured costuming was an extension of the gender roles we knew as a child. It's still dress up but "
boys" get decked out in armor and guns, while
"girls" get capes and skirts. So when I see the women in these forums doing decidedly NON-typical activities like inhaling all sorts of toxic fumes to make an outfit that basically makes her anonymously androgynous, I have to wonder why you ladies are the way you are. Like, what happened to make you stray from the path virtually set before you. I'm always curious about Nature versus Nurture.
I have a 6 year old son who loves Star Wars. He owns various Anakins and several Padmes. Unlike the vintage collection I've amassed which is has nary a DOLL in sight.
My daughter is 2 and a half years old and although she gets dressed in pink alot, she has shown a preference for purple. She is also an avid watcher of Thomas the train and toy cars. I'm doing my part to try and avoid reinforcing stereotypes in my children not only for equality but to open vast other avenues they may otherwise shy away/be driven from...Like armor creation.