Being Baba: Yes, baby fashion is a thing!
Owing to some of Neil's pretty pink and purple onesies, and his pierced ears, we've had quite a few strangers remark "Aww, she's so cute!" - and we have absolutely no problem with that!
Fashion show for kids (Source: Hopscotch)
By Mihir Joshi
Baby Fashion! Yes. You read that correctly. I want to talk to you all today about Baby Fashion. And no, I don’t mean the ultra-expensive designer wear Kim Kardashian or Beyonce get for their babies. I’m talking about good-looking clothes that ALL babies can wear.
Let me kick this off by saying that I most often don’t get involved in what my son Neil wears on a day to day basis. And while I do enjoy shopping, I got to admit that about 90 per cent of his wardrobe is stuff that my wife Neha has picked out for him. I love seeing him wearing different outfits every day and we do our morning photo sessions with him, so we have photos to send to his grandparents. So yes, I didn’t really think beyond that. I thought…he’s a baby, he wears cute clothes, we take pictures, grandparents get a daily dose of cuteness and that’s about it.
All good clothes for kids, no matter how stylish, must be comfortable
But then a couple of weeks ago, I was invited for a fashion show where kids…tiny little kids would be walking on the ramp. I was truly intrigued and moreover, my first time visiting a Fashion Week fashion show was for a kids’ brand!
As I saw the little ones walk down the ramp being super adorable and stylish, I thought of two things–there is a lot of thought that goes into clothes for kids. We just take it for granted but surely a LOT goes into making these awesome clothes. I wanted to know more and understand this better. And two, would I be okay with Neil walking down the ramp for a fashion show some day? Is it okay for any kid to do that?
The kids on the ramp as well were not only cute, fun, sassy and stylish but also seemed to really enjoy what they were doing! I was introduced to the head stylist for Hopscotch India, Neelima Kakkar, soon after the event who told me how they have clothes that suit the weather, styles that change from time to time… and most importantly, pink clothing for boys as well.
All good clothes for kids, no matter how stylish, must be comfortable. Kids depend on parents for everything. When they are little, they can’t even clearly express their discomfort or displeasure so ensuring that their clothes are comfortable is a must.
After this come the fabrics and colours. For Neil, we make sure we get him clothes in all colours. Many brands are very specific about clothes for boys and girls and I think that’s insane. You don’t need to define that boys wear blue and girls wear pink, and definitely not when they’re this young. Just find clothes that look nice on your baby and don’t be worried about what ‘people’ say. Owing to some of Neil’s pretty pink and purple onesies, and his pierced ears, we’ve had quite a few strangers remark “Aww, she’s so cute!” and we have absolutely no problem with that! It honestly doesn’t matter when they’re babies. He can choose how to dress when he grows up but until then we don’t see the need to impose such archaic norms on him.
Dressing up your baby can be one of the most fun and satisfying parts of the time you spend with your little one. Enjoy every moment and just go with what you think looks good. Don’t worry about anyone else’s opinion, these are your memories to keep and as long as your child is happy and comfortable…everything goes!
(The writer is a singer – his debut album Mumbai Blues won the GIMA Award for Best Rock Album in 2015 – hosts his own talk show-The MJ Show and does live Hindi commentary for WWE. Follow him on twitter @mihirjoshimusic. Views are personal.)
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