by Joyce Slaton posted in Products

Pink and blue are loaded colors -- and there are a lot of parents who want to avoid the whole issue, because really, who needs a stranger at the park telling you your son needs a haircut or your daughter should sit in a more ladylike fashion" Most parents don't want their children to be forced to exist in little boxes. So why start with clothing"

1. Polarn O. Pyret: This Swedish brand takes gender neutral clothing seriously, offering gender neutral-clothing for children right up to age 12. As the website says, "There is really no reason to design different models and fits for small boys and girls since there is no great difference in the way their bodies are shaped.... We primarily want to offer children and parents freedom of choice." Yeah! Choice is what we like! We choose this Sailor Stripe Eco Top, available for kids age 6-12, $35.
2. Tootsa MacGinty: This UK brand sidesteps gender entirely on its site, grouping clothing by the type of garment instead. Not "girls' clothing" or "boys' clothing," but pants, shirts, skirts, jackets, and sweaters. I have to admit, I gasped and got a tear in my eye when I clicked on what Tootsa calls its "Children's dresses & skirts" department. Right! Clothing doesn't have gender! And children of any gender can be comfortable in this Orinoco Birds of a Feather Printed Dress, $25.

3. Old Navy: The cheap-and-cheerful mass retailer gender-sorts most of...