Sugar Or Spice

Little girls are sugar and spice - and supposedly all things nice.

I'd beg to differ of course. But some folks - my surprisingly retro mom in particular - feel that girls are really as mentioned in the oft-quoted rhyme, and they should be dressed apropos in sugar and spice. Making them all look like pretty lil pastel cupcakes in ribbons and curls.

Ugh.

Me, I like them in bold colours and straight lines.


God, my clothes are so last season!
Don't get me wrong. I like the frills and fuss but just not for my niece Chatty Carmen. Though she's surprisingly hugely feminine, she's not your usual frou frou girl. All stern, angular lines rather than chubby sweetness. Honestly, she's far more Audrey Hepburn than Doris Day. Far more Baby Gap than Somerset Bay.

A single plain bow rather than a dozen of patterned frills with lace eyelets.

My mother disagrees.

So you can imagine the fun we had shopping for clothes with Carmen. :) Stereotypical as hell I know... I mean the whole gay uncle going clothes-shopping with the niece? But come on, which self-avowed homosexual doesn't love the idea of playing dress up? But it was certainly a Pretty Woman makeover day for Carmen as she strolled into one store to another, emerging with heaps of shopping bags.

A surprise that despite her seemingly fierce Tyra Banks demeanour behind closed doors, Carmen turned out to be quite a timid soul in public. No preening over the mirror throwing pouts at the adoring. No prancing around the dressing room for the audience to gawk. It was quite a task getting her to even step out of the changing room. I do hope my own painful bashfulnness wasn't catching.

In the end true to our tastes, my mom got her a pretty princess pink frock full of buttons and bows with matching glittery heels - while I got her a plain ( but undeniably chic ) navy blue A-line dress in bold red patterned prints with a matching ribboned headband. Very Gossip Girl prep-girl chic.

Her pre-school classmates are soooo gonna die. Possibly drown themselves in their blah out-of-season Baby Reject costumes when they see her kiddie couture.


OMG! Can you see that? Can you say fashion disaster?
I know. I'm such a monstrous uncle.

I'll have you know I didn't go stir-crazy and pierce her ears. You should only suffer so much for fashion. I did contemplate getting her a temporary tattoo though.

Even tossed in a hoodie for Rambling Raoul since he was such a crib-rockin great sport. Good looks, a gentle disposition and a willingness to shop. The ladies are so gonna swoon over him.