Girls Will Be Girls: Ode to the Shamelessly Frilly and Pink

I get it: In our quest for gender egalitarianism, we feel compelled to steer our daughters toward both baby dolls and toy trucks, tiaras and superhero capes. Yet the lion’s share of moms can tell you that, try as we might to socialize our girls to be open to traditional boy toys, the average 7-year-old girl often still opts for all things frilly and pink: She wants to dress up as a princess. She wants to wear glittery lip gloss. She longs to be a ballerina. In essence, she wants to become the consummate girly girl—one rainbow, pony, and tulle skirt at a time.

With apologies to all parents of tomboys (I can already hear you protesting!), I combed the floor of Toy Fair 2010 to find the playthings made to delight the quintessential princesses among us. First, I stopped in to see Puppet Workshop (www.puppetworkshop.com), a dress-up and costume company. Girls will go gaga over the lime-green Tinkerbell Dress and Wings, the Glittered Princess Dress with Hat and Wand (surprise, surprise—it’s pink and lavender), and the Ballerina Kit (complete with a tutu band, a silver tiara, a sequined star, and pink wings).

Next, I skedaddled over to Awish Come True (www.awishcometrue.com). Their Little Ladies takes make-believe to a new level with their featured dress-up items—as in the Rainbow Blossom Leotard (comes with a tutu and a tiara, of course!), the Tahitian Flower dress (in either turquoise or fuchsia), and the Violet Princess dress (which comes with matching sandals accessorized with purple tulle).

When it comes to fulfilling girls’ dress-up fantasies, I’ve saved my favorite choice (because of the vastness of its selection) for last: Creative Education of Canada (www.creative-edu.com) offers a Great Pretenders line of dresses, gowns, and tunics. Your daughter’s daydreaming will take flight as she imagines herself as royalty in the Queen Gown, made of non-itchy roached satin and decorated with silver jewels. There’s even a Juliette Dress and Medieval Gown if you’re girl happens to like time travel. And while you’re on the company’s website, you’ll also find a plethora of capes, knight outfits, and faux swords—playthings to keep your boys occupied while your girls slip on their fairy dresses, sip tea, trade secrets, and giggle their way into the afternoon.