What to Wear

On an unseasonably warm day for Winter, I was walking today after work to the care taker, to pick up Raphaela. I reminded myself, as I had this ten minutes to clear my head, that I must take the 6-9 month clothing out of the closet and transfer it to her dresser, as she has outgrown (in height) most of the 3-6 outfits.

When I passed the bus station near the care taker's apartment, I saw a group of ten year old Israeli girls standing there, and one girl in particular, quite frankly, was dressed like a prostitute. Stick thin and probably anorexic, with a mini-skirt that barely covered her tush and a see-through sweater with cleavage. It made me sad, to think that this child believes that this represents an appropriate way of dressing; and it made me scared, knowing that I will somehow have to find the balance with Raphaela between her individual style, and a sense of propriety and decency.

Think about the role-models girls have, starting with the Barbie dolls I played with as a child. Tall, size negative two waist, blond haired and extremely accessorized. I even had an African American Barbie, which I recall I traded to a friend of mine for some other toy. My Barbie days stopped when I brought her to school one day, dressed (I thought) as Wonder Woman, and realized with horror that Barbie had lost her top, and was in fact mostly naked. Much cruel taunting ensued in the playground that day.

My friend's children idolize the Bratz dolls, which in my opinion only encourage the child prostitute look. I do not intend, inasmuch as I can control anything, to let Raphaela think that White Trash is the way to live life.

I have actually found a doll which inspires me because it recognizes a girl's distinct look, and because it does not cost a fortune. Manhattan Toy Company makes a line of soft dolls called "Groovy Girls," they are ethnic and have all variations of hair and skin. Several years ago I found one that looked like it could have been my voodoo doll, and so I bought it; I am waiting for Raphaela to grow just a little bit more, and settles into a look of her own, and then we will choose her Groovy Girl doll together.