Little Girl's Clothes

Since my daughter has been born (3 weeks ago to the day), I've made an interesting observation about women.

Let me start by saying that my wife and I are not exceptionally popular. We have a small circle of close friends, a handful of other friends, and a normal-sized circle of acquaintances.

To be honest, I'm not that popular personally. I often insult people inadvertently, or hurt other's feelings without realizing it. For that matter, I'm not really that generous when it comes to gift giving.

That said, you wouldn't expect us to be the recipients of a large number of gifts for our baby. Of course, family and close friends might give some gifts. That's normal. But, in contrast, we received so many gifts of clothing that there is no way we can even begin to keep track of who gave us what. We received gifts from people we never met, causal acquaintances, co-workers, neighbors, friends of parents, etc. Why? What explains this phenomenon?

What do the clothing gifts have in common? The answer: They've all come from women. Not a single clothing gift has come from a man.

Those are the facts. Based on those facts, I'd like propose a theory: Women will use any excuse they can find to buy clothing for little girls. For them, it is like buying clothing for a doll. It allows them to express an innocent feminine delight in clothing that is not possible with their own clothing. For example, how often does a woman get a chance to buy an outfit that includes a matching bow on an elastic band to be worn on the head? How often are bonnets an acceptable head covering for an adult woman? With little girls, however, these wacky doll-like concoctions are not only acceptable, they are expected.

I have spoken with several women about this and have confirmed that this thought process occurs on both conscious and subconscious levels.

I hope science someday confirms what I have already discovered. At that time, I hope they name the phenomenon after me - "D'Auria Syndrome." I know, it's kind of a girly thing to have named for me, but better that than some horrible new disease.