Skull and crossbones trend

[anothermom]

Maybe I'm just getting old, but I don't get the skull and crossbones fashion trend...especially for baby and toddler. Does anyone know the origin of this? Why is it so in-style?

Just curious.

[ha98ed14]

Because pirates as a theme is really popular after the Pirates of the Caribbean (sp?) movies. Remeber last year and the year before how EVERYONE was a pirate for Halloween? Well, at least here they were. So I think that is why it is so popular now. I have seen pink and black heart and cross bones in stead of skulls for little girls. I would not buy it for my DD, but it seems to be really popular with some.

[SnuggleBuggles]

The POTC connection makes sense to me. I know it has been popular in the Hot Topic wearing teens for a while and is just yet another thing filtering down, imo.

Beth

[anothermom]

OK, the pirate thing makes sense. I'm so out of touch with pop culture these days! But I still don't think I'd put it on my baby!

[kijip]

My son is not a pirate fan but he adores anatomy and bones etc. So he has a couple of shirts with skulls or skeletons. I think he wore a skull, crossbones and baseball shirt to school today.

[wencit]

OK, the pirate thing makes sense. I'm so out of touch with pop culture these days! But I still don't think I'd put it on my baby!:yeahthat:

I guess I don't mind a few cute pirate-themed items, like this shirt from Gymboree:

http://s7ondemand1.scene7.com/is/image/Gymboree/140037657?$240x305$

However, in my personal opinion, a skull and crossbones == death, and I do not want my toddler son wearing anything like that.

[citymama]

I agree that it's a bit morbid - I did a double take when I saw not one, not 2, but 3 different skull and xbones t-shirts in the new Mini Boden catalog. Pirates are cool, but the trend does seem to have gone a little overboard (pun intended)! ;) Arrr.

[ellies mom]

My DD loves bones and anatomy too. Last summer she picked out a darling "Day of the Dead" fabric that I made into a rather girly dress. She gets a lot of compliments on it.

[KBecks]

I don't buy skull and crossbones for my boys either, and I don't like pirates even though they are popular.

Is the Ed Hardy stuff also skulls, etc?

[misshollygolightly]

It may be somewhat pirate-related, but it also comes from the realm of punk-rock fashion, I think.

[mdb78]

When dd was 5 months old, I bought a pair of Me in Mind skull and bones shoes. I got alot of compliments (even from my very Christian aunt and uncle). I didn't buy it because of the whole POTC, I bought it because my husband and I were always into bands and rock music and we liked that it was different. We don't really completely dress in that style, but there is at least usually one item on me that shows it.

I made her some clippies with a skull and bones pattern and I also get a lot of compliments on that too.. I think mostly because its different and not the usual "babyish". DD mostly wears Tea, Gymboree, Janie and Jack, and Hanna. Come to think of it, I never bought her anything else with skull and bones besides the shoes.

[fivi2]

I think POTC may have some effect, but I think it goes beyond that. I think that now is when some of the former goth/punk/alternative people or whatever are starting to have kids. I think some of us miss our old selves on occasion and buy silly baby punk stuff as a tongue in cheek nod to that. I am now more or less a suburban soccer mom, but never thought I would be ;) So I sometimes buy a punker shirt or a skull and crossbones items for fun. (and yes I realize that now that it is mass marketed at Hot Topic etc, it isn't really counter-culture, etc, etc). It is like dressing your child in a smurf shirt or a duran duran shirt or something - a humorous nod to your own past. (for me, anyway). I don't think of it as morbid, but I have always had lots of year round Halloweeny type decorations.

[shawnandangel]

The actual symbol of skull and crossbones itself was a representation of the Virgin Mary. There's a long story behind it about how pirates started using it, but it was basically because everyone knew that symbol. When a pope dies there is actually a skull and crossbone on his casket!

I only know this because I was listening to National Public Radio when Pope John Paul II died and they were going through the ritual of what happened when a pope dies.

I thought it was very interesting! Now today people don't associate the skull and crossbones with Mary so I agree with pp that it is just a trend started by punk rock/hot topic/ and pirates of the carribean