Fashion Backwards

So I have read and seen and heard a lot about this new “designer diaper” trend. If you actually HAVE a life and aren’t fully abreast of this development, some Huggies diapers now come in a designer jeans pattern. No, of course it isn’t real denim. I mean, kids poop in it and then you throw it away – THAT would be silly. But they are meant to look like jeans. This, of course, is for the parent that…that…well, that likes paying 40% more for a diaper that makes a kid look like they are wearing daisy dukes, I guess. Either way, they are selling. A lot.

It didn’t take long for Pampers to respond to Huggies opening fashion salvo by announcing that Cynthia Rowley is going to design a line of diapers for that company. I don’t know much about Cynthia Rowley (until about an hour ago, nothing actually) but apparently in the past two years she has signed on to design diapers and uniforms for flight attendants. (Quick aside:How is this viewed in the “design world”? Aren’t designers supposed to be artists? Isn’t this kind like John Irving putting out a series of greeting cards or Martin Scorcese directing an episode of “Two and a Half Men”? Think actresses are beating down her door to dress them for the Oscars? “Oh, Cynthia, please, I need something regal. Something old Hollywood. Something elegant and simple. Something I can piss in and not have to worry about rash.” Okay, back to your regularly scheduled reading.)

I know, I'm about a month behind on this story, so I will spare you the commentary about whether or not this is ruining our country (it isn’t ). And this designer diaper thing is also not a quantum leap for parental consumerism…I mean, does anyone remember this post?. So let’s not take this too seriously.

But what has surprised me about the dozens of news articles and blogs I have read about this is how few stories mention that cute, multi-colored, fancy designer diapers isn’t a new idea. Diapers with polka dots and butterflies and pastel colors have been around for years. They just aren’t disposable.

Olive wears pink and orange and green and yellow and blue diapers. She has a bunch of “trendy” cloth diaper covers. We just bought a friend a diaper that has the Boston Red Sox logo and “Little Sox Fan” embroidered on the butt. And the best part is…you don’t need to throw it away after using it once.

When we chose to use cloth diapers for Olive, the “cute” aspect wasn’t really a factor. I mean, over 90% of the time the diaper is covered by something else – usually something FAR more fashionable. But it doesn’t hurt that the diapers are cute too. So if fashion really means that much to you when choosing a method of collecting human excrement – leave the faux jean disposables on the shelf and swing by or click on to Diaper Lab in Somerville, MA. They don’t have Cynthia Rowley – but really, who the hell is she anyway?