Through the 1800s, babies in the U.S. were dressed in gender neutral clothing — you couldn’t tell the girls from the boys based on their outfits. So why did parents start color-coding their kids in pink and blue? Plus, ELT’s long quest to get a sports team to have a flamingo as their mascot is finally over… or is it?

Guests: textiles and clothing historian Jo Paoletti; cultural historian of medicine, gender, and the body Hanne Blank; and Kuba Krzyzostaniak, Director of Fan Engagement for Forward Madison FC.

Thanks to caller Elle Ve and Paige — and to scholars Elizabeth Sweet, Katherine Parkin, and Valerie Steele.

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Pink for Girls, Blue for Boys — Why?