In an article for Fashion Studio Magazine, I previously discussed how fashion is starting to become cross-gender among adult clothing, looking at how the race to keep up with the trend of “unconventional beauty” was giving rise to androgyny in clothing. Women’s clothing is becoming more masculine, with blazers and pants replacing blouses and dresses; while men’s clothing has drifted towards more fitting outfits, previously synonymous with women’s designs.
Unfortunately, the change in conformity is happening much slower when it comes to children’s clothing. It’s an area that arguably should be the first to do so as gender stereotypes are ingrained in children from a very young age. The separation between gender and clothing has become so obvious that even the children wearing the clothes are starting to taking notice.
Recently, New Jersey mom Lisa Ryder was looking through a children’s clothing catalogue with her daughter when they realised that the company had very distinctive differences between the clothing offered in boys’ sizes and the clothing offered in girls’ sizing. The boys’ clothing had science-based themes, such as shirts featuring sharks, NASA, or dinosaurs, but similar options weren’t available in girls’ sizes. When her daughter became disappointed that the clothes weren’t being offered to her, Lisa decided to write a letter questioning the company’s decision to only offer boys’ sizes on their Facebook page.
It didn’t take long for the letter to go viral. According to The Huffington Post, a rep from the company said they would pass along her concerns to the necessarily personnel. However, when the post gained steam, it wasn’t just the company staff Lisa ended up talking to. When others commented on the post, advising her to buy one of the boy shirts for her daughter since the sizes are similar, her response was near poetic. It is as follows:
“The problem is that your recent catalog copy and product offerings strongly promote the gender stereotypes that young boys are smart and mighty and young girls are adorable. Simply buying my daughter one of your ‘boy shirts’ is not the answer because it perpetuates the idea that science is a boy thing that she happens to be participating in.”
Thankfully there are some companies taking a positive stance on the matter. One that’s making forward progress in the realm of gender-neutral children’s clothing is Tootsa MacGinty. One of the first of its kind, they make unisex clothing lines for children ages 8 and under. Since the company began in 2011, founder Kate Pietrasik has taken a strong stance on removing gender stereotypes from fashion, especially when it comes to children’s attire.
After spending several years in France, Pietrasik was surprised to see how segregated even the top brands of children’s clothing were. Using her background in design, she sought to change the standard and create a unique, unisex line for children that was comfortable, fun, and fashionable — hence Tootsa MacGinty was born. The company even used their new Autumn/Winter Look Book to relay their message, proudly featuring girls and boys wearing identical outfits. Not only does the decision show the brand’s universality, it holds a more prestigious purpose of breaking down gender barriers.
Taking a stand on any issue is a dangerous line for a company to cross. They risk losing customers who disagree with their position and limit their possibilities for partnerships. That fact makes it all the more impressive when some companies choose to do so.
At the very least, hopefully others — be it a parent or company — can be inspired to do the same in the future.
