So many parents I meet talk about the lack of choice in boys clothing and the pinkification of girls clothing yet the shops perpetuate this polarity and there are practically no clothes which fall between. I think that it's time to provoke a change to this polarity. Why? It's about freedom, the chance for your children to grow up without fierce gender stereotypes forced upon him or her. "But are these so-called gender stereotypes really fierce? It's just clothing after all" I hear you say. The answer is Yes.
This post is going to be short so I will focus on one item of clothing to illustrate my point today: the humble shoe. Is it simple to find a humble shoe? No. Here are two of the options readily available to you:
The Lelli Kelly Cuori Party Shoe
The Asda George Camo canvas trainer
The Lelli Kelly is for toddlers aged between 1 and 2 years of age upwards. These children are still learning to walk for God's sake! The kitten heel presents them with an obstacle that their muscles and bones will learn how to deal with, bending to the will of the shoe. It is guaranteed to be less comfortable to walk in than a flat shoe teaching the wearer that she has to suffer to be beautiful. The sole is pink, practically the uniform of the baby girl, a colour which in a short one or two generation has become out of bounds for a boy. The top is decorated with shiny hearts and flowers, teaching the wearer that adornment is all important for her wellbeing.
The Asda George is made from a camouflage print which I can't help noticing is worn by the military. The two velcro straps provide an adjustable fit for comfort. The sole is simple and flat providing no such obstacle as the Lelli Kelly for fun stuff like running, jumping and climbing.
I'm placing a harsh judgement on these innocent shoes but here it is: the Lelli Kelly narrows the physical and mental horizon of the girl. The Asda George expands the free will of the boy. Am I being too harsh?
My ideal is a marketplace where our children's clothing is considered from first principles. How will it keep them warm, dry and free to think what they like. It's good d'etre bien dans son peau.
Lastly, it's no secret that this blog is linked to my etsy site where I sell t shirts with Liberty prints sewn carefully onto them. And these prints effortlessly fall into two camps, the florals and the blue patterns (cars, stars, apples). Have I fallen into the same trap that I'm trying to deactivate? Looks like I have. Well, my defence is that Liberty are my exception to my rule, in general I love their fabrics.
Coming soon: how Liberty fabrics can segue daringly into the no-mans-land territory between the castle of princesses and the field of bandits. I'm going to use this blog to show the one-off pieces of clothing I make which do a little to distort the stereotypes that I perceive. It's a testing ground to move this new field of clothing from the reactionary to the mainstream. Let's see where it goes!
