The boys have predators on their clothes, the girls have prey.

[dinodora]

sonshinemagazine.com/magazine/animals-aggression-and-entitlement

An interesting analysis of high st children's clothes.

My boy does love sharks buand he would say they're prey to humans - I must say I'd have struggled with many of the girls clothes these days as I'd have preferred the dinosaurs.

Regularish poster, I've nc.

[NotMeOhNo]

Yes I've noticed this. I don't think a lot of otherwise gender stereotype aware mothers of boys I know have noticed.

[dinodora]

It's difficult as I love dinosaurs and wild animals too (prefer plain clothes really) but do pick out some of these types of clothes for him.

But it's not our responsibility, it's the manufacturers.

[Pratchet]

That's a great website. I also like this about boys wearing 'girls'' clothes.

[DrWhy]

I’ve got a boy and I’ve absolutely noticed this - who wants a scary looking shark with teeth or a mouth open t-Rex on baby and toddler clothes. I’m trying to teach him not to bite people for God’s sake! Plus it’s all grey and blue.
At the moment he almost lives in Frugi, JoJo and Little Bird from mothercare with the odd bit from boots - it’s all primary colours and friendly looking animals. The JoJo stuff is somewhat gendered but more in the colours than the animals or designs. I’m pregnant with a girl now and reckon I’ll be able to use more than half his stuff without anyone raising an eyebrow - and quite a lot more because I’m not that fussed.
Sadly aged 2 he will be out of the toddler stuff and then even those brands get less good although still better than others. Plus they are blinking expensive. I wish the stuff you could grab in the high street or supermarket wasn’t so awful.

[LaSquirrel]

The predator/prey motifs certainly are a reflection of the assigned gender roles. All part of the attraction of those motifs.

Slogans and pictures on clothing were not really a thing when I was a girl. However, the gender roles were very much there (pre 2nd wave). It was hard to imagine 'what I wanted to be', when there were bugger-all role models other than 'housewife' and maybe nurse. So I went through a number of years staring into the abyss of non-career choices (for females). Boys of course, could 'choose anything'.

The predator/prey dynamic was also why I chose not to have children. I knew that, whichever sex, they would fit into one of those two categories.

[dinodora]

Buand- but + and 

Sorry to hear that LaSquirrel.

Ive just put my baby in a lovely pale blue baby grow and think it's just a lovely colour for babies.

[dinodora]

It is a good website pratchet.

I hope they keep going. Pls share as much as possible. I first heard them on woman's hour, about masculinity.

[SardinesAreYum]

Omfg how have I not noticed that? I knew they "got" different animals colours and one side gets aggression and the other pretty, but predator/ prey? Yikes that's so in your face isn't it. All done subconsciously I'm sure , that almost makes it worse.

[AvtarRamKaur]

It's certainly shocked me to see it all laid out so obviously. I prefer primary colours and plain clothes for my children as well, and hate slogans unless they are positive (my 4yo dd has a genius top but it's such a flimsy cut!). I think I'll be buying "boys" knickers for dd for as long as I can get away with it. They are made better. As a part-time sewer-of-clothes I notice these things but don't always put my money where my mouth is.

[MilkTwoSugarsThanks]

I thought stegosaurus was a plant eater...

[RiddleyW]

I'd noticed this! People think I'm mad when I point it out.

DS always wore nice bright colours when he was really small and his shoes had rabbits on them and people always thought he was a girl.

[dinodora]

I think I'll be buying "boys" knickers for dd for as long as I can get away with it. They are made better.

When looking for a good pair of jeans for ds when aged 4 I was in gap and found some good ones in the girls area, but didn't at first notice it was a 'girls' area. They were slim (he's narrow) and soft which I thought would be nice to wear. I then had a look in the boys area and found what I thought would fit (most were very baggy) but the material felt tougher and stronger - at first I felt they'd be uncomfortable. I went to and fro and noticed:

On the girls: smaller or no pockets
Slimmer, softer, stretchy but ultimately not as hard wearing, no turn ups.

On the boys: thicker tougher material with less stretch, turn ups for making them last longer, bigger and more pockets.

In the end I bought the boys ones as I think would have done for a dd. They did loosen up and have been a great buy. I know the others would have worn through quickly.

[dinodora]

Recently had the same discussion about School shoes with a friend - she ended up having 4 pairs over the year for her dd. Due to either impracticality in winter or badly made and breaking.

Ds's have lasted since sept (feet haven't grown much) and are barely worn in. (Start rite)

[Carecomplet]

It's awful that the more unisex clothes - Frugi, Jojo, Little Bird are so much more expensive. Even 2nd hand on eBay! More affordable clothes tend to be more gendered :(

[Bowlofbabelfish]

I sew so choose a lot of nice bright colours for ds - scandi type prints tend to be fun. I’ve sewn dinosaur print dresses for a friend’s girl because we couldn’t find any. We love animal prints but steer clear of any slogan stuff

I’ve never had to buy ‘girls’ clothes but from rummaging around with friends I’d agree - the girls stuff is more flimsy, limited colour palette, skimpy cuts, fewer pockets. It’s crap.

I look back on my childhood photos and I’m in (late 70s) corduroy in bright colours, dungarees, bright sweaters, t shits etc. Very, very little that’s overtly gendered. And all handed down of course.

[dinodora]

As a young teen I actively sought out pairs of basic Levi's in the local farm suppliers store. Best place for them.

I think they were for boys; they fitted great and they wore really well!

[ErrolTheDragon]

Yes - it's been this way for quite a while. I got a lot of 'boys' stuff for DD pre puberty - plain 'boy' tshirts, jeans, chinosetc from supermarkets and high street.Thicker cotton, not skimpy. And jumpers, it was weirdly impossible to find any girls ones at the time.

[dinodora]

@AvtarRamKaur

An article about pants too:

sonshinemagazine.com/magazine/introductions-childrenswear-buyer

[QueasySqueezy]

Predator/prey clothing seems particularly obvious in the cheaper clothing brands, I really notice it in supermarkets. Our local Morrison’s is so so bad wrt girls/boys clothes. I don’t want to dress dd in pink top to toe with cutesy animals wearing pink ribbons. Nor do I want to put her in most of the boys section as they’re made from much heavier material that would be too hot right now, or have daft slogans.

Has anyone else noticed that boys sections have the water/UV suits that cover their legs and arms and are great sun protection, but girl sections only have swimming costumes that don’t cover arms/legs? If my 2yo is going to be splashing around the paddling pool or in the sea I don’t want her getting burnt, or to be slathering sunscreen on her constantly and unnecessarily.

Isit only boys who deserve decent sun protection?!

[mikado1]

Interesting thread.

It's girls' shorts I notice-basically hotpants for preschoolers, while the boys get the comfy knee length ones.

[WeightedCompanionCube]

Actually from Tesco - DD2 has a pack of dinosaur knickers she loves (they're printed in silhouette in different neon colours so not even twee "girlie" ones with big eyelashes and that shite) and there's a lovely dinosaur top I've seen them have that she'd love. It's getting a bit better on that front gradually - DD1's got some Next dinosaur tops which again were in their "girls" range but are just dino prints in bright colours (neon orange) and she loves them.

I've got a few slogan tops for my girls - one that's "I'm not bossy - I have leadership skills" and there's another floating around a laundry pile somewhere with "forget princess I want to be a scientist" on - but I'm not paying stupid money for kids' clothes so sometimes there's some shite that comes in multi packs of 3 from the supermarket that I let float by since it'll only get wrecked anyway.

Our school lets the kids wear any footwear that's sensible and black for the winter anyway so I just send mine in in boots - my priority with footwear is that the youngest can get it on and off and the insoles are pale coloured so she can see the arrows I put in them to get the bloody things on the right feet!

[Lancelottie]

It doesn't quite work, though I can certainly see the general theme. Girls can have predators as long as they're fluffy ones -- kittens and owls.

Stealth predators, that's what girls are. Definitely.

[Mogleflop]

That's awful.

It's no wonder we're seeing unprecedented levels of crisis around gender when it's rammed down people's throats so much, is it?

[VulvaOfSteel]

I broadly agree, but surely no one fucks with a unicorn?