John Lewis removing gendered sections in kids clothing

[moutonfou]

John Lewis has announced they are no longer having 'boys' and 'girls' clothing sections. Just kids clothing. Which to me sounds fair enough. I had to buy several football shirts from the boys section as a kid and always felt like they weren't 'for me' and that someone was going to notice and call me out on it.

On some of the news outlets' Facebook posts about this, there are the most OTT comments from people who seem to have interpreted this as an attempt to make all kids be 100% gender fluid, stop calling them boys and girls at all, make all boys wear dresses, etc etc.

AIBU to be frustrated that people can't see the value of just letting kids like what they like, and that it's not all some sinister agenda??

mum11970 and you know this how? Maybe for some parents you are right, but anything that helps chip away at these ridiculous restrictions is a good thing, no?

Changes in attitudes don't happen overnight. Small things - like this act by John Lewis - help them along.

Thing is, JL never did particularly go in for 'I am a fairy whore' on the girls' tops and 'I am a brawny twat just like daddy' on the boys' - it's very much in keeping with what they were always offering, and who they were selling it to.

But if other places followed suit, it would be brilliant. Just a little chipping away at narratives like 'I knew that Jane was really actually Johnny despite being randomly assigned female at birth because of stupid old science and facts, because he always wanted to wear shoes that were practical and comfortable, so had to insist on shopping in the boys' section'.

'I am a fairy whore' on the girls' tops and 'I am a brawny twat just like daddy' on the boys'

Seek - ever thought of bringing out a range of t-shirts with sarcastic slogans mocking gender stereotypes? I'm sure they'd sell (to MNers anyway).

'I am a fickle little madam'
'I would catch gay if this t-shirt wasn't blue'

'So what do we do when they reach 9-10? Go back to separating them again! Just leave things as they are and buy what you want, from which ever section they happen to be in, it's hardly a great hardship to go to both sections.'

Exactly, it all seems so pointless.

Haven't rtft but I'd be more impressed if they removed all the pink and blue girls and boys crap from toys. Having gendered c!othing is exactly what grown ups manage perfectly fine with. Maybe m and s will start having boxer shorts in the Per Una section and nighties amongst the suits and ties.

Exactly, it all seems so pointless

Haven't rtft but

I think these two comments are closely related.

< sigh >

'Haven't rtft but' 'I think these two comments are closely related'

Oh stop sighing. I meant I haven't rtft so not sure if its been discussed regarding JL policy regarding toys. As I said having toys that aren't gendered is far more important that having clothes 'for boys and girls' when clearly, they aren't.

Do you get your knickers from the mens section Archery?

Maybe m and s will start having boxer shorts in the Per Una section and nighties amongst the suits and ties

Weil, that makes no sense

Obviously bixers wiuld be in with the lingerie and nighties in with the pajamas

Boxers and would

These keys are much too close together

Having gendered c!othing is exactly what grown ups manage perfectly fine with.

There are some pretty obvious bodily differences which mean that men don't tend to wear bras etc, and I don't really think many men are going to start wearing dresses any time soon. However, there is no reason not to have a unisex section for the things which really don't need to be for one specific sex.

The problem is that some people think this is stupid and doesn't matter. It does matter. Gradually dismantling all these totally unnecessary (and in some cases completely nonsensical and arbitrary, like the pink/blue thing) 'gender rules' has to be a good thing, surely? Why do women and men wear different types of clothes anyway? Why were trousers for men and dresses for women? There is no need for society to hang onto these traditions if lots if people don't want to.

T shirts for 7 year old children being labelled ' t shirts for age 7' rather than ' boys t shirts ' and ' girls t shirts ' .

Men being forced to wear women's underwear

Yes these are totally the same thing. Obviously one will lead directly to another.

Usually I don't encounter much stupidity online as I'm not on twitter. So this thread has been an eye opener.

my husband's penis fell off at puberty as he'd never worn a t shirt with truck and the slogan "boys are all little shits "

Myrtle I get my clothes from both women's and men's sections, if that helps.

If you had read the thread, you'd have seen how many posters have seen actual children limited in their choices by their preserences labelled for the "wrong" gender. It may not matter to you, but it means a small step for a small degree of more freedom for future kids.

Glosswitch has written a thing!

www.newstatesman.com/politics/feminism/2017/09/why-are-social-conservatives-so-triggered-john-lewiss-gender-neutral-kids

This - from that article above - is amazing: a priest calling John Lewis "wicked beyond comprehension".

twitter.com/Jeffsfollowings/status/903884831678967808

I hope that bin the pink and blue themes while they are at it!

While they are there - can we have some teen PJs that aren't pink glittery with unicorns or fairies and if we can ditch the strange cartoon animals I'll have happy teens!! (Oh and rubbish slogans as well)

As others have said, I support it but also hope a lot more of it is less lazily designed.
It's a choice of either pink frills and sparkles, or drab grey-and-navy far too often.

Again from that article, this thread on how girls' school uniform differs in cut from boys' is really illuminating.

twitter.com/honeypisquared/status/904371493991313409

I don't tend to get clothes from men's sections because they are too big for my size 8.
But at some point I inherited a couple of turtlenecks from my dad, from the 70s.

I used to wear my dads old cravats when i was a teenager, not all the time

I like the fit of next jeans but whats with the teeny tiny pockets??

I don't see what remotely wicked or offensive about the tunic and leggings outfit with the dinosaurs.

Unless you plan on treating a child differently depending on genitals I don't see the problem with a kid not being "instantly identifiable"

I agree with the comments about uniform being so gendered to. My girls wear skirts as teiysers have proven impossible to find. And ill fitting clothes make it harder for them to move around freely so they are more comfortable in skirts less itchy and the more tailored shirts fit Dds better. Tent shirts woukd also be restrictive.

Bitbas for the shoes don't get me started. Not allowed boots and unless im.prepared to pay 50+ pounds getting anything besides stupid useless Mary Janes is impossible. Needless to say I pay because shock horror I want supportive comfortable and FUNCTIONAL!!

#Wewantankleboots

Unless the priest was referring to the dinosaurs.

Is it that nutcase from Christians against dinosaurs again?

Women don't need pockets because they all have to buy handbags of course!