To think the NH museum shop letting girls down?

[Ambam]

So my daughter loves dinosaurs. I wanted to get her a dinosaur t-shirt for her birthday and went to the Natural History Museum online shop. But to me the vast majority of their kids clothes look stereotypically boyish (in terms of the colour palette and graphics). www.nhmshop.co.uk/toys-and-games/kids-clothes-and-accessories.html#4

She’s pretty gender heavy and I don’t reckon she’d like them.

This was a while ago but I’m now in the same position and just checked their shop again. It’s exactly the same. I get that you can say girls can wear any of the clothes they sell but, like I said, to me most of the colours and graphics align exactly with the “boys” section of most kids clothing shops. Kids aren’t stupid. They notice how things are pitched.

AIBU unreasonable or do you think their collection is a bit sexist?

[Edited by MNHQ to remove identifying info]

So just to be clear I don’t think pink and sparkly are for girls and blue is for boys. When she couldn’t express an opinion my daughter wore whatever was around, and now she can I try to encourage her to wear and enjoy a range of things across gender stereotypes. But at the moment she has absorbed many of the gender stereotypes around clothing (but not around interests) and wants to enforce them rigidly - like many kids do. I guess my point is that stereotypes persist in society around clothing and the NHM range seems to fit firmly into the stereotypical boys bracket. We can pretend these stereotypes don’t exist but kids absorb them so if my daughter looked at the NHM shop she would think “boys clothes”. And to some extent she’d be correct. Not in terms of what I think but in terms of the message society sends. Also (genuinely not passive aggressively) am confused as to why pink would be girly and cause an uproar rather than being for all. Obviously there are more important feminist issues but I actually think the images on clothes for young children send a strong message. Particularly around science and engineering. So I guess there’s a broader question about whether it’s worth indulging clothing stereotypes to combat stereotypes around interests eg dinosaurs - which are arguably more important. My brain is sleep deprived so sorry if this is incoherent! Thanks for clothing suggestions!

I am delighted to hear that the NHM are providing a range that appeals to al children. My children are adults now but even in the 1990s there was a lot of drab navy blue for' boys' and frills for 'girls'. Having children of both sexes I resented buying separate wardrobes for them.

Also (genuinely not passive aggressively) am confused as to why pink would be girly and cause an uproar rather than being for all.

Yet you think the colours in the shop aren’t suitable for your daughter, because she’s female.

Are you sure what this all boils down to, therefore, isn’t just that you’re annoyed the NHM doesn’t happen to carry a top exactly suited to your daughter’s tastes? But you’re getting muddled up and thinking there’s an issue here around gender stereotyping and clothing?

@Tippety why limit themselves though. Surely the aim is to sell as to as wide of an audience as possible.

I don't understand how the OP is gender stereotyping. She's simply saying her daughter (and me at a younger age, and I'm sure many others!) likes to wear more pastel/bright colors (traditionally seen as 'girl') but also wants to have a shirt with her interests on (traditionally more 'boy'). If anything shes the one allowing her child to be 'neutral' in what she likes.

Shes not saying the shirt should be marketed to girls only, it could just go in their already gender neutral clothing section and anyone Male or female who likes it can buy it.

Gender neutral doesnt mean anything traditionally seen as female is bad or should no longer be available.

My daughter would wear all of those, plus has some from Asda which are pink - purchased because they were in the sale and needed for forest school!

If it's any consolation OP I absolutely get what you say and I see that there are those on this thread who won't, probably deliberately. And I fucking hate girly shit.

I guess then, that the NHM shop doesnt have any tshirts your dd likes. Im not sure that warrants a complaint.
Id be hoping really or explaining to her that those tshirts are for anyone that likes dinosaurs, and that things dont have to be pink or lilac for her to be able to wear them. If she really can only wear very girly clothes then the vast majority of shops will cater for that whether its other parents wishes or not

The etymology t shirt is pink and purple if that helps?

You SERIOUSLY wrote and complained to the NHM that you felt their range of kids T-shirt’s wasn’t up to scratch. Jesus. It’s a fucking MUSEUM not marks n sparks. You are so entitled it’s painful.

Yes, I agree - thank goodness for small businesses! I have a lovely collection of unusual jewellery and scarves I've had to source online because the designs I wanted weren't available in shops (my particular favourite is my grey unicorn scarf because I wanted unicorns but didn't want pink, I look shit in pink)

Just because a motif isn't available in a colour that a particular person likes doesn't mean that the retailer is "letting girls down", they don't provide every single colour of t-shirt they provide some colours, pink isn't one of them. This isn't letting "girls" down, it's maybe letting "people who exclusively like to wear pink clothing" down.

I often find I like something in a shop but can't find it in a colour I like, I have the choice of either buying it in a different colour (hello mustard jumper I have now come to love) or not having it.

I agree with OP. Why doesn't NH museum produce their merchandise in pink and glitter and then tell all the naysayers that their range is 'gender neutral' and they need to get with it?

Why are trends that conform to male stereotyping always the default?

Because glitter comes off and covers everything it touches and is a ballache to wash and iron? Don't even get me started on bloody ruffles.

**redappleandaquamarinebow1987

@StroppyWoman would it kill them to have some pastle tops with 'cute' dinos on it?*

I hate this- why should girls be dummed down with “cute” dinosaurs when boys get realistic looking ones?

You guys know that some kids just like pink, no matter what parents do, right?

Exactly Butchy. It's always the male stereotypes that are seen as superior. We absolutely need to get a mix of sexes in all subjects and occupations, but the way to do that is not by continually making everything to do with those subjects that are seen as male conform to male stereotypes. This has the opposite effect of putting girls off and making them feel like those should not be areas of interest for them.

@Artesia why are cutesy dinosaurs dumbed down? also some boys might prefer less realistic dinos

So take your business elsewhere. Have you tried Etsy?

YANBU

would it kill them to have some pastle tops with 'cute' dinos on it?

It’s the Natural History Museum

Realistic dinosaurs are kinda their thing...

@redappleandaquamarinebow1987

It’s the implied message that realistic, scientifically accurate is appropriate for boys, and that girls should stick to cutesy, cuddly images. I think it’s a really limiting attitude and sells girls short.

I saw this documentary years back that made the point that we don't actually know what colour dinosaurs actually were. I always assumed purple, because of Dino. Having said that, there is nothing to stop any coloured dinosaur being imprinted on any colour top.

@Artesia why are we limiting boys what they are and not allowed to like

@SmileEachDay some child can find them very interesting but not want a realistic one as a souvenir. And I say child as it can be a boy or girl who feels like this

The range of kids dino tshirts at NHM online includes bright red, bright yellow and a much brighter shade of green than is normally found in the boys palate of khaki camouflage colours. I think its reasonably gender neutral.

Would your DD like this coloursaurus?