Angry at M&S and their 'girls are here to spread positivity' clothing

[TheBlueOwl]

Looking for some sweatshirts for my 10 year old daughter on the M&S website. It was hard to find anything without a nauseating ‘positive/kindness' message/slogan. Had a look at the boys stuff and it seems they don’t have the burden of spreading positivity to the world via their clothing? What is this all about? It feels wrong or AIBU? Surely we’ve moved on from girls having to be sweetness and light? Do I need to learn applique and start some counter messaging? Get Fucked? Too strong? Any ideas?

Here are my findings:

Girls Tops:
Positive state of mind
Life is full of surprises
Always positive energy
Spread kindness
Amazing things will always happen
Super Love
Let the Sunshine In
Happiness Rocks
Better Together

Boys Tops:
Dead Cool
Gamer at Work
Just Roll With It
Turtley Amazing
Powered by Dino Might
Strong Together
Gamer
Goal

its no different for adults, most of my tshirts are mens, they get all the gaming and anime ones and all we get is slutty shit, peanuts and hello kitty.

thats a point at what age does it change from kindness and rainbows to slutty shit with leopard prints?

You might like to take a look at: www.facebook.com/MANWHOHASITALL/shop/ for clothing that actively counters stereotypes.

I hate the 'I love my daddy'
Baby clothes
Or
'Daddy's little girl'
Enrages me

@thewhatsit

I agree although people do need to stop buying this stuff.

My 5 year old DS was on the other hand bought multiple tops saying “gamer” on and with games console images. He’s not a “gamer”, he’s 5.

But why? If your child likes it who cares? There just needs to be options. No one’s making you buy it or saying all girls have to. There are naff logos on loads of clothes both kids and adults but there’s plenty of other option. They don’t need to stop selling it if someone people like it surely?

Agree. I've got a boy and a girl, wouldn't buy any of those for either of them. Hate stupid slogans.

YANBU but this certainly isn't a new issue. Anyone remember when John Lewis stopped labelling 'boys' clothes and 'girls' clothes sections in stores and the backlash they got for it though?

Off to see whether Turtley Amazing comes in adult sizes.

It's even worse if your kid is tall for his or her age. My SEN caree boy has been about two or three years ahead in height for most of his life. He's ten now, and wears 13-14 year-old clothes. His preference would be Fireman Sam, dinosaurs, tractors, etc. Avoiding the camo and gamer stuff leaves a very limited choice.

I imagine it must be even worse for a physically advanced girl. His sister still likes lego and space, and wears boys tops. But the range of trousers is pathetic for tree-climbing and similar.

My own kids, now in their thirties, had much wider choices and casual clothes were unisex patterns and cartoon characters that any child could wear. I find today's children's clothes tacky in the extreme.

Completely agree with you OP. Gender specific garments with such spectacularly different messages. Why?? And it is so dismaying in the 21st century that there are specific expectations of not only real girls ie under 16 but also the adults the media still want to call "girl" even though they are adults. The most spooky I saw recently being articles about Emma Radukanu and her smile. Keep smiling Emma! Keep smiling! That way you fit all our gender stereotypes! Sorry - you are a dedicated what? You are a career what? Your ambition is to win the Grand...something? sorry we broke up. Emma keep looking pritty and we will all love you, which you clearly want because you are a celebrity, so that's all okay. You should thank us, though, for giving you all these column inches! So keep smiling for us so we can write some more utter rubbish. Pass me bucket.

@TheBlueOwl

I did cherry pick to demonstrate my point? The fact that there are less saccharine alternatives doesn't cancel out the fact that these slogans exist? It's their existence that troubles me? And the fact that the boys clothes are free of them?

You say in your op that * It was hard to find anything without a nauseating ‘positive/kindness' message/slogan.*

Hard to find? A 2 min look on marks pulled up
Be fearless
Be awesome
Police
Be happy

Amongst other similar non saccharine sentiments

I let my dd wear what the hell she likes
Sometimes that’s a sweetly saccharine top
Sometimes it’s a “be fearless” top

Likewise with my son. Although he ever fancies a sweetly saccharine top instead his alternative is a gaming one.

So I’m pleased that marks has provided a heft load of both sweetly saccharine AND the likes of be fearless etc
Because my daughter loves BOTH sentiments

Looking at the M&S website, it's clear they've tried to move from "boys" and "girls" to "kids" to avoid upsetting people.

However, I am now cross because the size and figure of a 16yo girl and a 16yo boy are completely different and having unisex clothing now makes it difficult to buy online because of this sizing. I have a teen boy and a teen girl. My boy is half a foot taller FGS and my girl has bloody curved hips! I don't want the same clothing for them.

Primark do slogan clothing with more empowering messages for girls if that's what you're looking for

@jytdtysrht

Looking at the M&S website, it's clear they've tried to move from "boys" and "girls" to "kids" to avoid upsetting people.

However, I am now cross because the size and figure of a 16yo girl and a 16yo boy are completely different and having unisex clothing now makes it difficult to buy online because of this sizing. I have a teen boy and a teen girl. My boy is half a foot taller FGS and my girl has bloody curved hips! I don't want the same clothing for them.

I suspect your 16 year olds will be relieved you can’t buy from M&S kids department!

I think there is at least one member of the senior management team at M&S who actively dislikes having customers. Every now and then they break through with another customer repelling initiative. They can’t seem to stop.

Yanbu. But who puts their kid in a slogan tee?? Ugh

I hate this shit.

I also hate the absolute trash programmes that are marketed to girls. Polly Pocket for example. Yeah, she's into gadgets now and seems like she's a positive role model, but I was watching an episode with my DD the other day where Polly told her Grandmother to "flirt" with a guy sat opposite her on the train. As if this would ever happen in a programme aimed at boys.

I promptly blocked it from our Netflix account!

@SleepyRoo

Yanbu. But who puts their kid in a slogan tee?? Ugh

If they’re out clothes shopping and their child comes to them with a t shit saying “be happy” or “be fearless” and says they’d love to get this.

I prefer the girls slogans to the boys tbh.

@Gizacluethen

I prefer the girls slogans to the boys tbh.

Brace yourself

@Firstruleofsoupover

Completely agree with you OP. Gender specific garments with such spectacularly different messages. Why?? And it is so dismaying in the 21st century that there are specific expectations of not only real girls ie under 16 but also the adults the media still want to call "girl" even though they are adults. The most spooky I saw recently being articles about Emma Radukanu and her smile. Keep smiling Emma! Keep smiling! That way you fit all our gender stereotypes! Sorry - you are a dedicated what? You are a career what? Your ambition is to win the Grand...something? sorry we broke up. Emma keep looking pritty and we will all love you, which you clearly want because you are a celebrity, so that's all okay. You should thank us, though, for giving you all these column inches! So keep smiling for us so we can write some more utter rubbish. Pass me bucket.

Why? Because women keep buying them.

@Aprilx

There is a thread like this every week, with a different retailer.

I agree that it is very frustrating, but I think it is down to the buyers not the retailers. They will provide what sells.

I disagree. It is the fashion industry - they decide what we wear months in advance, they place the orders and then they wheel it out and then we buy it. Sometimes there is a quick turnaround but the big retailers plan their collections ahead of time.

I'm more concerned they sell hijabs that fit children tbh.