Myth vs. Truth: Girls Have to Choose Between Sweet and Fierce

There is a belief that keeps kids clothing stuck. Let's clear it up.

The Myth

"Sweet clothes are for girls, and fierce or bold designs are for boys. Kids can be one or the other, but not both."

The Truth

Kids are not one-dimensional, and their clothes shouldn't force them to be either. A girl can wear a dinosaur hoodie and a heart-print onesie in the same week and be exactly herself both times. When I design for parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles who see kids as whole people, I'm designing for the truth that fierce and sweet were never opposites to begin with.

Why the Myth Persists

This belief sticks around because so much of children's media has trained us to expect it:  predators in kids' films are overwhelmingly male, and prey is overwhelmingly female, quietly teaching girls to see themselves as something to be hunted rather than something powerful. And of course quietly teaching boys that they are the loud, aggressive hunter. My granddaughter deserves better than that, and so does every kid wearing our shirts.

If this myth has been frustrating you, now that you know about it, check out my critter collections, where kids can pick their animal, then their color or vice versa. No gender rules. Just clothing.

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