J. Crew recently released a product for girls that has received some criticism: an apron. While boys are offered toys like “Boys’ Ridley’s Magic Tricks” or “Kid’s Color Block Notebook,” girls are not offered any toys at all. Instead, girls are offered nail polish and an apron. Redditer Miffy88 started the discussion on the product. While many children might want an apron, J. Crew discouragingly only suggests it to girls. That said, we could easily buy that apron for a boy!
The apron controversy seems a little misguided as the unsettling part isn’t the apron at all, but the fact that women aren’t offered toys or a notebook or a phone case; limiting the way girls interact intellectually and socially is damaging, and although they are just holiday gifts, these products are symptomatic of the way we view gender roles. So go ahead and look at all these adorable outfits and toys as gifts possibilities for all genders. All kids should get exactly want they want for the holidays, be it an apron or an R2D2 figurine. What do you think? Are these gift suggestions sexist?
Image via Country Living
