Why Should You Consider Unisex Clothing for Kids?

8843373256?profile=originalParents go through many exciting moments, and picking out clothes for their kids is one of the most joyful parts of parenthood, especially for first-time parents. Mums and dads enjoy going to the store to pick out pink frilly dresses for their daughters and blue trousers for their sons, yet they seldom look beyond style when selecting outfits. But while clothes for girls and boys have become a lucrative market for retailers, unisex clothing goes largely ignored.

 

Even though the gender-neutral clothing market has slowly started to develop, many still fall under the misconception that they promote androgyny. However, in an article called “Unisex Fashion: Hey boy, hey girl”, The Independent explained that gender-neutral clothing isn’t about rendering children genderless – rather, it’s about teaching kids that their gender shouldn’t dictate who they are, or who they can be. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider investing in unisex clothing for your kids:

 

Promoting Gender Equality

 

Australia has become known for bringing utmost importance to gender equality, constantly pushing for all genders to have equal rights. In fact, while 2011 saw the world celebrate the 100th International Women’s Day, the Australian Human Rights Commission also celebrated the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to suffrage. Unisex clothing helps support the call for gender equality and introduce children to their rights at an early age, because they transcend conventional gender roles and don’t perpetuate stereotypes like “pinks is for girls, blue is for boys”. Instead of fairies and flowers for girls, and robots or anything that presents toughness for boys, unisex clothes come with cute icons of animals like a fox face, or their favourite cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse, or basic geometric patterns.

 

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Introducing the 3Rs

 

It’s important for parents to teach their kids of the importance of preserving Mother Nature, right from an early age. Unisex clothes present the option to do just that because items are easy to reuse, reduce, and recycle. Unisex clothing is made with function and situation in mind, rather than just style, and many manufacturers set sturdiness as their primary goal in making unisex clothing. Speaking to the Wales Online, Tootsa MacGinty’s Kate Pietrasik said that “Clothes for children should be built for sturdier purposes than the changing vagaries of style – to be passed from sibling to sibling, or friend to friend, regardless of gender.”


Unisex clothing can be kept for much longer periods of time than contemporary clothing, as they’re built to last. Unisex clothes can also be reused and passed on to future generations, as their styles are quite adaptable.

 

8843373459?profile=originalKeeping Them Safe

 

Everyone knows that a baby’s skin can be quite sensitive, and proper clothing made from 100% organic items and production materials is ideal for young children. In an article called “Why Use Natural and Organic Products?”, Samantha Crosby explained that synthetic products were made out of harmful chemicals and carcinogens that can be dangerous to young children with developing immune systems. The Australian Trade Regulations has mandated that manufacturers list down all the materials used in the creation of retailers’ products, so consumers should be able to discern if the items they want to buy for their kids carry harmful ingredients.

 

Legitimate manufacturers of children's clothes are highly meticulous in producing items for children 12 years old and below. Mandated by various organizations and government department in ensuring ethical standards are met in making the clothes, clothing companies (especially the unisex clothing brands) ensure that products made from organic cotton are safe from harmful dye chemicals and other ingredients that cause skin allergies or rashes. 

 

Of course, above everything else, parents should also consider unisex clothing because of their practicality. Because the clothes are so sturdily built, children can enjoy hundreds of uses of their favourite clothes, romp around in sandboxes, climb trees, and go skateboarding, without worrying about their clothes tearing at the seams.

Image 1 courtesy of: spenatmamman via flickr licensed under creative commons
Image 2 courtesy of : KJGarbutt via flickr licensed under creative commons
Image 3 courtesy of: Foot Slogger via flickr licensed under creative commons

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