'Predator vs Prey': The divisive new theory on girls' vs boys' clothing

"Once you see it, you can't unsee it."

If you were to open your kid's wardrobes (from toddler to tween), you would most likely see a very distinct difference between the boy's and girls' clothes. But you may not think twice about it.

Kirstie Beaven from Sonshine Mag has recently spoken out about the phenomena.

"This is one of those things, once you see it. You can't unsee it," she tells the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast. "The animals that show up on clothes for boys and girls are completely different.

"For the boys, the top animals that you're likely to find are sharks, the T-Rex and wolves. And for girls, it's rabbits and llamas or the little animals like guinea pigs.

"What you'll see on boys' clothes is predators, and what you'll see on girls' clothes is prey!"

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Boys vs girls clothes. Source: supplied

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"Boys clothes depict predators"

Beaven's theory certainly got this writer's attention (I'm a mum of three boys).

Think about it with your kids. Your boys would likely have dinosaurs, sharks, lions, and tigers, and they are not the cute and cuddly kind. Conversely, girls' clothes typically feature bunnies, ponies, butterflies, and unicorns—a world with sunshine and rainbows. 

When these animals are in the wild, they can be classified as predators and prey.

I know from experience that once your little man is over the phase of planes, trains, and automobiles, it's an instant transition to fangs and fierceness. Even the slogans on sweaters tell boys they are brave, wild and heroic. But for girls, it's all about love, positivity and fantasy. 

According to research conducted in the UK (2018), dinosaurs are the number one animal on clothes marketed to boys, followed by bears and sharks. Not all dinosaurs hunt prey (thank you to my two boys for that lesson); they aren't the most popular motif.

Girls' clothes occasionally feature dinosaurs but are usually herbivores, declawed and smiling.

So what do the girls get? 

Girls’ clothes often feature the animals that Disney will call upon to help the princess. Very rarely do they represent an impending doom. Girls’ clothes embody life and regeneration: fruit, flowers, butterflies and hearts.

The sad reality is that this signaling is thrust on children through the images.

Looking at the big brands, like Target, Big W, and Next - they fall into the gender trap of predator and prey, and so the implied expectations.

Boys clothes feature wolves and dinosaurs. Source: Target/Big W

Girls clothes are softer and friendlier. Source: Target/Big W

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That's not to say that there aren't female wolves or dinosaurs, but rather, the way those images are depicted plays into the gender stereotypes.

It's pedaling the narrative that what boys are taught from a young age is that they should emulate or look up to aggressors, and girls need to be protected. 

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"It drives me mad"

Parents of boys and girls jumped into the comments of the podcast's Instagram post to talk about their wardrobes as kids, and if they now see the same patterns transpire with their own children.

-"What I'm hearing if anyone says this is that girls are inferior and the worst thing you can be; it is heartbreaking on lots of levels. "

-"Wanna go further. All the pink versions of toys cost more."

-"The animals on clothes also blew my mind! And it drives me mad; I don’t want to dress my child in everything dinosaur! Sure, when that’s his decision, that’s different, but for now, give us colour, shapes, and variation!! Excited to help raise him in a world that makes him, god forbid, a kind and compassionate young man!"

-"My younger daughter came after two boys, so she wore some hand-me-downs, and boy, did it seem to bother adults to see a baby/toddler girl wearing "boy" clothes that depicted masculine things such as colour or the pic on the shirt." 

This woman wanted to share how revolutionary her mother was: "This is something that made me proud of my mum... I'm 38 years old, and she ALWAYS got me clothes I wanted when I was a kid, dinosaurs, lions or whatever, she took me to the "boys" section, and she was always supportive if I wanted something from there and not the "girls" section."

Another mum also shared her experience, writing, "I have twin girl and boy! Lots of his clothes have dinosaurs on them, so I make an effort to find dinosaur clothes for her, too! And he’s worn her pink bunny vests more than once." 

Finally, this comment summed it up: "Boys' clothes animals have everything that represents strength or loud animals. Girls have softer, fluffier, cute, or fantasy creatures, representing the generic gender character."

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Originally published as 'Predator vs Prey': The divisive new theory on girls' vs boys' clothing