Leah Sheil is constantly complimented on her son’s stylish outfits – but what most of her friends don’t know is that they are from the girls’ section.
On a shopping trip, Leah and her wife Caitlin found an impressive selection of trendy winter wear for their little boy, including a bright pink fleece.
Leah’s wife Caitlin, revealed some of the stylish outfits she found for her son in the girls’ sectionCredit: @leah.sheil
In the girls’ section of Next, Caitlin held up the garment and told Leah’s 263K followers on Instagram : “This one might be controversial because it’s pink, but [I’m] obsessed with this.
She added: “I don’t get why pink is just for girls because boys look so good in pink.”
The couple filmed themselves as they pulled various items from the rack, telling followers what they would pair them with.
There was a pair of jazzy striped green trousers, a 90’s style jumper, and a cute ‘staple’ t-shirt with a cinnamon bun printed on the chest.
Leah said to the camera: “Clothes don’t have genders.”
“It’s mad to me that these are all from the girls’ section and they could literally be for anyone,” she added.
“I really encourage you to not just look at boy and girl sections, because there’s so much more.”
Fellow boy mums jumped in the comment section and were just as obsessed with the haul.
“All of these are so cute!! Especially the trousers,” one wrote.
“Need these all for my son,” a second added.
Clothes don’t have genders
Leah
A third chimed: “Yup, I’ve got some of these bits for my boys. Forever shopping in the girls section for mine!”
“You are so right, how gorgeous are all these?” another wrote.
Others agreed that girls’ sections have more of a variety in colours and that pink is a colour for everyone, not just girls.
“My son is 15 now, but when he was little I used to let him pick a lot of his clothes, and guess what? He always picked pink. He was the coolest kid on the block, he also had a pink scooter and pink doll pushchair that he chose himself.”
Other parents said how they often shop in the boys’ section for their daughters’ clothing.
One said that her child will only wear boys’ clothes as they are more comfortable and to her taste.
The trend of putting children in ‘gender neutral’ colours first came about in 2022, with earthy tones making moves in kids’ fashion.
Dr Dion Terrelonge, a fashion psychologist, explained why there is such a difference in girls’ and boys’ clothing.
She previously told The Sun: “When it comes to kids’ clothes, the majority of bright colours are reserved for girls, while boys’ clothes tend to have more muted tones.
“This is something that goes way back to the Industrial Revolution.
“There was a change in clothing production whereby men’s outfits were suddenly made much more functional as men went out to work in factories.
DATED STEREOTYPES
“From then on, we’ve seen men wearing outfits for functionality while women wear clothing for fun, which filters down to children’s dress.
“Little girls aren’t expected to be covered in stains and so have the privilege of a more varied colour palette.”
She also explained that boys’ clothes are made for play, which she has cited as problematic and sexist.
Dr Terrelonge said how girls clothes are often a light cotton and tulle, while boys tend to have stirdier fabrics like denim and leather.
And this is also the case with shoes.
Girls shoes typically have a thin sole and patent tee-bars, but boys will have a thicker sole with matte hard-wearing leather that’s waterproof.
She said: “This is down, sadly, to the type of play that is assumed of both genders.
“The assumption is that girls don’t need practical clothing because they are there to be aesthetically pleasing.
“Whereas boys need robust clothes because they are rolling around and they’ll only destroy them — again reinforcing those gender stereotypes.”
The couple argue that clothes don’t have a gender and there is so much choice out thereCredit: @leah.sheil
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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