Will the Advertising Standards Agency take action? Check out why we think Shoezone's 'Shoe Style and Fitting Guide' promotes 'harmful and offensive' gender stereotypes about girls and boys. "Ads that directly contrast male and female stereotypical roles or characteristics need to be handled with care. An ad that depicts a man being adventurous juxtaposed with a woman being delicate or dainty is likely to be unacceptable." ,ASA on 'Depicting Gender Stereotypes.' With lines like 'your girl may like the idea of wearing mummy’s fancy party shoes with the huge stiletto heel' its easy to dismiss Sh ..read more

We've all seen it. Not two mince pies after you've packed or scrapped the ole Christmas tree and some advert is telling you to burn off your festive weight by committing to a gym membership or investing in some Activewear. Its the new year, don't you want a new body to go with it? Getting thin and staying thin is seen as the ultimate goal pushed on women of all ages - we all want to be fit and healthy, sure, but is this the right marketing campaign for young girls? and why are boys excluded? We take a look at how one retailer - Matalan - is spinning (and running with) January's Athleisure mark ..read more

Kidswear is packed with character-led clothing from film and TV, to cartoon, comics and gaming, but do we need pink versions for girls and designs with no women for boys? Lead campaigner for Let Clothes Be Clothes, Francesca Cambridge Mallen explains why choice and basic equality are so important. Spilling into Next, Summer rain hammering down outside, my youngest sprints off into the kids section, eager to hunt out anything Toy Story since we started a marathon of the earlier films. The place isn’t crammed with back-to-school shoppers just yet, and we easily find Woody and Buzz at the back o ..read more

From cosy soft pj's to warm winter woollies, here is our 2018 guide to unisex kidswear this Christmas! 1. Little Green Radicals Organic Winter Bear PJ's, £29 We are big fan's of Little Green Radical's PJ's, and our kids have been wearing them for years. The fabric is super soft and they feel great wash after wash. We love these cosy Winter Bear pj's in deep midnight blue with red trim. Use code: letclothesbeclothes for 25% off everything (exc sale) valid until 21/12/18 2. Banana Sweatshirt by Indikidual, £35 Organic cotton, bright yellow, warm and cosy - BANANA PRINT! What's not to love (I wou ..read more

What is it with the media love affair with the term gender neutral parenting? It’s gained real traction in its attempt to capture the zeitgeist of campaigners who want a retail landscape based on choice, not stereotypes. As terms go, its a really poor one, and instead of promoting a rainbow of choices, we have this sense that some parents want identikit beige uniforms and the banning of dresses, against those who don’t. The problem isn’t actually parents, and how we choose to parent, but a retail landscape dominated by irresponsible and exploitative stereotypes. Its so pervasive, so ingrained ..read more

Earlier this month we spoke to science youtuber and Do you know? presenter Maddie Moate about her new organic t-shirt range for kids! We all do it. Sat on the sofa drinking a cup of tea, you realise you're still watching Cbeebies, long after its young viewer has fled the room looking for something else to do (or eat, usually eat) Most kids shows (cough, Bing) cause me to launch myself at the remote, but there is one I would happily sit through, and that's Do you know? presented by Maddie Moate. Maddie never fails to dazzle with how well she can articulate complex ideas to wee (and not so wee ..read more

Clothes are a great gift at Christmas (think PJ's and socks!) so here is this years Top 10 of unisex clothing buys available from some of our LCBC Approved Badge winners! All are small businesses working outside the box, offering choice - not harmful stereotypes. 1. Little Green Radicals We absolutely love the 100% organic, fairtrade unisex clothes designed and sold by Little Green Radicals. Their pyjamas are a favourite in our household for great fit, super-soft feel and long lasting wash after wash. Sizes available: 12-18 months up to 7-8 years, from £29 with free delivery over £50 2. Monty ..read more

In 2019 we're asking retailers to abandon sexist gender stereotypes in the design and marketing of children's clothes. Here's a look at what our supporters challenged in 2018! 1 - The Death Star and... hearts? 2. Boy and Girl Astronauts at M&S (who wouldn't want a fairy wand? Boys apparently) 3. Another year of asking, where's Skye? 4. Legoland Windsor showed there is a standard knight, and then there is the girls version... Yes, its pink. 5. Blue Zoo at Debenhams: Girls "Always cute and giggly" and boys "Here comes trouble!" - Nope. 6. Poundland, getting in there early. 7. George at Asda ..read more

From buyer to seller to advocate - Why I admire the indies taking a stand against gender stereotypes. Surely shopping for kids clothes on the high street shouldn't be so universally frustrating? The habitual use of Girl or Boy categories in childrenswear is a useless way of finding a. what your kids want and b. what your kids need (after all, up until puberty they're pretty much the same size and shape, and do the same things). Choice regrettably feels like no choice at all, and I find myself trying to gleam the odd top that hasn't been through the gender stereotype mill. Practical clothing f ..read more

Normalising heels for girls is bad news according to Podiatrists and the NHS writes Samantha Gouldson.  “Most children’s shoes should come with a government health warning” says  Tracey Byre, a Podiatrist specialising in children’s shoes (Guardian, 2010), and goes on to say many parents are tricked by “Well, if its on the shelf, it must be ok.” Women wearing high heeled shoes are a common sight in Western society. It’s also common for little girls to want to wear their mummy’s shoes, to dress up as mummy, and there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of pretend play. But what is harmf ..read more