Over the past few years, Target has focused on being more inclusive when it comes to kids’ accessories and fashion. In a world full of nuance, especially when it comes to gender, moving away from “girls wear pink and all butterflies” and “boys wear blue and all trains” type of mentality is welcomed.
Last week, Target announced that they’re discontinuing some of their brands. However, the good news is the store will now be carrying a super amazing gender neutral line of children’s clothing and accessories–and they’re teaming up with Toca Boca to do this. The result? Super cute clothes ready for the back-to-school season, largely focusing on animal prints.
The brand, Toca Boca, seems perfect for this, considering they put diversity and inclusivity first. In a press release, they said:
“Everything we make at Toca Boca is designed for all kids; it’s our mission to make sure no kid ever feels excluded by Toca Boca.
True to those values the collection was designed with inclusivity in mind, and we are so excited to see it will be merchandised together as a collection sitting between the boys and girls aisle of many Target stores.”
While it may not seem like a big deal to have a gender neutral fashion line for kids, it is. Kids are sponges–they soak up everything they see and hear–and form their world views from that. Embracing all aspects of one’s personality means developing all sorts of skills and aesthetic, like loving unicorns, trains, dolls, glitter, the color pink, and dinosaurs, regardless of gender expression and identity.
For parents, LGBTQ-identified or not, this is a great opportunity to allow kids to form their own selves, rather than being told what they should be. The whole “gender issue” debate isn’t really all that complicated, in my opinion: Just let kids be kids.
Here are some adorable examples of the line:
