By: queer girl

So some people are talking about the tomboy focus and the fact that girls are getting to wear "anything they want" while boys still have to adhere to certain standards... I think one important thing, though, is the fact that part of girls and women embracing "tomboy" clothing is finally getting to wear clothing that allows them to move, run and play with confidence. Traditionally, clothes and shoes made for men and boys have been more functional than clothes marketed to girls and women. I noticed this most recently trying on the slip-on Converse on the "girl's" side of the aisle -- they kept slipping off my feet and if I was a kid on the playground I would have a heck of a time running in them -- whereas the regular Converse in the "boy's" aisle fit me like a glove. Dresses and cute ballet flats and heels and other "girl fashion" can restrict play and movement in ways that pants and sneakers and t-shirts never have. Part of moving towards more androgynous clothing lines, especially for kids, is about putting people on an equal playing field when it comes to ease of movement and functionality of what they wear.