Princess Awesome makes colorful clothes for girls featuring designs referencing science, dinosaurs, trains, pirates, math, and more. Princess Awesome was started by Rebecca Melsky and Eva St. Clair, mothers frustrated with the lack of diverse options available in girls clothing sections of mainstream stores, who believe that “if a girl likes purple and also likes trucks, she should be able to wear a purple truck dress. And if a girl likes princesses and also aliens, then an alien princess skirt is for her.” What began as a home project in 2013 has been funded by people through Kickstarter, and as of 2015 is continuing to expand with new designs and factory production.

discussion

What do “girly” clothes look like? How do the designs and colors differ from clothes for boys? When do these designated categories start? Where did they come from? Who is responsible for keeping them going or breaking them down?

How do the Princess Awesome clothes seek to complicate notions of gender, femininity, and masculinity? Why does this matter?

What does it mean for girls to be or want to be “princesses?” What do you think about the company’s decision to call the clothing line “Princess Awesome”? What about the decision to focus on dresses?

The clothing line makes skirted onesies for babies as well as bigger dresses for kids. Why should parents and caretakers have the option of dressing their babies in these kinds of clothes, even when the babies or kids themselves often cannot yet understand the symbols and designs on their outfits (such as the periodic table or pi symbol)? How does what you wear relate to your identity and how others view and treat you?

What are different ways that clothing, fashion, and style have been used as forms of social commentary, protest, or activism?