Tuesday, 4 August 2015

Specsavers, Stop Stereotyping My Children

I wear glasses, my other half wears glasses, my two eldest wear glasses so I pretty much might as well transfer a portion of my wages to Specsavers each month in advance. I like the convenience of Specsavers, but what I DON'T like is this.

Oh no, Specsavers. Please don't do this. I have just spent twenty minutes telling my 9yr old daughter that if she wants a pair of glasses that are in the boys section, she can damn well have them. Her response? "But it's the BOYS section" 

As I'm sure you can imagine, the boys section has glasses with Marvel, Planes and even Toy Story on them. The girls section has Disney Princesses and Moshi Monsters.  (well it did, I mixed it up a bit) 

Why, oh why, in 2015 must I be writing about this? Why can't they go back to having a KIDS SECTION? Which they have done in the past? 

If my daughter wants glasses with Marvel comic heroes on them, why does Specsavers say that she shouldn't have them? Why must they only be for BOYS? 

Why must Moshi monsters or Disney Princesses be for girls? I say NO to this stereotyping, A KIDS SECTION, with glasses for ALL kids, that's what is needed, do you agree? 

And please feel free to let Specsavers know that this is wrong, I would appreciate it. Leave your comments below too. 

Big Fashionista x x x

UPDATE. Specsavers have tweeted to say that they are now reviewing the merchandising. WATCH THIS SPACE



  1. This stuff is SOO boring, why do brands continue to pull this shit?

  2. this is ridiculous, its hard enough getting some kids to wear glasses anyway without have to go through that

  3. Most of my glasses are from the Men's section because I like the shape of them better and I always get a snotty look of the Sales assistant who tries to direct me to the Women's section every time!

  4. I dunno, I'm going to have to play devil's advocate here. When I was growing up (no, not just last week) boys' stuff was blue and girls' stuff was pink (sweeping generalisation, I know). I don't wear pink shirts, despite being told by the media and colleagues that they're manly and trendy, probably because of what I saw during my formative years. Similarly, if my 15yr old son wanted to wear something with Disney princesses on it, I might question his choice (while still respecting that it is his choice).
    "But that's exactly the problem!" I hear you cry. "We're a more enlightened society, this is 2015, not 1985!".
    Maybe you're right and I'm wrong, maybe I should be happy if my boy wants to prance around in a pink tutu (he doesn't, just a hypothetical scenario) and support him if he decides he wants to be a girl (still hypothetical), the same as I don't have a problem with my daughter wearing trousers if she wants to. And that's it, right there. It's ok for girls to like boys' stuff, but there are still some of us out there that feel a little uneasy about the opposite.
    I do agree with Kellie in one respect though, it's not up to specsavers to tell our kids what they should and shouldn't wear. It's their choice, though as parents I still believe that a certain amount of guidance is sometimes warranted to help them to develop a sense of what is appropriate, especially in a particular situation (ripped jeans are fine when hanging out in the park, not so much for a university interview).
    So yeah, girls with Iron Man specs? All good. Boys with Elsa specs? Not so much. Just my 2p worth.

    1. Did you know that, historically speaking, blue was seen to be more 'feminine' and pink was for boys because it was seen as the more robust colour (closer to red)? It only changed in the 20th Century. Seems ridiculous, but that's what the whole notion of gender stereotyping is. The reason it's seen as ok for a girl to wear trousers etc is because it's ok to be boy-like. But a boy being like a girl? Heck, they might encounter inappropriate comments, be made to feel bad about themselves, feel unsafe, be victimised, be the subject of scrutiny for what they wear. Just like girls do all their lives. So why not stand up to that and say that it's ok for a boy to want to be like a girl, because we should all be worthy of respect and kindness and not be made to feel that girls are lesser. If you tell a boy he shouldn't be like a girl, you are saying they are lesser to being boys, because it's ok for a girl to be like a boy, right?

    2. Sorry - what's the Devil's Advocate part? Girls can like superheroes, but boys can't like Frozen?

  5. Boys and girls glasses presumably because they're designed to fit and flatter likely bone structure - in the same way that you get mens and women's glasses/clothes etc. Dividing interests by gender is silly though.

    1. Boys and girls don't have different bone structure. Not before puberty!

  6. Whichever way it's painted, this is bullshit from Specsavers. Why not just label smaller/scaled down frames as 'Childrens'. That wouldn't be difficult surely?

  7. I absolutely LOVE that you messed them up! :) xx

  8. I would've mixed them up too :-D

    I am so fed up with this kind of shit.. Well done calling them out on it. I'm going to tweet them now.



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