Sweet vs. Savoury: How Gendered Food in Kids’ Clothes Reinforces Stereotypes
Anyone else’s child ask for an ice cream every single day of the summer holidays? Mine do. Both my son and daughter are equally obsessed. They’ll happily demolish a punnet of strawberries between them too. Sweet treats, fruit, lollies - they both love them.
And yet, when I look at the clothes on offer, there’s a curious divide. Girls’ clothes are scattered with strawberries, cherries, cupcakes and ice creams. Boys’ clothes? Not a cherry in sight. Instead, they’re covered in pizzas, burgers and chips - food that says energy, action, fuel.
It got me thinking … what message are these teeny, tiny design choices sending our children?
The Sugar and Spice Divide on Kids' clothing
When we shop for our children, we often think we’re just buying clothes. But every little design detail - images and words - feeds into the story children hear about who they are and who they’re expected to be.
- Girls’ clothing is sprinkled with sweet, juicy, tasty foods: strawberries, lollies, cherries and ice creams. Even the slogans reinforce the message: 'Sweetness overload', 'Perfect treat' and 'Cherry cute'. The focus is always on being cute, sweet or tasty.
- Boys’ clothing is filled with carbs and savoury foods: pizza, burgers, fries. Once again the words reinforce the gendered message: 'Fuel your day', 'Power up', and 'Ready for action'. Clothing - from T-shirts to PJs (and even something as small as socks!) tells boys to be energetic, adventurous and strong.
Individually, these designs look harmless. But together, they send a powerful, repeated message.
Image of two t-shirts side by side. One with a strawberry cream cake and the slogan 'The perfect treat' and the other with a running sausage and egg with the slogan 'Fuel your day'
What the Research Says: Food on kids' clothes
This isn’t just my observation from the high street. Studies back it up.
A content analysis of 3,870 children’s clothing items found that 1 in 11 featured food. Of those, almost two-thirds were unhealthy.
- Girls’ items? Mostly pastries, cupcakes and desserts
- Boys’ items? Fast food and savoury carbs like pizza and fries (Pesch, M.H. et al. (2019), Eating Behaviours)
In children’s TV shows, the pattern repeats. One study found sweets appeared 8 times more often in shows aimed at girls than those aimed at boys. (Setten, E. & Cornwell, T.B. (2025), Journal of Consumer Affairs)
And broader research shows how food itself is gendered:
- Meat, burgers, fuel = masculine
- Fruit, desserts, sweetness = feminine (References: Zhu, L. et al. (2015), Journal of Consumer Research; Rozin, P. et al. (2012), Journal of Consumer Research)
These signals don’t just sit quietly on clothes or screens. They seep into how children see themselves, what they want to wear, even what they want to eat.
Image of two tops side by side. One covered with cherries and the slogan 'Sweetness overload' and the other with Slimer eating a pizza.
From Strawberries to Pizza: The Bigger Story Behind Food Prints
It might seem like a tiny thing - a strawberry here, a slice of pizza there. But children are constantly absorbing these cues.
The message adds up:
- Girls are “sweet, cute, pretty”
- Boys are “energetic, adventurous, hungry”
These aren’t just harmless doodles. They shape expectations, reinforce stereotypes and limit how our children imagine themselves.
How We’re Doing Things Differently at Ducky Zebra
At Ducky Zebra, we think kids’ clothes should empower, not box them in.
That’s why we pore over every detail - including the food in our prints. Our Farmyard Fun Sleepsuit and Pyjamas, for example, are some of the few items we’ve designed that feature food. And even then, we've made sure to strike a balance: strawberries and honey, yes - but also eggs, corn and milk.
“There is so much thought that goes into every design to slowly chip away at these stereotypes. We want every child to feel free to be themselves - not squeezed into a narrow mould of sweet treats for girls and fuel foods for boys.” Sally Dear, Founder of Ducky Zebra
Breaking Stereotypes, One Print at a Time
Food on clothing might sound playful and harmless. But it’s part of a bigger story - one that teaches girls to be tasty little treats and boys to be adventurous carb-fuelled heroes.
My children both ask for ice creams all summer long. They both love strawberries, cherries and anything sweet. But only one of them will find those foods reflected in their clothes.
That tiny imbalance tells a big story. And it’s one we’re determined to rewrite - one print at a time.
At Ducky Zebra, we don’t believe in harmful stereotypes or limiting messages. Every design is carefully created to give children freedom, confidence and joy - not box them in.
👉 Have you spotted this food divide on kids’ clothes before? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
