Emotional Armor: Empowering t-shirts for women and girls

by Karen Walrond (Subscribe to Karen Walrond's posts) Apr 8th 2006 11:03AM

Categories: Money & Work, Development, Media, That's Entertainment

Tired of seeing girls in sexist, antifeminist t-shirts? Well, never fear, a knight in shining armour is on her way: the Boston Globe is featuring a story on Jenifer Hoffman, the creative mind behind Emotional Armor, a company which sells empowering t-shirts.

'In every store, there were messages on apparel for adults and children of negativity, sexual innuendo, and violence," says Hoffman. ''I thought, I'll just make T-shirts I feel my kids, myself, and others should embrace, with positive reminders of what's important."

These shirts are fantastic. The messages have the same saucy attitude of other, more offensive shirts -- except these don't offend, they empower, with slogans like "Princess. Not in need of rescue," and "The free. The brave." And get this: proceeds benefit the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and a cultural arts enrichment program in Newburyport's elementary schools.

Unfortunately, her website isn't up and running yet, so if you need to buy a shirt immediately, you'll have to contact Hoffman directly at hoffjnfr@aol.com. But let me just say this: Jenifer, if you read this, once your website's up and running, send us a tip -- I'll personally buy one of every one of your women and kids designs for myself and my daughter. Because I think this is great.

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Comments (18)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Eden 4-08-2006 @ 12:03PM

I love them! I like that they're just the words, nothing weird. The color combos are nice too. It will just be a matter of deciding which ones to get. I hope she has plus sizes for busty gals like me ;)

mar 4-08-2006 @ 12:08PM

This is a pet peeve of mine, esp. when it comes to young girls (not babies, not teens) t-shirts. So much of the stuff that's out there is crass, rude, or inappropriate ... and it's not that I'm a prude. I just don't need my 6 year old to look like trash. Good for her! Can't wait until she has her site up - thanks Karen!

Mir 4-08-2006 @ 12:33PM

My daughter is already begging for the "Happy Bunny" slogan shirts and even though I find some of them funny, I am horrified that she wants that sort of snarky humor at her age. I would be THRILLED to get her one (or three) of these, instead. GREAT POST!

thordora 4-08-2006 @ 12:54PM

Love them!

I remember as a child, all I had to look up to was She-Ra. I would have LOVED these. I especially love 'Princess, not in need of rescue." Reminds me of an Ani Difranco song.

And I love Happy Bunny too, but I won't even wear it around my daughters. There's enough time later for them to be cynical and mean. Please post the link when it's available!!

cee 4-08-2006 @ 5:18PM

I like those shirts. Much better than others I have seen. The other shirts I can't stand are ones that insult boys, likd *boys are gross*, sayings like that. As a mom to three boys, I find them offensive. I would never let my girls wear anything like that. But these t shirts are fun, my girls would like them too.

Michelle 4-08-2006 @ 6:53PM

It's about time somebody came up with positive messages for girls that aren't derrogatory towards boys. I used to laugh at the ones that put down boys like " Boys are dumb, throw rocks at them" (I still do, when hubby is really ticking me off) but I have one of each and it is important to build each child's self-esteem without chipping away at the other child's and for some reason, in this culture, we can't seem to build our self-esteem without putting someone else down. Why is that? Go Jenifer! I want the shirts! They're clever, poignaint and fun! I wish I had thought of them!

ann adams 4-08-2006 @ 6:59PM

Me too. The girls love "message" shirts and I'm a little choosy about the messages. Nothing mean, nothing to suggest boy crazy or suggestive. They're still just kids. I've let them wear "angel" and "princess" but I was delighted when they outgrew them.

These are wonderful.

Brian 4-08-2006 @ 10:03PM

In the end, the guys are -still- staring at your chest. Mix messages much?

I figure that no matter what your age, anybody who needs assistance as to what you're about in the form of words printed on a shirt is probably excruciatingly difficult to get through to. Never mind the T-shirt. Buy a bullhorn.

Michelle 4-08-2006 @ 10:21PM

Hey Brian:
Have you ever tried to buy a child's t-shirt without crap on it? I went shopping for my son the other day for plain tees. He wears 18 mos. I couldn't find plain t-shirts. They all had to have little sayings on them or cute little frogs or something. The same holds true for my 3 1/2 year old daughter. So, if my children are going to wear something with a message on it, it's going to be a positive message, or they're not going to wear it.

So, my question to you is, what does your shirt say?

margalit 4-09-2006 @ 2:03AM

My daughter bought several of these t-shirt in Newburyport recently, and she's gotten quite a few positive comments on them. They are well made, wash well, and stay nice and bright. We love them, and I'd like to add that the Newburyport Crisis center works does exceptional work with battered women and women and children in crisis. That you would be helping the center makes it all more worthwhile to purchase these shirts. The town schools, where I used to teach, could use some extra money as well.

Russell Baxter 4-09-2006 @ 1:25PM

I'm a dad of an extremely beautiful and talented and sweet and wonderful daughter-she is my pride and joy. I also have 4 very handsome, talented, kind, and well spoken sons. The fact that everyone is praising the "Princess-not in need of saving" t-shirt is of some concern to me. I want my daughter to eventually be "rescued" (married) by a man who is of sound character and honest and humble (and hopefully filthy rich....kidding..sort of)In todays society, its the outspoken women that are constantly putting men down and attempting to put us in our place...the place of being so unworthy of winning over the heart of a woman. It is a good thing to raise your daughters to believe that it is a GOOD thing to want to be rescued, to want to get married, to want to have children, to want to live and be tied to a MAN for the majority of their life on this earth. That shirt could lead little girls to the idea that they need noone but themselves to make their life happy and complete....and it's very untrue. We as MEN need to be completed by a woman, just as a woman needs to be completed by a MAN.

Uly 4-09-2006 @ 2:11PM

"The fact that everyone is praising the "Princess-not in need of saving" t-shirt is of some concern to me. I want my daughter to eventually be "rescued" (married) by a man who is of sound character and honest and humble (and hopefully filthy rich....kidding..sort of)"

Marriage shouldn't be "rescue". If your daughter is unable to survive without marriage, there's a problem. The same thing goes if your *son* is unable to survive without marriage. Marriage should be what happens when two people decide they love each other and want to stay together because of that - not because one needs to "save" the other.

"In todays society, its the outspoken women that are constantly putting men down and attempting to put us in our place...the place of being so unworthy of winning over the heart of a woman."

Oh, yes, you poor men. Here, let's give you a cookie.

*eyeroll*

Raising your daughter to be capable of standing on her own two feet is hardly teaching her that men are horrible horrible beings.

"It is a good thing to raise your daughters to believe that it is a GOOD thing to want to be rescued, to want to get married, to want to have children, to want to live and be tied to a MAN for the majority of their life on this earth."

No, it's not. Being married and wanting children isn't a bad thing - but it *is* bad when it's in the form of "rescue". And it's just as good to *not* be married and *not* want children, so long as you're happy that way.

"That shirt could lead little girls to the idea that they need noone but themselves to make their life happy and complete....and it's very untrue."

It's untrue for *many* women - but it's true for *some* women. There are plenty of people who are happy without being married and having kids. Always have been, always will be.

"We as MEN need to be completed by a woman, just as a woman needs to be completed by a MAN."

I'm beginning to hope your child has many friends outside your family and closed mindset.

ann adams 4-09-2006 @ 7:18PM

Thanks Uly, you saved me a lot of typing.

I grew up in the age the commenter evidently yearns for and I'm here to tell you it wasn't all it's cracked up to be.

We had almost no choices. Women who weren't "rescued" or chose not to be were looked on as peculiar or worse. No matter how great their accomplishments, they were considered "less than".

My great-granddaughters will always know they have choices and they need never be victims. I wish the best for all three but it's not up to me to make their adult decisions for them. Fortunately in today's society, it's up to them.

Michelle 4-10-2006 @ 3:29PM

Oh my!
What century is that guy living in! Thank you Uly! Not only for saving me alot of typing, most of which would have been in rambling form, but also for putting it so much nicer and succinctly than I probably could have in my present state of mind.

I have a 3 1/2 year old daughter and a 20 mos old son, so, thankfully, they are not really exposed to all this negative baloney yet. I was raised by a feminist, and yes while she stressed women are just as capable as men, there were the cutting jabs at men. That is not how I want to raise my children. I want to raise them both to be independent thinkers who are caring and loving individuals. I want them to be able to stand up for themselves without feeling the need to put another person down.

We need to raise our daughters and our sons to stand on their own two feet, make their own decisions, and damn it, save themselves, if the need arises!

Uncle Roger 4-10-2006 @ 3:39PM

Thanks Uly, you saved me a lot of typing too.

Russell... Send your daughter over my way. I'll rescue her right into the life of domestic slavery you so fervently wish upon her. I've got lots of cleanin' and cookin' to do. You don't mind if I beat her up now and then when I get tired and cranky, do you? I also hope you're teaching her that because she can't survive on her own, she better just grin and bear it when I beat her or cheat on her or what-have-you.

Oh, wait. I'm already married. I married a woman who is tops in her field, has her masters, was way better off financially than I... If she couldn't hold her own, I wouldn't waste my time hanging around with her.

Now, I'm wondering if my wife would let me get that "princess" shirt for my son, for when he sings that backyardigans song "I love being a princess"?

Actually, I really like the "Natural Born Hero" and "Small body, big dreams" shirts, for both kids.

Karen Walrond 4-10-2006 @ 3:44PM

Uncle Roger --

You'll be happy to know that according to the article, she's designing a few for men and boys as well!

K.

Sharon 4-10-2006 @ 4:31PM

Margalit, I grew up across the river from Newburyport, in Merrimac.
I think these shirts are positively cute!
Karen, thank you. Can't wait to check out the site.

Michelle 4-10-2006 @ 4:35PM

You go, Uncle Roger! You are just the kind of male role-model we need for our children, male and female!
Rock-on!

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