25% off Almost Everything Sitewide w/code: ALMOSTEVERYTHING25
25% off Almost Everything Sitewide w/code: ALMOSTEVERYTHING25
September 12, 2018 3 min read 363 Comments
“What a terrific airplane shirt! Do you want to fly a plane and be a pilot?”
My four-year-old was running around the terminal, arms outstretched, making zooming noises and watching the planes land and take off when a passerby spoke up. I had heard this conversation dozens of times before - after four children and many trips to Grandma’s, the discussions adults have with kids while waiting to catch a plane are fairly predictable.
But this conversation was different.
“Yes! I’ll wear a hat and fly my plane everywhere!”
“Where would you like to go?”
“To Grandma’s! And Mom and Dad and all the brothers will ride along in my plane!”
The words were pretty much the same as always, but this adult was speaking to a girl - my daughter - not of one of my three sons.
My boys have always worn clothes that reflected their interests. Dinosaur hoodies, monster truck shirts, pants embroidered with tiny trains. People talk with them about stomping like a dinosaur, how fun it would be to drive a monster truck, and the sounds engines make (I always love hearing grown ups sing out “Choo-ooo! Choo choo!”). The boys would stomp and vroom and “tooooooot!” right along, glorying in the encouragement of their favorite topic du jour.
My daughter is a feminine little person - she likes pink, bows, sparkles, fancy shoes, twirly skirts, nail polish. But many of her pretty clothes are limited in expressing the other things she likes - in fact, all the same things her brothers like. When she’s wearing a twirly dress with butterflies on it, adults tell her, “You look so pretty today!” And that’s fine - it’s fun to dress up and experiment with different looks. But does it have to be the only conversation she ever hears? What if she could wear the styles of clothing she liked that also featured topics she enjoyed?
When my friend Rebecca asked me that same question years ago, the two of us answered it by creating Princess Awesome. The clothes we make reflect the wide range of girls’ interests. And what we suspected about adults talking about girls’ interests based on the clothes they’re wearing was true. When a girl wears a shirt with the scientific method on it, adults ask her about her interest in science. They talk about dinosaurs when she’s wearing a dinosaur dress. One little girl even explained to her dad how multiplication works based on the number patterns in her math flowers dress.
All these little conversations add up. It’s subtle but it reinforces to children what adults really value. If girls hear nothing but comments on their appearance, eventually they will internalize that what adults really value in girls is how they look - no matter how often they also hear “You can be anything you want to be.”
I have yet to meet a kid who doesn’t like airplanes. Yet women comprise fewer than 10% of pilots, aviation mechanics, and flight engineers. Why is it that so many girls lose their interest in aviation? At Princess Awesome, we’re dedicated to making sure girls know that aviation and other STEM fields are just as much for them as they are for boys.
We’re honored to join forces with JetBlue Foundation that shares our commitment to fostering girl’s interest and confidence in STEM fields. The JetBlue Foundation provides financial support to students, especially girls, in pursuing a STEM education to work in aviation. This month, we are releasing a special blue edition of our Airplanes Collection in honor of the JetBlue Foundation.
Little girls already have all the confidence they need to fly, repair, and direct airplanes. What they need from us is our unwavering confidence in them and their abilities. I can still hear her, right before we stepped on the plane -
“Mama, when I’m big I will fly my plane all around the world!”
Yes, my sweet. You will fly with your own wings. We’ll just be the air beneath you.
September 17, 2018
We live near enough to the airport that we hear and see planes every few minutes during the day. My kiddo loves to point them out on the any and on her awesome pink airplane leggings!
September 17, 2018
What a fun collection!
September 17, 2018
My daughter’s bedroom came with an airplane nose ceiling fan and it’s amazing. We bought her a toy plane for Christmas to bring it down to earth (see what I did there?) and spark her interest. I do this with her clothes as well – she gets a dress or t-shirt and a toy to go with it so she can play with the thing that she’s wearing. I think an airplane dress is in her near future.
September 17, 2018
My daughter dreams of being a chef on the ISS. We love the combination of twirly dresses and science themes!
September 17, 2018
This has to be the best giveaway ever! I remember the first time my daughter got on a plane and how much she loved flying to new places!
September 17, 2018
I think children naturally have a diverse range of interests and I see that with my own daughter. Even at an early age she loves to see how things work, she takes things apart, tries to put them back together and is interested in cause and effect. She is also learning compassion and enjoys caring for her dolls and stuffed animals. I love how Princess awesome is encouraging society to recognize that girls+science+engineering+maths can go together and be bright and beautiful. As a health care professional caring for children with complex healthcare needs I also appreciate how diverse your models are. I love what you are doing and my daughter loves her robot dresses!!
September 17, 2018
I haven’t witnessed anyone talk to my girls about whatever cool thing is on their shirt. their clothes just get ignored, if they wear a frilly dress, then people comment on it. we DO get comments on their looks though, ALL THE TIME. ‘your girls are BEAUTIFUL’, ‘Oh my God look at her eyes!" or comments on how many there are so i am constantly combating questions about ’trying to get my boy’.
the girls don’t let that stop them though, they are perfectly willing to tell people what interests them and start their own conversation. conversations I’ve listened in on include: What the sun is, tid bits about planets, dinosaur names meanings and why certain prehistoric animals aren’t dinosaurs, Starwars and Jedi. What is interesting is watching them interact with boys on these topics. Boys try to shut them down and tell them they don’t know what they are talking about because those are BOY topics. the girls simply shrug, correct the boys on their knowledge pool of dinosaurs and confidently walk off leaving the boys with bewildered looks on their faces.
September 17, 2018
As a female engineer, I so wish you were around when I was little! I was picked on by adults who teased me about my “boy” clothes. My dad had my younger brother help him with fixing the car and wouldn’t let me…even though I was the one who assembled my brother’s model rockets. My great grandmother gave my brother an old telephone to take apart, explore and put back together. She gave me…almost empty perfume bottles so I could smell like an old lady? Despite that, I now have a Master’s degree in engineering and a fulfilling career. Now that I have my own daughter, I want to show her she can be anything she wants!
September 17, 2018
I have been telling my daughter I am jealous of her clothing choices for years. Growing up I loved all the “boy toys,” just as much as the “girl toys”. My favorite were ninja turtles and dinosaurs. If I wanted anything ninja turtle I would of had to wear a boys shirt. For her 2 or 3rd birthday I was able to buy her tmnt pj’s with pink bottoms, wonder woman tshirt with cape and she got a pink bears jersey. Her favorite gift last year was her hidden ninja dress from princess awesome. We bought it big so she can wear it for a while. We’ve even had to a long undershirt and warm tights or jeans under it on cold days because she has to wear her ninja dress. I absolutely love what your company is doing and wish more would don’t to. Thank you. Her dress always starts a conversation because kids and adults alike find the hidden ninjas and ask about them. She loves asking people if they see anything in the flowers. I’d love to see this and other outfits of tours in more colors!
September 17, 2018
It really does change how my girls, and even my boys are addressed. I’ve got a little girl who loves dinosaurs and pirate ships and prefers wearing her brother’s hand-me-downs and she is frequently addressed as a boy. I’ve also got a little boy who likes long hair and rainbows, and his hair and shoe choices get him called a girl. My oldest likes twirly, fluffy dresses and still dreams of being a ninja or a knight and when she’s in a fluffy dress people try to talk her out of her adventurous dreams.
September 17, 2018
As a teacher and Mom of 2 girls, I try to be very aware of what I say to them about clothes. When they ask if I like their dress I try and find something other than “It is pretty” to respond with
September 17, 2018
I have seen the conversation change. A friend of ours has a princess awesome dress and instead of hearing how pretty she looks, people talked with her about rockets. My daughter has a dinosaur t-shirt and people talk to her about dinosaurs. We would love to have a princess awesome dress.
September 16, 2018
What a great idea! It’s so sad that less than 10% of pilots are women. I’m trying hard to raise my daughter to know that women can do anything they set their minds to.
September 16, 2018
My daughter is disappointed when dresses, leggings, or shorts don’t have pockets! Plus her princess awesome leggings/shorts are always the first chosen.
September 16, 2018
My daughter LOVES the variety of clothes!
September 16, 2018
What a great giveaway! Having problems with the retweet, though – it’s not being recognized as complete :/
September 16, 2018
My daughter does not open up easily when talking to adults unless they are commenting on her outfit! She loves to pick out her clothing so it reflects her personality. Her loves range from dance to other sports and unicorns to dinosaurs!!! Clothes are another way for girls to express themselves!!
September 16, 2018
Clothing choice can absolutely change a child’s interaction with an adult! My daughter wears clothes ranging from running clothes, to frilly dresses, to my favorite, her “Acute Angle” shirt. (Our last name is Angle and I never get tired of the jokes). When wearing something sporty people comment on how strong, fast etc she looks, in a dress she is “a beautiful little lady” and most people call me a nerd when she wears math or science based clothes. In reality, my daughter is a smart, strong, independent, precocious, gorgeous person no matter what she is wearing!
September 16, 2018
I definitely see a difference in the conversations people have with my daughter based on what she wears. She had on a shirt with a map of the continents and animals on it – the map happened to have a polar bear along with a penguin in Antarctica. She has educated many people about the names of all the continents – and the fact that there is a mistake on the shirt – that polar bears live in the Arctic – not the Antarctic!!!!
September 16, 2018
Love this! It definitely changes the conversations when girls have clothes that express their interests in a way that allows adults can ask them questions instead of just commenting on their appearance in general.
September 16, 2018
We’ve seen other girls wearing Princess Awesome clothes and immediately felt connected with them and comfortable starting conversations — about math, airplanes, ninjas, dinosaurs… and pockets!!
September 16, 2018
What an incredible opportunity!
September 16, 2018
This would be AMAZING to win!
September 16, 2018
Absolutely! My daughter gets annoyed when people dont talk to her about the same atuff they talk to her male cousins about!
September 15, 2018
My daughters love Princess Awesome. It gives them a chance to show their interests but still be their girly selves.
September 15, 2018
My daughter loves skirts and dresses but also dinosaurs and space. She gets such great compliments when she wears her beloved dinosaur skirt. I try to feed her interests as much as possible and having clothing that matches her passions makes her so happy!
September 15, 2018
Clothes absolutely change the conversation. People make different comments to my daughters based on whether they wear dresses or pants. I’ve never experienced it myself, but I’ve witnessed it happen to my girls.
September 15, 2018
We love Princess Awesome. She wears her shark and pi dresses all the time!
September 15, 2018
We’ve never owned any Princess Awesome, but would love the opportunity to win this amazing prize. Thank you so much!
September 15, 2018
Our Victoria would love this!
September 15, 2018
When my girls are dressed alike, everyone asks if they are twins (they aren’t), but when their outfits reflect their own unique styles, they are asked about whatever is own their clothes – unicorns, frogs, a comic character, you name it!
September 15, 2018
My daughter LOVES airplanes, dinosaurs and science! I love that princess awesome offers these in girly prints and styles my daughter loves!
September 15, 2018
Love love LOVE this!!!
September 15, 2018
Princess-Awesome clothes change the narrative from superficial engagments to facilitating such valuable opportunities to engage young girls minds about subjects that matter!
September 15, 2018
Right now we just have the dinosaur dress, but I love how it encourages her to connect with people and vice versa. And the pockets! Need I say more? ;)
September 15, 2018
My daughter is four and loves her princess awesome dresses to her airheart aviation set! Anywhere we go she always receives compliments on how fantastic the print or style of the dress or leggings are. Princess Awesome has such empowering clothes, I only wish I was as lucky as a child.
September 15, 2018
With “untraditional” things on a dress, it not only (hopefulky) changes perceptiobs about what females like, but also gives adults the chance to meaningful engage a kid about their interests, rather than a simple and meaningless “What a pretty dress!”
September 15, 2018
Some of the best conversations adults have had with my daughters come on days when they were their “science is my superpower” shirts. I don’t think that is a coincidence.
September 15, 2018
With 2 elementary girls in our home who love machines and science, this brand helps us change the conversations they have with adults. They love when they twirl in Hidden ninjas, are told how pretty their dress is, and then they show the adult that there are ninjas in the pattern. Suddenly the conversation goes from being “pretty” to being creative, athletic, strong and tough.
September 15, 2018
I love that you embrace all the interests of our fierce, multifaceted, independent, twirly little girls! And I love that the only pilot my daughters know is a woman: Female pilots are their norm! ✈️
September 15, 2018
On the first day of school the boys told my 1st grader that her beloved Star Wars was only for boys. Thank you to like minded adults for helping me raise my daughter to have the confidence to tell them it’s okay to like space, science and sharks too!
September 15, 2018
I love finding non traditional choices. 2 year old wants to be a dinosaur for Halloween.A scary one!
September 15, 2018
This is so insightful and such a clever idea! Looking forward to seeing the range. I know my daughter will love wearing things that mirror her interests
September 14, 2018
Yes its a great way to start conversation about clothing. Princess awesome always has great collection and hard to pick. I love talking about it with my nieces.
September 14, 2018
I love this company so much!! It’s about time we had something like this for our little warriors. 💪🏻👸🏼
September 14, 2018
I love the patterns! I have girls who like rock collecting, dinosaurs, and pirate ships. Its not common to find things like that on clothing.
September 14, 2018
I do believe that my children’s clothing can have an impact on the way others speak to them… but it definitely happens no matter how they are dressed. My son tends to like more “traditionally feminine” colors and will ask to try on sparkly shoes, etc. He has definitely been told “no… that’s for girls” etc.
My daughter has a closet FULL of clothes and LOVES to wear dresses just as much as her brothers hand-me-downs… everyone has loads of comments on how beautiful she is when she is dressed “like a girl” and told she’s a “cute little guy” otherwise. 🤷🏼♀️
September 14, 2018
I am a STEM teacher, and I love seeing these clothes for women and girls. It drives me nuts that clothing can compartmentalize young girls before they’re even old enough to understand their potential.
September 14, 2018
My daughter definitely gets treated differently depending on what she wears! She gets awesome questions when she wears shirts or dresses with things like dinosaurs or rockets as opposed to just being called “cute” or “princess” when she is wearing just a regular dress. And I totally believe that these conversations add up in their little heads and can influence how they see themselves as well – as a future paleontologist or just a cute girl.
September 14, 2018
Clothing is absolutely important to both boys and girls. It’s an expression of their deepest selves. My girl has been adamant about her outfits since birth; she has always had her own style. I would love to see lines like yours include girls like her, who are on the upper end of girls size 16, but not at all ready to wear “teen” clothing yet. Did you know at Target, the Cat and Jack boys line goes up to a boys size 20? But the girls Cat and Jack only goes up to a 16. These messages come from everywhere, about what girls are supposed to wear, look like, and be. The more options (real ones) the better!
September 14, 2018
Yes! It is a Great way to start up a conversation with children.
September 14, 2018
Clothing definitely changes the conversation adults have with children! We experience it all the with our 8 year old and 3 year old daughters. If they’re wearing something sparkly and fluffy, people will tell them look pretty. If they’re wearing something with dinosaurs, math equation puns, or something else STEM-related, people will say how cool their shirt is.
September 14, 2018
As the daughter of a fighter pilot, a marine biologist, and a mother to two smart, strong, and brave little beauties I can not tell you how much I love this company and what it stands for! This is an amazing opportunity for whoever wins!
September 14, 2018
Clothing definitely changes the conversations adults have with my girls. They end up wearing a lot of their older brothers’ clothes and get very different comments and questions than when they wear more “girly” clothes.
September 14, 2018
I have been in LOVE with airplanes my entire life. I actually joined the Air Force as soon as I could just so I could work on airplanes! My daughter loves them too and I am so excited that we have a way now to express that! I have had to make or get other people to make PINK AIRPLANE clothing items!! Thank you so much for making something that shows women empowerment.
September 14, 2018
I love clothes that don’t make my daughter feel like being girly is also being “less than”. She loves her pink. She loves her twirly dresses and her tappy shoes. She also adores Star Wars and is planning to be a veterinarian. I love PA because it lets her be girly, and also show her interests. That she can be girly and smart and twirly and interesting, all at the same time.
September 14, 2018
Love the message that these clothes are sending, not only to others who are commenting, but my girls who are being reinforced that it’s what is on the inside that matters.
September 14, 2018
As a preschool teacher, I often comment on children’s clothing to get the conversation started between me and them. I avoid judgement words like “pretty” or “handsome” and try to comment on the child’s interests as it relates to the clothing. Clothing like Princess Awesome offers can get really the conversation started for people that may be more likely to comment on how someone or something looks rather than the person behind the clothing. Thank you for offering this to all children!
September 14, 2018
I love being able to encourage my two little girls interests in all different types of things, as well as indulge my own obsession with dragons and Dino’s.
September 14, 2018
My daughter loves being able to express herself and we love the patterns.
September 14, 2018
We loooove Princess Awesome clothes! My daughter lives in her PA dresses. She can’t wait for cooler weather so she can wear her airplanes dress.
September 14, 2018
My 4 yr old wants to be like her daddy an engineer. Recently it has become “princess engineer.” Sometimes astronaut is included. I would love to foster these interests. With her love of pink and girly it’s great that I can get both. She’s getting a twirly dress for Christmas.
September 14, 2018
We have to be so careful of how we pigeonhole our girls and boys by what they wear! My daughter/son’s wardrobes couldn’t be more different….
September 14, 2018
We’ve always let our daughter dress herself, and I love the conversations that her bright, creative choices spark!
September 14, 2018
I want my daughter to know that being a girl doesn’t hold her back. It’s my goal to buy way fewer clothes for her, but have them be a higher quality that are practical and mean something. Princess Awesome fits that bill to a T.
September 14, 2018
Yay!!
September 14, 2018
My kids LOVE these and they are the only clothes worth buying new!
September 14, 2018
Having a new kindergartener exposed to science and math and so many other subjects makes my heart smile. From the age of 3 my little one has been obsessed with airplanes (she was Cpt Katir Higgins First Blue Angel’s Pilot for Halloween at age 4) and space (knows her constellations) and her having an aunt who was an astronomer and worked on the Hubble and a father who plans airports it was a fascination that was very organic and happened naturally. We often try to find her clothing to represent her very girly personality and very awesome interest and are So excited to see this princess awesome collection and allow topics of conversations with her little friends to be #skiiesthelimit. #jetblue thanks for an awesome opportunity!
September 14, 2018
This is so important. High school girls ability to stick to a love for math and science is tough. Early reinforcement is a big help.
September 14, 2018
My daughter would love this!
I love this idea so much. So important.
September 14, 2018
Would love to see women’s wrap around dresses and shirt dresses. Also would consider rompers for next spring/summer for both girls and women!
September 14, 2018
With two girls who love pink and twirly dresses but also planes and dinosaurs and “dig digs” we are huge fans of Princess Awesome in our house!
September 14, 2018
When my daughter wears her Princess Awesome dresses, people we encounter ask her different questions, not just stating how pretty she is.
September 13, 2018
It absolutely changes the conversation! Even though I am an elementary school staff member and “know better.” Clothing is an easy in to start a conversation with kids. I instinctively end up talking to boys about dinosaurs or video games and with girls about their sparkles and boots. My daughters love your clothing and are proud to wear it! We are getting neurons and dragons next!
September 13, 2018
I love everything about this giveaway and your company. <3
September 13, 2018
We both get asked so many questions when we wear our cool gear from you! My daughter picked the witches brew because it was her favorite color! She gets ask what kind of potions she is making,
September 13, 2018
I’d love women’s tees!
September 13, 2018
My daughter loves her airplane dress. I am an aeronautics professional, so it isn’t strange for my daughter to see women in aviation. It’s a pain to have to look in the “boys” section for aircraft clothing, because aircraft aren’t gender specific. Why should they be traditionally only on “boys” clothing. She has had adults ask her what her favorite airplane is and she always tells them, the ones that she builds with mommy. You can like princesses, and pink, and still love airplanes. There is no rule book that says you can’t have it all!
September 13, 2018
Ru asks me to “talk to her about airplanes” nearly everyday. She knows about lift and gravity and LOVED all things air and space!
September 13, 2018
Love the themes but I wish the clothes had a little more shape and style.
September 13, 2018
We recently moved to Seattle from VA. I would love to be able to go back for a visit. I miss having the smithsonian museums at my doorstep. My husband works now with Amazon’s air cargo operations and their planes are white and blue. I’m going to tell him to circulate this article to his Amazon Air colleagues!
September 13, 2018
My daughter adores her princess awesome dresses. Her favorite is her Pi dress. She loves it when people start asking her about it. She simply delights in telling them that she loves math and that she wants to grow up to be a NASA researcher one day or scientist. It is a much different conversation than before when she’d only get comments about “what a pretty twirly dress” or “you have pretty hair”. It’s wonderful that she can have both; the pretty dress and show off her interests in math and science. Thank you Princess Awesome
September 13, 2018
I love how her clothing, for example her Spider-Man shirt, can change the converstions people have with my 3yo!
September 13, 2018
Clothing absolutely changes how people talk to my daughter. The biggest difference that I see with PA clothing is that adults have something to talk about, other than the stereotypical dolls, how pretty their hair is, tea parties, etc. Instead, they can ask about the planes (and ninjas, and dinosaurs, and…) on my little lady’s dress.
September 13, 2018
This is awesome!
September 13, 2018
Yes, clothing changes many conversation. My daughter has tons of math, science, and girl power clothing, and people are ALWAYS commenting on them. She asked me one day why I get her so much clothing with these kinds of messages, and I told her, truthfully, “Because for the rest of your life, you are going to be getting the opposite message, so I have to do all I can right now, on the front end, to reinforce that GIRLS CAN DO ANYTHING”.
September 13, 2018
Working in a middle school these last 8 years, I can say that even into that age range the conversations that many have with each other and the "kiddos’ can be guided by whatever their outfit expresses. From the nerdy, the girly, the silly or the sporty, what the kiddos wear can make a difference in how they are approached/conversed with. I’m grateful for options for our daughter that can inspire conversation that aren’t just about dolls or princesses and gets her thinking of avenues that are not as “conventional”.
September 13, 2018
I’m soooooo excited about this! We got our first Princess Awesome dress from the Kickstarter campaign when my daughter was just a baby, now she’s a preschooler with some serious opinions about her clothes
September 13, 2018
Of course, other people will connect with my daughter based on what she’s wearing. Sometimes it’s her Harry Potter shirt or sometimes it’s her favorite dresses complete with every accessory she owns!! Lol :)
September 13, 2018
Both of my daughters have the Princess Awesome airplane clothing and they get so many compliments when they wear them!!
September 13, 2018
My daughter loves air planes, the air and space museum in DC was her favorite!
September 13, 2018
While everyone likes talking to my son about cars and trucks and dinosaurs- they don’t do the same with my daughter. She especially loves dinosaurs but airplanes are a close second. We live near an airport and every time a plane goes by she stops and points it out. If only more people understood that the Things That Go subject is loved by all children and should be encouraged and explored equally.
September 13, 2018
Love the airplane prints! My daughter loves to fly – these will be great for travel days!
September 13, 2018
Wow! How cool is this contest and the new blue design? Princess Awesome, you’re totally awesome. We love you!
September 13, 2018
This is such an amazing opportunity for our girls! We are a STEM loving family and would absolutely love this trip.
September 13, 2018
I am an aerospace engineer at NASA and I have a 9 month old daughter. I despise that most clothing with rockets on them are marketed as “for boys” and absolutely LOVE what your company is doing. Your last sentence in this post made me tear up a bit, “Yes, my sweet. You will fly with your own wings. We’ll just be the air beneath you.”
September 13, 2018
Yes! I love hearing “cool” and"awesome" in reaction to my daughters clothes rather than “sweet” or “pretty”! And then people talk to get about bugs and fire trucks, not dolls!
September 13, 2018
Love these! I work in the aviation industry & would love my daughter to get to show off our family’s love of airplanes.
September 13, 2018
I think clothing definitely affects how random people interact with my daughter. She loves loves dresses, the frillyer the better! People always call her princess and say how pretty she is. But when she wears hey favorite dinosaur shirt fewer people comment on her appearance.
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Robin
September 18, 2018
I love all things Princess Awesome, but I especially love the pi print. But that’s because I studied math. My daughter loves all the prints and the comfy dresses. And she loves to show off how smart and strong she is with this empowering clothing.