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Gender based costumes are just wrong.

Posted by Donna Dobo on 22nd Oct 2015

Gender based costumes are just wrong.

We have followed the recent social media uproar over one of the major costume chain's treatment of children on their web site. With seven stores across Canada, and many more in the States and Puerto Rico, Party City is a huge company.

We are so proud to say Just Imagine has never stereotyped kids' costumes by gender. Most of our industry does. We don't classify costumes on our web site as suitable for either boys or girls. They are all children, and they can choose whatever costume they like. We are lobbying our vendors to supply more images on the packaging of their costumes to make them more welcome for any gender identity.

In our stores and on our web site, costumes are sorted by theme. So in the careers section, we don't suggest that any particular costume is for a boy or for a girl. In the fairy tale section, you will find costumes portrayed by both genders in movies and books.  

We have been creating and supplying costumes for children for 27 years. It's the way we've always done it, because children don't need to be sorted by gender at birth. Let them play. Let them wear whatever they want.  We welcome creativity in dress-up play year round. Don't make a police costume into a dress for girls. You won't find that one in our shops. And at Halloween especially, don't tell little girls they can't be an astronaut. That's just wrong.