Saturday, January 21, 2023

Pink Tax

Pink Tax
8" x 5", January 21, 2023, for Project Quilting: "Pink Tint" challenge 14.2
machine stitched 'shirt fronts, hand embroidered price tags, tiny buttons, machine quilted


This is my response to the Project Quilting prompt: Pink:  The Pink Tax - "an adorable name for an insidious practice" - is the concept that some items are more expensive when they are gendered for women, such as shampoo, clothing, laundry services, toys. 

I created the front placket for the two halves, then stitched down the 3 pastel tiny buttons in pink and blue.

I found prices for a man's pink shirt and also a woman's pink shirt on a department store website, then embroidered the different prices on tags, and attached them to the tiny buttons, such as you might find on a real shirt. 
The machine quilting says:  "why is this shirt less than this shirt?  Pink Tax" - done with a variegated pink thread. 


The Pink Tax does not speak to all the items of toiletries and clothing which women purchase and men don't 'need' - that's a whole other problem.  This is a quantitative comparison of like to like products, which are more expensive when female gendered.  There are many shampoos and soaps that are packaged for women, and more expensive.  Blue jeans are more expensive in women's sizes.  But perhaps the most obvious is a dry cleaning or laundry service that charges more for women's shirts over men's shirts.  

Here are a few articles on the Pink Tax for further reasearch: 




I don't need pink calculators or disposable razors.  You'll find neutral colored items in my shopping cart. 

Peace
Paula 

 

13 comments:

  1. Powerful piece, and thank you so much for the additional links.

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  2. Interesting observations, Paula, and oh-SEW-annoying in the marketplace! Like you, I refuse to pay the "Pink Tax". Thanks for including links to those articles.

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    1. I think sometimes we can't get away from it, but protesting with our purchase power is a good start. Thanks!

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  3. Great take on the challenge 👏

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  4. Wow! Thanks for the information.

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  5. I like your take on the challenge! Clever and thought provoking.

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