While playing with her fair skinned-doll, a beautiful brown-skinned little girl looked up to her mother and said that she wished that both she and her mother looked more like her doll... because her doll was beautiful. That is heartbreaking for any mother to hear because what it implies is that at a very young age, children have fallen victim to what society has deemed as beautiful.
The first time I made a shirt, my oldest daughter was so excited and smiled so big while saying, ‘She looks like me!’ It was a proud moment for me!
At that moment, Stephanie Thomas realized that there wasn’t any representation for her daughters in the clothes that they wear, the toys that they play with or just in everyday life. In a frequent trip to a retail store, supermarket or mall, it was easy for her to spot a blond-haired, blue-eyed doll or a variety of shirts depicting fair-skinned girls, but not much of anything for beautiful brown-skinned little girls. When she couldn't find products that represented her daughters, she set out to create it herself.
The Birth of EveriGirl
EveriGirl is an online apparel company based in Houston, Texas offering graphic tees and toys that represent brown-skinned girls. “The biggest concern for my daughters,” says owner Stephanie Thomas, “is for them to be happy and proud of who they are regardless of how society sees them.” EverGirl’s current focus is to provide products that reflect African-American girls. Their product line currently includes short and long sleeve tees along with hair bows and other accessories.
“With my shirts, I have involved my daughters in the designs I come up with and consult with them on what they would like to see and so on. The first time I made a shirt, my oldest daughter was so excited and smiled so big while saying, ‘She looks like me!’ It was a proud moment for me!”
EveriGirl shirts are $9 for short sleeve and $11 for long sleeve and they are currently running a survey on their website,
www.everigirl.com, where you can receive a coupon for 10% off. They also offer free delivery/pick-up for customers who live in the Greater Houston Area.
EveriGirls’s purpose is to create a culture of recognizing the beauty in all girls. Their mission is to create positive images to teach all girls to learn to respect and value each other. EveriGirl…because every girl is beautiful.
Visit:
www.everigirl.com
