When I was pregnant with my third child, I decided I’d wait to find out the sex of the baby. I already had identical twin boys; I assumed the universe would play another joke on us and we’d have a third boy.
I had convinced myself that I’d be OK with that, gender is a construct anyway. So I designed a gender-neutral nursery, unwrapped gifts from loved ones in creams and yellows, and chose “Romi” as the name of our boy. On June 2, 2021, Romi was born and to our surprise (and fine, I’ll admit, delight), Romi was A GIRL.
Suddenly, pink teddy bears and feminine bouquets started to fill our hospital room. A nurse kindly ducked underneath a substantial IT’S A GIRL balloon display to take my blood pressure and asked me, “how does it feel to be a girl mom?” “Great!” I replied, adjusting Romi’s oversized pink bow hat that the hospital staff had placed on her head the moment she emerged from my womb.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Baby Romi in her oversized bow hat.
Jessi Cruickshank
Honestly, it did feel great. I felt instantly connected to my daughter, I felt it was a privilege to raise a girl to become a strong, smart, powerful woman and, selfishly, I felt especially excited to dress one. I love fashion and I’d always dreamed of having a mommy-and-me matching moment with my daughter, but I had only ever shopped for boys. I had imagined that the girls’ aisles would be filled with adorably chic, versatile options. To my horror, they. were. not.
When I emerged from my postpartum haze, I discovered that the clothing options for “girls” were as gendered as the balloons in my delivery room — everything was pink and frilly and covered in glitter. The T-shirts were plastered with rainbows and unicorns, the skirts were made of sequins and tulle, even the baby onesies said things like “Being a Princess is Exhausting.” I’d argue shopping for one is more exhausting.
The conversation has changed around gender and identity, but most of the clothes haven’t. Why do we still have to choose between trucks and hearts, blue and pink?
Why do the boys get functional basics and the girls get fussy ensembles that look like they were made by My Little Ponies? Where are the stylish pieces for girls that are fun, without having a bedazzled ice-cream cone wearing sunglasses on the front? Where are the gender-neutral clothing options that any child can wear and feel great in?
When Joe Fresh approached me to create my first collaboration, this was my top priority. I wanted to make a unisex print that boys, girls, moms, dads, men, women, gender-nonconforming people — even babies fresh out of the womb — could wear and look great in.
I started by creating a cool checkerboard print in a neutral palette that can be mixed and matched with any colour. It was also important for me to elevate the cuts of the kids’ garments. The Rio and Dray T-shirts are a little boxier, the shorts are a bit shorter and the Romi dress is wider and more voluminous than the typical “girlie” dress. It’s a dress even the most rough and tumble girl (a.k.a. my Romi) can wear comfortably to scale the ropes course at the playground and beyond.
Oh, and in order to live out my mommy-and-me matching outfits fantasy, I made an effortlessly cool linen shorts set for women and a matching shirt for men. If a woman wants to wear the man’s shirt, or a girl wants to wear the boy’s set, I say go for it. I have made the unisex collection of my dreams and the garments I want for my kids that are fun, fashionable and bold without screaming IT’S A GIRL! or IT’S A BOY! They really just scream IT’S A COOL PERSON! Now, let’s print that on balloons.
I secretly designed the Jessi shirt and Jessi short set for myself. Made with soft, washable linen, these pieces are what I will be living in all summer long. They can be worn over a swimsuit as a poolside coverup, as cute separates with jeans or a white T, or together and tucked in for a fun onesie look.
The Romi dress is cut wide and short, making it the perfect dress for playful toddlers and girls. My daughter, Romi, has been wearing the sample for months now, and she gets compliments everywhere she goes!
Joe Fresh x Jessi Cruickshank Rio + Dray set (above right), $19, joefresh.com. Shop Here
Supplied
The Kid Rio and Dray sets are totally unisex and super cool. I pushed Joe Fresh a little out of their comfort zone with slightly more elevated cuts on the shorts and shirts — they can be worn together or mixed and matched with literally any colour top or bottom.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
When you make a purchase through the links in this article, we may earn a small commission. Our journalism is independent and not influenced by advertising. Learn more.
Camp is an experience the lasts a lifetime that many kids don’t have access to.
With your support, the Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund provides opportunities for financially vulnerable children to ignite a lifelong love for adventure at camp. Above all, your kindness makes it happen.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation