Pink Tax
In the realm of fashion, an unsettling truth materializes: women are left to contend with subpar-quality clothing, a blatant contrast to the higher-grade options in the men’s sections.
A glaring example of inequality in the fashion industry can be found in jeans. Jeans are a staple clothing item that can be found in almost everyone’s wardrobe; however, not every pair is created equally. Women’s and men’s jeans have stark differences in stitching, material, weight, and durability. Even when being manufactured by the same brand, that is the same model, and for the same price.
This is all thanks to the pink tax. If you do not know what that is, pink tax is the name for the markup of items marketed toward women. Jeans are a great example of the pink tax. Many jeans from the same company mark up the prices of a specific model of jeans only for women. In a specific popular jean brand, their markup is twenty dollars. A quick Google search of almost any clothing brand will make this more apparent.
Clearly, this is a big problem. Twenty dollars alone is a reasonable amount of money to lose for most people. However, imagine how much this extra markup will cost after buying multiple items. For some people, this extra cost can be detrimental. So the big question is, how is the possible?
How Companies Pull It Off
So you might be wondering what warrants companies to believe they can leave women with the short end of the stick. The answer to that question is rather simple: because they can.
Companies exploit the fact that women cannot or can not shop in the men’s section. This is seen especially in the clothing industry because most women can not fit into men’s clothing or find the options unappealing.
Unfortunately, there seems to be no end in sight. Women are forced to pay more than their male counterparts for clothing and hygienic products. The only way to end the years of exploitation of women is to fight against it. Companies can not upcharge women if they refuse to buy their overpriced products. Quality clothing is not a privilege but a necessity that should be given to men and women.
How To Fight Back
- If possible, buy gender-neutral/male products
- Do not shop for companies that have pink tax
- Support companies who are taking a stand against the pink taxing
- Always price compare when shopping
