Sticker SistersAriel Fox, founder of Sticker Sisters, stated as her wish for the (then upcoming) Millennium "that as girls we stop whispering behind each other's backs and team up to reshape our own worlds - because without back-stabbing, isolating, and gossiping about each other, girls can form a strong, loud catalyst for change… That we live in a time when we don't need self-defense classes or 'my body is mine' stickers." She is definitely doing her part to bring about this change.
Ariel Fox has grown this company from a word-of-zine enterprise into a website with mentions in BUST, CosmoGirl, and Ms. magazines, and her product line speaks her truth loud and clear. Sticker Sisters sells everything from t-shirts and stickers to shoelaces and band-aids, all embellished with feminist slogans that are understandable to even the littlest girls. The shirts come in sizes from toddler to adult.
The Brave Girl Adventure Pack includes the softest green t-shirt, emblazoned with the Brave Girl logo (a cartoon girl hanging upside down from a tree branch); Girl Power shoelaces, Brave Girl band-aids, Action not Glamour pencils, and multiple stickers to round out the pack. Of all the slogans, my favorite is “punk rock isn't just for your boyfriend.” Feminist action activities promoted on the site include using the stickers reading “this insults women” to apply guerrilla-style to anything you find offensive. My favorite fan submitted photo has the sticker covering the boobs on beer ads.
Another sticker that would be a riot to use as nametags during a Women’s Studies 101 class looks like a regular nametag, but up close the “Hello, my name is” block now reads “My name isn’t cutie or honey, its _____,” The only sticker I was dissatisfied with just reads “I am so happy to be a girl.” This seems to be too simple, but maybe this is a statement that should be made. I’ve personally always been happy to be a girl, especially when you look at the alternative!
Sticker Sisters products are affordable, cute, and very well-intentioned. What they lack in sophistication is more than made up for in sincerity. The products have broad appeal, as girls of all ages need shoelaces and the occasional boo-boo cover. I appreciated that you could order multiple items and have gifts for all the girls on your list, from daughters, nieces and students, to friends, co-workers, and your mom. Bonus points for the t-shirt being one of the softest in my closet, with the added perk of a printed-on label, so there is no pesky tag to cut out. The product slogans come across as more positive than militant, yet still hit the point home that being female is better than just acceptable, it’s downright preferable.
Review by Melissa Ruiz
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