Ever notice how sites like ThinkGeek tend to have more tech shirts for guys and more geek subculture stuff for women? Take a look around a bit, I’ll wait. Back? OK. So I think what happens is that there are some women who see a design, like it, then get to the “aww, men’s sizes only? Fine, I guess I’ll get it even though it’ll fit funny” part. At least, I do that. I’m sure I’m not alone.

My new policy:
I will not buy geeky shirts which are only available in men’s sizes. If I really want it, a “I would have bought FOO, but it was only available in men’s sizes. Oh well. Maybe you’ll get my business some other time” email is in order.

Why? Well, I figure when I give in and buy a men’s t-shirt just because a women’s one isn’t available it sends the message that it’s perfectly ok to ignore women. Think about it. If you ran a business selling men’s stuff and women’s stuff, but you didn’t really need to offer much to the women (just enough to say “what? we have women’s stuff, in that little box in the back!”) to keep their business because they were willing to sacrifice and get the men’s version instead, why on Earth would you spend the money to keep women’s stuff in stock? Unless demand is made for a women’s version of a certain item, why bother, right? I think this is why ThinkGeek has so few techy women’s shirts. We’ll let our boobs be uncomfortably squished if it lets us show off our geek cred. They see no demand for techy women’s shirts but plenty for techy men’s because all of us women who give in and buy the men’s version when we want the women’s version are artificially inflating the men’s version’s sales!

So, that policy up there? That’s my 2010 New Year’s Resolution. Who’s with me? If everyone* who cared about making the option for a women’s shirt available boycotted shirts that only came in men’s sizes and informed the companies involved of why they lost a sale, think something could change? Let’s find out.

* “everyone” can include both women-who-prefer-men’s-style and men, if they agree that the choice should be there.