Have you ever wondered why women's shampoo, razors, clothes, etc. are more expensive than men's? I can't tell you how many times I've had this conversation with my father. I used to defend the price gap with, "Oh, our products are of better quality," when, in fact, this isn't true. It was recently brought to my attention that, aside from the more feminine design of the product, these products are essentially the same and do the same things. So exactly how much more do women pay? About $1,351 more a year. This price inequality is referred to as the "pink tax."
You may now be wondering what stores are more notorious than others for pink taxing. It was recently revealed that Old Navy has not only higher prices for women, but even higher prices for plus sized women. While women's plus sized jeans were $12-15 more than women's regular sizes, men's plus sized jeans were priced the same as regular sizes. And what was their response? Gap, the owner of Old Navy, claims, "[Plus sized clothes] are created by a team of designers who are experts in creating the most flattering and on-trend plus styles, which includes curve-enhancing and curve-flattering elements such as four-way stretch materials and contoured waistbands, which most men’s garments do not include." Dry cleaners are also known for this; women pay an average of $2.09 more than men to have a shirt professionally cleaned. Drug stores and convenient stores have a bad rap for doing this also, but it's definitely justified. Raisers, shaving cream, deodorant, etc. cost $4 more than men's products of the same quality.
What should our response be? Stop buying these products, ladies! I'm not telling you to stop shaving and deodorizing, but, instead, buy men's products. You may be thinking, "I don't want to smell like a guy," but there's a solution to that, too! Simply find unscented deodorant. There's not much we can do about the clothing issue, but, if the pink tax gets enough attention, together we may be able to end it once and for all. Avoid products that you're able to, and spread the news, ladies! It's time we get what we're paying for.
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