Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down Which Things Were Designed For One Sex But Are Predominantly Used By The Other

People Break Down Which Things Were Designed For One Sex But Are Predominantly Used By The Other
pair of red pump shoes
Photo by Gábor Szűts on Unsplash

Gender marketing has gradually become yesterday's news and was often criticized for its sexism due to an increased awareness of consumers refusing to be categorized.

While pink and blue products are the colors often associated with girls and boys respectively, a variety of manufacturers have begun to shun this outdated perception by embracing neutrality.


We still have a ways to go.

But did you realize that certain products that are specifically designed for use by one gender didn't always start that way?

For example, high heels were originally designed for men.

We have become socialized to only expect seeing female models – and the finest drag queens – high-stepping in their stilettos. However, its origins can be traced back to 15th century Persia when soldiers wore them to secure their footing in stirrups.

That and other interesting bit of trivia came to surface when Redditor hodgepodge282 asked:

"What's something that was designed for the use of one sex but is now predominantly used by the other?"

Old Spice

"Old Spice was launched by Shulton Inc. in 1937. William Lightfoot Schultz was inspired by his mother's potpourri and as a result, the first Old Spice product in 1937 was a woman's scent called Early American Old Spice. The product was received well, and therefore followed with Old Spice for men in 1938."

just-an-uber-driver

"I LOVE OLD SPICE (and I am female). My husband and i share deodorants. I'm hoping one day Old Spice will make a line for women (Sea Hag, Forest Witch, something tough and not floofy like Lavender Flower Blossom or something)"

"I didn't know Old Spice used to be for women. RECLAIM OLD SPICE."

FlyingCatLady

Tissue

"I remember reading somewhere that Kleenex was made for ladies to remove their makeup, but their husbands were blowing their noses in them. And now we all blow our noses in them."

chicken_and_toast

Marlboro

"Filtered cigarettes in general, but Marlboro made the biggest leap in terms of gendered marketing. Once that whole conspiracy theory came out that like cigarettes are idk bad for you or something and more people switched to filtered cigarettes (it's filtered, that means it's good for you!) was around the time the the salt of the earth classic American Marlboro Man came into existence, trying to distance the brand from its previously woman focused advertisements."

grundlebiter

Stirrups

"Those leg stirrups they use at the gynocologist were invented for removing kidney bladder stones in men. They used to cut from below the testicles and cut right through the prostate. It had a very low survival rate and was not approved by the medical profession."

"The original hippocratic oath had a section on 'not cutting for stone' meaning they swore not to surgically remove the stones because of it. They later removed that section of the oath, otherwise a bunch of urologists would be out of a job."

Winterplatypus

Heels

"Heels if i remember correctly."

boompewkablam

"That's correct; high heels were originally made for butchers to wear (who were mostly men) so that they could keep their feet clean of any blood from slaughtering animals."

Vinny_Lam

"The Ford Mustang. It was supposed to be a car with a big trunk to you could fit all the groceries in it. There was even an ad or article stating that you can own a mustang that matches the color of your lipstick. Makes sense why a lot of old mustangs are red."

Hey_I_Work_Here

"Victoria's Secret was originally supposed to be a place for men to buy lingerie for their wives and not feel embarrassed, but now it's almost exclusively shopped at by women."

Shuckles116

"Croptops. A football thing, initially."

callyjohnwell

"Like young Johnny Depp in Nightmare on Elms?"

mulledfox

"Skirts/dresses used to be for both men and women since they're much easier to make than pants. It didn't really switch from being for one gender to the other, one gender just stopped using them."

ben_g0



More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshots from @realprogressive11's TikTok video
@realprogressive11/TikTok

Rural Michigan Woman Speaks Out About 'Dystopian' Grocery Costs In Eye-Opening Video

TikToker @realprogressive11, a rural Michigan resident, is tired of dancing around the subject and is ready to call it like it is: according to her, grocery shopping has become a "dystopian" experience.

And based on other TikTokers' experiences, this isn't specific to Michigan.

Keep ReadingShow less
Andrew Rannells Just Dished On How Dating Anderson Cooper At 25 Directly Inspired 'Girls' Storyline—And Our Jaws Are On The Floor
Daily Beast/Obsessed; Gary Gershoff/Getty Images

Andrew Rannells Just Dished On How Dating Anderson Cooper At 25 Directly Inspired 'Girls' Storyline—And Our Jaws Are On The Floor

After years of speculation, the tea has finally been spilled about who inspired Elijah Krantz and Dill Harcourt's relationship.

In case you missed it, the hit TV show Girls aired for six seasons from 2012 to 2017, and followed the lives of four young women making their way through early romance and career moves in New York City.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tom Holland and Zendaya
Pablo Cuadra/WireImage/Getty Images

Tom Holland Just Confirmed The Months-Long Rumors That He And Zendaya Got Married—And His Comments Have Fans Swooning

American actor and singer Zendaya and British actor and dancer Tom Holland first met in 2016 during the screen test and casting process for their roles in the 2017 Marvel made/Sony approved movie Spider-Man: Homecoming. The pair, both born in 1996, were successful child actors transitioning into adults, but still playing teens on camera.

They became fast friends, but didn't begin dating until sometime later, even if fans thought the attraction happened much sooner. They finally confirmed their relationship in 2021.

Keep ReadingShow less
Billy Porter; Elisabeth Hasselbeck
CBS Mornings

Elisabeth Hasselbeck Is Getting Some Major Side-Eye After Making Bizarre Dig At Billy Porter During Interview

Conservative TV host Elisabeth Hasselbeck first gained public notice in 2001 as a contestant on the second season of the CBS reality show Survivor, then she furthered her fame by marrying NFL player Tim Hasselbeck the following year.

After that, she became the conservative voice on The View for a decade (2003-2013), frequently clashing with her co-hosts and garnering animosity from viewers. Portraying herself as a trad-wife while in reality being a working mother, her next stint was on Fox News' Fox & Friends from 2013 to 2015 before being replaced by Sean Hannity paramour Ainsley Earhardt.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of JD Vance and Whoopi Goldberg
Fox News; The View

JD Vance Ripped After Running To Fox News To Whine About Whoopi Goldberg Supposedly Calling Him 'Racist' On 'The View'

Vice President JD Vance was criticized after he complained on Fox News that The View moderator Whoopi Goldberg had called him a "racist" during his appearance on the program.

While on The View, Vance sidestepped a question from Goldberg about concerns that the Trump administration was marginalizing Black history and communities.

Keep ReadingShow less