National Trust criticised for 'sexist' hat on sale in shop

Tatton Park, Cheshire
Shutterstock / ddjunt
Hatty Collier30 August 2017

The National Trust was dragged into a sexism row after a gift shop at one of its stately homes was selling hats for girls bearing the slogan “future footballers wife”.

The hats, which were branded sexist and also had an apostrophe missing, were on sale at Tatton Park, Cheshire but have since been withdrawn after a backlash.

Customer Laura Goss, a creative director at a digital agency, shared a photograph of the hats on Twitter with the caption: “Hey @NationalTrust – this stupid hat is for sale at Tatton Park. Your young female visitors deserve better merch (+ better grammar).”

Her post attracted a stream of replies from people who branded the merchandise “an appalling lack of judgement” and “everyday sexism”.

The Trust said it would be contacting Cheshire East Council, which runs the estate, about the sale of the hats.

It said although the Tatton Park estate was bequeathed to the charity in 1958, the site is financed and completely maintained by the council.

The Trust added that it has no say over what is sold at Tatton Park and that the hats were not on sale at any of the sites it does manage.

Cheshire East Council said the hats were “a genuine mistake”.

A spokesman said the hats were “removed immediately from the shelves as we would obviously not want to upset or cause offence to anyone.”

Su-Lin Garbett tweeted: "Unacceptable to promulgate sexism anywhere but especially upsetting from a national treasure like the @nationaltrust."

One person said the hat “put the Tat into Tatton”, while another said: “Trying to imagine the hat… ‘future footballer’s husband’ for all the little boys aspiring to marry well.”

The council spokesman said: "Our gift shop receives a bulk supply from our supplier, which includes a number of children's hats.

"Unfortunately, we don't know how this has exactly happened, but we have put the hats out on the shelf as part of that bulk supply without thinking whether they were appropriate for the shop and our visitors."

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