By Heidi Stevens
Chicago Tribune
WWR Article Summary (tl;dr) Chicago artist Leah Roszkowski has created 15 empowering “dress like a woman” paper dolls. The images include dolls with various skin and hair colors, and six interchangeable outfits including uniforms for an astronaut, scientist, politician and a member of the military. The dolls and outfits are free to download.
Chicago Tribune
My favorite response to the report that President Trump wants his female employees to “dress like women” was that photo collage, shared all over social media, of famous women in their women’s wear, Mae Jemison wearing her astronaut uniform, Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her Supreme Court justice robe, Malala Yousafzai in a head scarf and so on.
I say was because I have a new favorite response now, after discovering Chicago artist Leah Roszkowski’s dress like a woman paper dolls. http://dresslikeawoman.org/
Roszkowski designed 15 different doll images, with various skin and hair colors, and six interchangeable outfits for them to don: astronaut, scientist, politician, military member and a couple that are ambiguous, farmer and activist? Hipster and yoga instructor? Use your imagination.
The dolls and outfits are free to download and print out.
“I wanted to create something to inspire young girls,” Roszkowski told me. “I’m friends with women who are scientists, surgeons, web developers, creative directors. I thought it would be great to take the stories of real women who’ve broken gender barriers and glass ceilings and use them to help little girls imagine what they can be.”
Dolls that break glass ceilings aren’t exactly new, of course. Barbie has had a variety of STEM careers and even ascended to the presidency not long ago.
But the paper dolls are free, which opens the possibility of getting them into the hands of many more girls.
Roszkowski has a spot on her site where visitors can suggest future outfits that she’ll draw and add to the collection.
“So far, I’ve gotten submissions for chef, saleswoman and mom,” she said. “Those will be coming soon.”
How do you dress like a mom, I wondered.
“I was thinking about a doll wearing one of those Baby Bjorns with a baby’s head peeking out,” Roszkowski said. “But I was talking to some mom co-workers, and they said Baby Bjorns are sort of out. I guess wraps are in.”
Also in: Recognizing that there are a million different ways to dress like a woman.
