The message is written gray on gray.
On May 9, Prince Harry appeared in a Youtube video wearing a T-shirt with the inscription “Girl dad”, in French “Daddy of a girl”.
A nod to his daughter Lilibet born on June 4, 2021 from his union with Meghan Markle, this message did not fail to soften the public.
It was also not chosen at random.
He appears in a promotional clip for Travalyst, an association supported by the Duke of Sussex which promotes eco-responsibility in the field of travel.
Behind the apparent candor of his T-shirt hides a strong symbolism, the demonstration of a commitment for future generations.
But not only.
feminist message
The expression "Girl dad" was popularized during the accidental death of American basketball player Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, which occurred in January 2020. In the form of a hashtag, it was used to pay tribute to this sports hero perceived as a father caring and encouraging for his daughter.
Soon, a whole wave of fathers are identifying with
#girldad
by posting photos with their daughter on social networks.
A way of claiming a form of feminism, in which Prince Harry fits today, himself emancipated from his aristocratic shackles to protect his family.
Although his situation is exceptional, his bias bears witness to a much broader phenomenon.
Ready to wear life
A true "identity factor" over the last decade, the message T-shirt has become a way of showing pride in having children.
The inscriptions "Mom cool", "Mum of two", "Papa poule" abound on T-shirts, becoming a classic of social networks and a must among young parents.
Adèle Bounine is the co-founder of the family brand Emoi Emoi, one of the first to launch these models in 2014. For her: “Being a parent is no longer obvious as it used to be.
There is a desire to state that we are committed to this project, to say what kind of family we want to create.
In short, to carry its values loud and clear.
And the trend shows no signs of weakening.
Father to the end of the t-shirt
At Emoi Emoi, sales of parents' clothes are constantly growing, and particularly of men's models.
"Before, the fact of being a father was not a very much claimed part of the male identity", underlines Adèle Bounine.
A generational difference which is not without echoing the reproaches made by prince Harry to his father.
"Just because you suffered doesn't mean your kids have to suffer too," he said in 2021 in
The Me You Can't See
, his mental health series.
Witnesses to a radical change in the conception of the family, these T-shirts embody, according to the co-founder of Emoi Emoi, a celebration of love and family ties of all kinds.
But not everyone sees this statement in the same light.
Some accuse this wave, on the contrary, of conveying preconceived ideas about parenthood or an injunction to have children.
In a column for the Canadian magazine
Today's Parent , writer Kerry Clare protested against the
#girldad
movement
, "a viral moment that presents some men in a good light, simply thanks to their proximity to the fairer sex" .
The coat does not necessarily make the father, but here, it certainly makes the prince.
