Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Life

    It Was Never A Dress: This Is How The Female Toilet Sign SHOULD Be…

    The traditional ladies' toilet sign has been given a kick-ass makeover.

    By Suzannah Ramsdale
    Published 7 May 2015 In Opinion

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    It Was Never A Dress
    It Was Never A Dress
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    The traditional ladies' toilet sign has been given a kick-ass makeover.

    We're all familiar with the women's toilet sign - the outline of a woman wearing a rather tent-like dress; it's ingrained in our culture. But, perhaps not for much longer.

    As part of a campaign to empower women working in the tech industry, as well as inspiring others to challenge gender stereotypes, software developer Axosoft has introduced a new symbol for the ladies' lavatory: a woman wearing a cape.

    The clever It Was Never A Dress campaign image went viral when it was launched at the Girls in Tech Catalyst Conference late last month, and the people behind the innovative design say the aim is to 'shift perceptions and assumptions about women and the audacious, sensitive, and powerful gestures they make every single day.'

    On the website it says: 'In science, technology, arts, mathematics, politics, houses of worship, on the streets, and in our homes, insightful women are often uninvited, overlooked, or just plain dismissed.

    You may like
    • Female athletes crossing the finish line at a track and field event Why We Should Care About Sexualisation in Women's Sport—and How It’s Bigger Than Sydney Sweeney
    • Two women running on a track From Clubs to Marathon Sign-Ups, I’m Witnessing More and More Women Engaging in Sport—Here’s Why It’s Happening
    • Andy Burnham and Marie-France van Heel entering 10 Downing Street “Are We Just Jealous?” Victoria Moss Unpacks the Sexist, Ageist Commentary Around Marie-France van Heel’s Victoria Beckham Dress

    'Through storytelling, community building, innovation and creative disruptions, It Was Never a Dress will foster necessary conversations, vital voices, and images from around the world that honour ALL women. When we see women differently … we see the world differently!'

    This is only the beginning of the campaign and in the coming weeks It Was Never A Dress will be sharing stories, images and ideas of women that challenge stereotypes and highlight the difference between perception and reality.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Bring it on.

    Suzannah Ramsdale
    Social Links Navigation
    Read more
    Female athletes crossing the finish line at a track and field event
    Fitness Why We Should Care About Sexualisation in Women's Sport—and How It’s Bigger Than Sydney Sweeney
    Two women running on a track
    Fitness From Clubs to Marathon Sign-Ups, I’m Witnessing More and More Women Engaging in Sport—Here’s Why It’s Happening
     
     
    Andy Burnham and Marie-France van Heel entering 10 Downing Street
    Fashion “Are We Just Jealous?” Victoria Moss Unpacks the Sexist, Ageist Commentary Around Marie-France van Heel’s Victoria Beckham Dress
    woman wearing shift dress navy top
    Shopping I Just Got Back From Milan—This Retro-Inspired Dress Is What Italian Women Wear to Look Polished
     
     
    Latest in Life
    Side view of a woman sitting in her bedroom - negative emotion - stock photo
    Life Their Children Were Taken Into Care. Who Was Looking After the Mothers?
    bright green sticky note reading “I Quit” on a computer keyboard
    Money and Work Does Anyone Actually Want to Be the Boss Anymore?
     
     
    The best things to do this October
    Food and Drink The Agenda: Your October Just Got More Interesting
    Black-and-white photo of a person walking past a Cornell University stone sign, with their face obscured by a teal scribble.
    Life What the Morning After a Sexual Assault On Campus Really Looks Like
     
     
    Latest in Opinion
    Black-and-white photograph of two young women wearing white Reebok T-shirts, layered necklaces and hoop earrings, looking off-camera.
    Life I Grew Up With Nineties Lad Culture. I Thought Things Would Be Better for My Daughters
    Wicker husband: Alexander Skarsgård and Olivia Coleman in the new film Wicker
    Relationships Move Over Regular Men and AI Boyfriends, The “Wicker Husband” Has Arrived
     
     
    Andy Burnham and Marie-France van Heel entering 10 Downing Street
    Fashion “Are We Just Jealous?” Victoria Moss Unpacks the Sexist, Ageist Commentary Around Marie-France van Heel’s Victoria Beckham Dress
    Open Bag Trend: ChanelFall Winter 2026, Ready to Wear
    Fashion Trends I'm Baffled by the "Open Bag" Trend, But It Perfectly Captures the World the Ultra-Rich Live In
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.