Our Mission | Our Clothes | Our Inspiration | Our History | The Founders

OUR MISSION

Girls Will Be designs clothes that empower girls to be themselves.

Because girls love everything from dinosaurs and math to art and soccer. And they should never think something is only for boys. Because girls are more than pretty and sweet – like strong and smart and fierce. And they need clothes designed for active play and going on adventures. Because there is definitely more than one way to be a girl – and it doesn’t have to always involve pink and sparkles.

We want girls to feel inspired, confident, and ready for anything when they put on our clothes!



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OUR CLOTHES

From science tees to our signature “not-so-short” shorts, we give girls more options to express their individuality.

Options that celebrate the wide variety of girls’ interests and styles. Options that let girls be kids! Options you won’t find in most stores. Because our clothes break the mold in so many ways:

An “In-The-Middle” Fit. Because girls need clothes that are comfortable and ready for action (not just skinny fits and short shorts!), without being boxy and oversized like most boys clothes. Learn more about our unique fit Because girls need clothes that are comfortable and ready for action (not just skinny fits and short shorts!), without being boxy and oversized like most boys clothes. Learn more about our unique fit here

Stereotype-Busting Graphics. Because nothing is only “for boys” (not science, not dogs without bows, not anything!), and girls are bold and awesome too (and deserve more than “cutesy” sayings on their shirts!)

Bold, Vibrant Colors. Because girls should have a choice of colors (not just pink and pastels!)

No Frills. Because not all girls want to wear sparkles and ruffles and bows (at least not all of the time!)

High Quality, Soft Fabrics. Because girls aren’t fragile and their clothes shouldn’t be either (our fabrics are super soft and lightweight, without being flimsy)

And Pockets! Because girls need pockets for their stuff, just like boys!

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OUR INSPIRATION

When Sharon’s daughter Maya was only 3, she started refusing to wear pink or dresses. Next to go were bows, sparkles, hearts, and flowers. Those things just did not fit with her emerging personality and interests, which included things like climbing trees, building LEGO creations, and playing with cars and trucks. She wanted shirts with sharks and baseballs on them, not cupcakes and kittens.

When Maya started asking “Why do boys get all the cool stuff?” Sharon knew she wanted to do something to send girls a different message.

800 miles away, Laura and her daughter Grace were also struggling with clothes shopping. Grace was into fashion and, at times, liked the more stereotypical “girly” things, but now she just wanted simple, unique clothes that were comfortable to wear and not “cutesy”. While these cousins had very different styles, the problem was the same: the clothing choices in the girls department did not work for them.

And girls like them do not always want to shop in the boys department or wear the boxy, oversized clothes and drab colors you find there either.

It shouldn’t be so hard to shop for girls like Maya and Grace! So we decided to make clothes for them!

Read more about the girls who inspired Girls Will Be here.

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OUR HISTORY

Girls Will Be launched in July 2013, with 14 stereotype-busting t-shirt designs and a strong belief that many other parents were facing the same shopping challenges as us.

Given the huge amount of inventory in Sharon’s house, we sure hoped we were right!

The response was amazing. Once news of our launch spread from the Austin Statesman to places like The Huffington Post, CNN and TODAY.com, we sold out of almost everything and scrambled to quickly make more. Parents were clearly looking for clothes that defied gender stereotypes and offered girls more unlimited choices of colors, themes, and styles than they could find in mainstream retail.

In early 2014, we tackled another big shopping challenge: girls’ shorts! We ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to add two styles of shorts for girls who don't like shorty shorts or a skinny fit. At the time, it was the #1 most funded childrenswear project in Kickstarter history. Our shorts are manufactured in the United States (just like our girls’ t-shirts), and continue to be top-sellers.

We added adult-sized shirts in 2015, for the girls who were outgrowing our 4 to 14 size range, as well as all the moms, dads, and other grown-ups who love our designs and kept asking for bigger sizes.

We know girls need so many more options, from head to toe, in the Girls Will Be style. So we'll continue to add products as we grow.

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THE FOUNDERS

Once Sharon decided to go for it, it only took a few seconds to convince her brother and sister to jump on board (in their spare time!). Their left and right brains are the perfect combination, and they have a lot of fun working together.

SHARON BURNS CHOKSI Believes Girls Will Be......Anything and Everything

After staying home with Maya and her younger brother for 6 years, Sharon is excited to be building and running a business she is so passionate about. It’s a fun twist on her previous experience, which includes an MBA from the University of Chicago, consulting at McKinsey & Company, and marketing at Dell. The unexpected bonus is that Maya really gets involved! In addition to learning a lot about entrepreneurship, she has developed a strong (and hopefully lifelong) belief that there are no limits to what Girls Will Be!

LAURA BURNS Believes Girls Will Be.....Extraordinary

After staying at home with her three children until Grace and her twin brother went to school, Laura returned to the graphic design firm she founded in 1992. Laura developed our branding and website design, and continues to work on all things creative. Being a mom of boy-girl twins, she saw firsthand how clothes for little boys and girls take a strong divergence – even at the toddler level – in style and fit. That shopping frustration continues today! Grace shares her mom’s passion for this idea and loves being a part of the Girls Will Be team!

DAVID BURNS Believes Girls Will Be...…Individuals

As “Uncle Dave” to both Maya and Grace, David created many of the amazing original graphics for our clothing line. Our beloved brother passed away in 2018, due to complications from heart surgery, and we miss him every single day. David was a man of many talents, who had so much more to share with the world. By day, David was an architect with a focus on designing theaters. In his spare time, David was constantly painting, sculpting, blogging, building things, and being active in the political process.

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