Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style at Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.


    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


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Uniqlo x Cecilie Bahnsen
    • Perfume Necklaces
    • The Board Whisperers
    • Choulie
    • Holiday Movies
    1. Culture

    Infuriating New Study Confirms That It Costs Way More Money to Be a Woman

    All that unnecessary pink packaging apparently comes at a price.

    Megan Friedman's avatar
    By Megan Friedman
    Published 23 December 2015 In News

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

    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Some women already make less money than men for doing the same work. And now, a new study has confirmed what women everywhere have long suspected: there's a tax on women for buying products that are marketed to them. Can't we win, just once?

    New York City's consumer affairs division released a study last week called "From Cradle to Grave: The Cost of Being a Female Consumer," and the results will make you furious. Researchers compared 800 products that had clear male and female versions, and found that on average, a product for women cost seven percent more than the same product marketed to men. And across the entire list of products, women's items were priced higher 42 percent of the time.

    Here are just a few examples:

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Kids' toys:

    Pricing gap photo 1

    (Image credit: New York City Department of Consumer Affairs)

    Jeans:

    Pricing gap photo 2

    (Image credit: New York City Department of Consumer Affairs)

    And razor blades:

    Pricing gap photo 3

    (Image credit: New York City Department of Consumer Affairs)

    This study suggests that over her lifetime, a woman will spend thousands of dollars more than a man does to buy similar products. The reasons for the price disparity are complex, and can sometimes involve pricier ingredients or differences in taxes. Or it might just be because companies think they can get away with it. The city is calling on retailers and manufacturers to reconsider how they price their products. But at the end of the day, a razor is just a razor, even if it's pink rather than blue. So when you're not busy taking down the patriarchy for charging women more, take a moment to peruse the men's razor aisle to save a few bucks.

    Follow Marie Claire on Instagram for the latest celeb news, pretty pics, funny stuff, and an insider POV.

    You may like
    • Stylized image of a woman at a desk holding papers, overlaid with pink, blue, and green tones. The Hidden Price Tag of Menopause
    • a collage of book covers of personal finance books including the psychology of money get good with money and more 7 Great Personal Finance Books That Actually Helped Me Figure Out Money
    • Zara 21 Zara Finds That Punch Well Above Their Price Tags
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Megan Friedman
    Megan Friedman
    Social Links Navigation
    Editor

    Megan Friedman is the former managing editor of the Newsroom at Hearst. She's worked at NBC and Time, and is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.

    Read more
    a collage of book covers of personal finance books including the psychology of money get good with money and more
    Books 7 Great Personal Finance Books That Actually Helped Me Figure Out Money Start with these reads to help lessen your anxiety and refresh your routine.
    By Quinci LeGardye
    woman on a green background next to white label beauty products
    Beauty Are TJ Maxx and Dollar Tree Low-Key the Best Beauty Retailers? Shopping at discount retailers for skincare is a money-saving hack—here’s what to know about product safety.
    By Tanya Akim
     
     
    H&M, Banana Republic models wearing lace skirt and leopard jacket side by side
    Fall fashion I Found the Sweet Spot Between Designer Taste and Real-Life Prices
    By Cortne Bonilla-Oliva
    An Atorie model wearing white jeans carrying a chocolate handbag
    Fashion I've Worked in Fashion for Years—These Under-$500 Handbags Look Like Luxury
    By Cortne Bonilla-Oliva
     
     
    Latest in Culture
    A photo of Nikki Ogunnaike with an inset photo of Denée Benton and text reading Money. Power. Style. Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike
    Culture Why Denée Benton Is Fiercely Protective of Her 'Gilded Age' Character
    A woman in a white gown and tiara (Shin Min-a as Empress Navier) stands at a podium in front of ballroom stairs adorned with flowers, in Hulu's 'The Remarried Empress.'
    TV shows 'The Remarried Empress' Is the Romantasy Adaptation You've Been Waiting For
     
     
    alaska riley miss benny and saturn risin9 pose against a white brick wall in an apartment while taking a photo in the movie club kid
    Movies Meet the Real-Life It Girls Bringing Fierceness—And Heart—to 'Club Kid'
    A young woman and man (Maddie Ziegler as Mae and Graham Phillips as Andrew) lay at the bottom of a Christmas tree surrounded by presents, in Netflix's 'In a Holidaze.'
    Movies It's Time! Here's Every Christmas Movie and TV Special Coming to Netflix in 2026
     
     
    Latest in News
    Prince Harry wearing a gray suit and white shirt, he has balding red hair and a matching beard
    Royals Prince Harry Held Secret Meetings at a 'Gossip Girl' Location
    King Charles III (R) holds a glass of a specially produced Guyanese rum created in his honour as he speaks with Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali during a State Reception on October 29, 2026
    Royals King Charles's Reaction to Being Called "Handsome-Looking"
     
     
    Prince William, Princess Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at Trooping the Colour
    Royals "Controversial Changes" Could Affect George, Charlotte, and Louis
    Queen Camilla wearing a paisley green and white dress on the royal tour with King Charles
    Royals An Unexpected Royal Relative Just Covered for Queen Camilla
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

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

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.