The t-shirt is yellow, 100% cotton and meant for “everyday wear”. Across the front, it declares in italic script, “I’m too pretty to do math”.
While some may see it as a joke, it is sparking widespread criticism from some of Australia’s science leaders.
The shirt, created by Australian label Lioness, has raised questions about the deep-rooted messages girls receive about who mathematics is for.
Research suggests girls receive signals from family and the community that it is OK – and even desirable – not to be “a maths person”. On the other hand, boys are more likely to have their mathematical potential recognised and encouraged.
What is happening with girls and maths? And what’s a better way to approach how they engage with the subject?
The maths gender gap
For decades, research has consistently shown girls are just as capable of succeeding in maths as boys.
The idea that boys are naturally better at maths is widely debunked by research evidence. Gender differences in maths achievement are largely explained by other reasons, including motivational and social factors, rather than biology.
Meanwhile, maths remains a strongly gendered field.
We know Australian girls are less likely to enrol in advanced mathematics subjects (which include calculus and prepares students for tertiary study) in years 11 and 12. As of 2025, only 36.5% of higher mathematics students were female.
In the 2025 NAPLAN tests, 14.4% of Year 9 boys achieved the top level in numeracy compared to 9.2% of girls.
If the issue is not ability, what is driving these participation differences?
Why don’t girls do maths?
Studies suggest the biggest causes of girls opting out of maths are differences in how girls’ perceive their own mathematical ability and their lower interest in the subject.
In short, girls see themselves as less capable, even when they have the same actual maths ability as their male classmates. They are also less interested in maths.
Children develop beliefs about who maths is and isn’t “for” from a very young age. These beliefs are shaped by the messages they receive from [parents], teachers, peers, the media, and society more broadly.
When girls repeatedly encounter the idea maths is a “masculine domain”, this can influence their confidence, sense of belonging, and willingness to continue engaging with maths.
So the fact that girls today are still hearing messages that mathematics is not feminine is alarming.
Reinforcing ‘pretty privilege’
Another concerning message from the t-shirt is what girls are taught to value in themselves.
There is an implication that physical beauty can compensate for, or even replace, difficult intellectual work. In this framing, beauty becomes a form of exemption. This encourages girls to believe their worth lies in external standards of appearance instead of in their capacities and interests.
Given the well-established pressures many girls already face around body image, reinforcing beauty as a primary source of value can be dangerous.
Why this matters
It’s important to study advanced levels of maths because maths is a gateway subject to tertiary education. If a student drops maths, it can close doors to a broad range of university degrees.
Beyond typical science, technology and engineering careers, maths is fundamental to fields such as economics, medicine, finance and business. Strong numeracy skills are also associated with general wellbeing as well as greater employment and earning opportunities.
The story isn’t just about “whether girls do maths or not”, it is about the opportunities they might miss. This is why messages such as “too pretty to do math” should not be dismissed as harmless.
So, what do we do?
The solution is not to convince every girl she must become a mathematician. Rather, it is to ensure every child has the opportunity to pursue maths without stereotypes influencing what they believe they can achieve.
It’s important children and young people learn maths is not simply about finding answers quickly. It involves creativity, reasoning, problem solving, collaboration, and persistence – all qualities that have nothing to do with gender. And these skills can help well beyond the maths classroom.
The phrase “too pretty to do math” suggests girls must choose between being feminine and being mathematically capable – of course they do not. The problem has never been girls’ ability to do maths. It is that too often society fails to tell them they can.
