Moms Talk: Padded Bikini Tops for Children?
Public outraged at new padded bikini tops aimed at young girls.
This spring season, Abercrombie & Fitch presented its new push-up bikini top for girls 7 to 14. Since the itsy bitsy top has gotten so much flack, Ambercrombie & Fitch took the words "push-up" out of the bikini's name, but the padding remains.
What kind of message does a bikini top like Abercrombie's send to young girls already struggling with body image issues? It seems there is too great a push to have young girls grow up too fast. In light of this, we want to know:
What do you think of Abercrombie's new bikini?
Katey Meisner
7:20 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Honestly, I don't think girls that age should even be wearing bikinis-let alone one that gives the illusion of a chest. Bikinis are made to show off and sexualize the female figure. This is absolutely acceptable for a woman, but a child doesn't belong in a bikini-certainly not one that accentuates her chest.
Brooke Tajer
9:32 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Exactly! I mean, 7-14? To me that is just inconceivable. I wonder why they even thought it was a good idea in the first place.
Erin Bone
9:53 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
I developed very early and was wearing a "regular" bra by 4th grade (10years old-ish). I remember being very self-conscious about the concept of getting "nip-ons" at school (especially when it was only one side...ahh the wonder of boobs!), so I can see the potential lure of a bathing suit top with a thicker layer, but NOT specific bust-enhancing qualities (where they have the padding focused to just the bottom portion). Perhaps the designers at A&F need our help...they're probably not thinking straight if their cubicles smell anywhere as potent as their stores!
Here's a link to another recent observation about bras geared towards young children:
http://dodsonandross.com/blogs/logan-levkoff/2011/04/sexualizing-little-girlsone-bra-time
Katey Meisner
9:17 am on Thursday, April 7, 2011
Good point, Erin. Oh, the things we women have to worry about. If it held a purpose (other than making a little girl look sexy), I'm all for it. But, it's really awful to teach girls how to use clothing to flaunt their bodies. They're just too young. The only way to stop a retailer from making bad decisions is not to buy the product. I really hope most mothers love their daughters enough to teach modesty until they're mature enough know what to do with the attention a push-up bikini bra brings.