about the sale of "adult" pre-teen clothes to be banned in huge shakeup

[MummyTruro]

In fact I am extatic that at last all the complaints to the M&S staff and voting with my own feet to other shops has at last alerted the Government and of course the Retailers that I for one don't like the sexy nightwear for 8 yrs olds or the constant black, glitter and shine of their day clothes.
According to the Guardian I'm not alone ... what do you think? Hurray for a policy that might keep our children playing rather than worrying about fashion or their weight!

[BooBooGlass]

Link? How on earth can the government dictate what people wear? WHat a load of bollocks

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

I'm not impressed at all. It's not the children buying this stuff, it's adults. If there was no market for it, retailes wouldn't stock it. If there's a market and they ban the stuff, customers will seek it out elsewhere. I wouldn't buy sexy clothes for little girls, neither would you and neither would most people I know. But someone does - in quite large amounts - and I don't think you can legislate either in favour of commonsense or ban poor taste successfully.

[troisgarcons]

It is in the papers today:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1394123/High-street-shops-ban-clothes-sexualise-little-girls.html

although it is 'guidelines'.


Mush as I don't like slutty outfits for prebubescentt girls, Im afraid there are mothers who to buy them.

[MoreBeta]

It sounds good and I certainly welcome the initiatives also announced to enforce the TV watershed properly and properly censor music videos.

BUT.....

I just don't see how it will be enforced, who will judge what is acceptable and what penalties will be for enfringement. Like many Givt initiatives, it sounds good on paper but in practice will not result in any serious change and any attempt to rigoroulsy enforce it will result in appeal cases being dragged through the courts by thw firms affected.

[MadAsASnakeNana]

Agree with Cogito - unless these stupid, ignorant parents who should have been sterilised stop buying this obsene stuff, retailers will continue to sell it. Retailers couldn't give a shit about the damage they do.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

That's true. Who decides what is good taste, bad taste etc.? I've seen clothing/footwear linked here by MN-ers with a horrified 'would you put a child in this?!!!' .. and when clicking the link, I've struggled to understand the outrage. To some people a bit of glitter on a t-shirt is tantamount to prostitution. And even the TV watershed is rather meaningless when we have digital TV recorders and things like I-player. The music vids will be there on YouTube... Parents will still take their 9 year-olds for birthday parties at Hooters...

One mum on here recently was complaining that the morning news shouldn't report a story about child abuse... because it might upset her kids over breakfast. Parenting comes down to steering a sensible course through it all - not expecting everything to be banned.

[LolaRennt]

It will be hard to police but as there are parents who think dressing their children like 20 year olds on a night out, I am happy to know there choices will be limited.

[gerardway]

I took DD(13) to M&S for her second bra fitting (1st one was a trainer bra). They were great! They refuse to sell wired bra's to under 16's and although I was a bit about the padded bras that they sell in the 'Angel' range she explained that the teenager's worry that their nipples will show through their clothes. The shop assistant was right and my DD no longer wears a t-shirt under her school blouse.

I think some shops are learning but there will always be Mothers who allow there DD to dress like slappers inappropriately

[catwhiskers10]

I agree a lot of the clothes available are inappropriate and I wouldn't let my DD wear them.
The fault lies with the parents who are buying them IMO, not the shops. If there is a Market for these clothes then of course shops will sell them.
I have wondered though if the bras available for 7 year olds are required for obese children who have prematurely got boobs due to their weight IYKWIM?

[StuckInTheMiddleWithYou]

This is being done purely for political reasons. You may be able to get the big retailiers to comply, but round here there are a lot of market stalls and cheap independent shops selling this stuff. That's before you even consider online shopping...

If a mother wants to dress her five year old like a crack whore, she will. It may be horrible but you cannot pass laws on how people choose to dress themselves or their children.

Also, what is the motivation for this? Are we worried that dressing children like this will encourage peadophillia? Underage sex?

How is this different to banning the burka?

[exoticfruits]

Am I missing something-but surely the shops wouldn't stock it if no one bought it? Very simple-don't buy it.

[superjobeespecs]

funny i should see this today i was in asdas earlier and whilst nosying round george i noticed crop tops the wee bra type ones for ages 6-7, my daughters age, and i felt sick to my stomach even the thought of her wearing them is sickening she still wears normal vests under her school shirts as she's too young for spaghetti strap vests. i like the fact that my daughter is aware that one day she will have boobies and feed babies with them and that she will look like a 'real big girl' but if she was to turn to me at any age before 11 at least and ask for any kind of crop top or bra she'd get a flat no. its jusy wrong. if your wee one wants to feel grown up just remind them that they can do so much more now than they could at age 3 or 5 or whatever and remind them that in another few years they'll be more grown up, kids have stages and this needs to be pointed out to them and apparently mothers too according to the government but in my opinion its common sense..

[Madsometimes]

Super, your daughter may well be wearing a crop top or a bra before the age of 11. I bought my 10 year old a crop top last week because she does not want to wear a vest on hot days but has mixed sex changing for PE. She does not need a bra yet, but many of her classmates do.

I have to say that M&S does annoy me because it does really nice clothes in the under 7 range, but the 7-14 range is not great at all, or at least that is how my local smallish branch is.

[cantspel]

I dont like the fact that someone somewhere thinks that we need rules on what can and cant be sold in the way of clothing.
It is the thin edge of the wedge on control of personal choice.

i dont like smock tops so maybe someone can put them on the banned list too.

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

Am pissed and lazy so not read the thread.

There is no such thing as sexy nightwear for 8 yos

It's a fucking oxymoron.

Now get a fucking grip and start worrying about real problems.

[OddBoots]

superjobeespecs, my (very slim 8 year old) daughter wears aged 6-7 cropped vests, she wore full vests in the colder weather and cropped since the hot weather. I don't think they are particularly sexual but maybe I am naïve.

[IprivateI]

If any of you have ever been to Primark, you will realise what "sexy underwear for an 8 year old" is.
That shop is disgusting. Girls clothes aged 1-3 years is fine there, but go above 3 and you get slut bag clothing. Shit shop.

[annabella156]

its all wrong,music videos are like pornos,and the lyrics are far to explicit!!im sick of it all!!things need to change and so glad the goverment are hearing us parents!!my daughter was watchin the tele the other day and a new advert came on for coffee where a couple started nearly having sex all just to sell a jar of coffeewtf is goin on in this crazy world!!x

[annabella156]

my 9yr old daughter has the crop tops which we bought the other week with the weather getting warmer and she been hassling me for a bra but theres no way shes havin a bra until i think she is old enough!!ohh and these are real problems!!!our children are tryin to grow up to quick which i do find a big problem!!

[Sqee]

Here! Here! JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar

[TheFrogs]

Why wont M & S sell an underwired bra to a girl under 16?

When I was aged 14 I was a 34D, I needed an underwired bra! Genuinely confused.

[LordOfTheFlies]

Brantano sells some glitter covered heeled shoes which I presume are for dance classes/party/pagent type events. Might get away with that but otherwise no.

Matalan - stopped DD going there a few years back, because the clothes went from okay to harlot once you got past age 5.
Primark seems to like the slogans and glitter.

DD started wearing crop tops last year because her friends do ,and they do notice what other girls wear(changing for PE etc)
We have loads of arguements over clothes,mainly because she is tall for her age 9yo but wears an 11-13 depending on shop so she's launched into a clothes range that's beyond her.

[tomhardyismydh]

a very difficult thing to judge. for instance a plain cotton crop top is ok for most ages I believe. my dn is 7 and the size of most of the 10 year olds in her school as in height, build and shoe size. she also has the beginnings of her nipples swelling and enlarging she must wear a crop top under her clothes as it is very unflattering and visible. now she does wear plain cotton ones in age range 10 11 or 12 13. But some marketed in the shops at that age are unsuitable.

but on the other hand some people attitudes to what is acceptable or not is very different. It was so hot today that my dd 5 walked in town with her top off. I was aware that at least 2 woman looked at me as if it was inappropriate and an older lady passed comment to her friend. Obviously I did not see the harm in this or think it was inappropriate. I have also judged someone on what there dcs have worn. I wouldn't pass comment quite like the lady today.

some clothing is so overtly sexual however and should be restricted.