Is this bandeau sexist or am I being ridiculous?

[bookwormsforever]

www.forever21.com/uk/shop/Catalog/Product/f21/top_blouses/2000365122

??

Gross and very sexualising and objectifying and anti-feminist.

you read it as you will but it's a teen thing and won't appeal to older women anyway. it's a bit naff though.

No, i don’t think it’s sexist. You’re reading into things too much.

Exactly, @WaynettaSlobOnTheSchoolRun - that tee is fine.

Bizarrely, dd has never played on a Nintendo, so why does she want to advertise it?!

If I had her figure, I'd spend my life in a bandeau. 😂😂

It’s just a gaming top in a style of top your don’t like OP.

I agree. However, stretching it over the crop top, across the boob area does have the unintended consequence of leaving it open to interpretation in the way a T-shirt wouldn’t, not helped by the pose of the model. Design flaw, I think.

It’s interesting thinking about how this means different things to different people. What’s most important/should take precedent, the meaning to the wearer or the observer? It’s seems less clear cut than the trend when I was younger for playboy-branded T-shirts and stationery for teens (and below).

FWIW for a 15yo, it I thought like you OP, I’d say I’m not spending my money on it and explain your interpretation, that some people will read it as saying her underage breasts are an entertainment system, whether she sees it like that or not. She could choose to spend her own money on it if she really wants.

I'll show her this thread when she gets home! She might join MN...

the thing is,we have battled for the right to wear what we want to wear. if women choose things that are seen as sexist by others isn't that judging the wearer ?

I can see why Forever 21 is on the verge of going out of business.

@littlepaddypaws - true. All women should have the right to wear what they want and not be judged.

But we also have to think about the message we want to give out, what our clothes say about us, how we want to be portrayed. DD hadn't thought about the message on the top that way. It's not as if she deliberately wanted to go out wearing a top that said something like 'boy toy'. My job as her parent to point it out? I think so.

I wouldn't judge someone else wearing that top. I just don't want dd wearing it.

I prefer the SNES one to the frilly stripey one but I was expecting it to be a controller with the controls positioned over the nipples or something after reading the thread. I was a bit underwhelmed by just writing. I don't think it's any worse than bandeaus in general.

As I have fond memories of playing the SNES and two children I don't think I'm the target market for wearing it though

If I saw the advert I’d think of it as sexualising. But you’re right it’s sexist because it’s objectifying.
Like you op I have 15 year old DD with an amazing figure and no idea how much attention she gets walking down the street, without advertising her breasts as somebody’s entertainment system.

if women choose things that are seen as sexist by others isn't that judging the wearer ?

^^ THAT. Don't buy if if you don't like it.

I don't see how it's more 'sexist' than a woman wearing this T-shirt. Either garment could be worn by people with or without breasts.

I honestly don't see the issue. It's a retro gaming logo on a (horrible, cheap looking) top.

I think people either don't understand that this is the actual name of the games console or they are looking for things to be offended by here.

Buy her the baggy supermario one instead and say the bandeau was out of stock - I’m sure she won’t mind!
My dd is almost 15 and there’s no way I would buy her that, it’s tacky and suggests women’s (girls) breasts are there for entertainment value

It's not as simple as "just a logo". Context and placement matter. If they didn't, it would be more appropriate to wear clean winter pyjamas to the supermarket, than a mini-skirt and bandeau top. And yet it's not, even if the latter exposes far more flesh!

Anyway, what this reminds me of most is the time a well-meaning relative bought teenage me a 'unisex' t-shirt (in a size small) with the nickname of my favourite football team emblazoned across the chest. It's a perfectly innocent nickname, but due to the placement on the t-shirt, it looked less like football team pride and more like I was declaring pride in my breasts.

I made sure to only wear that one around the house!

Positioning kinda matters.

Just seen this and thought of this thread!!😂

My god, that's even worse!

@plunkplunkfizz - I can see why Forever 21 is on the verge of going out of business.

You must be psychic! In the news today:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49874688

I can't see the original bandeau to tell! Clicking on the link just takes me to the eu home page :(

It's not sexist...it's just a top with a retro gaming thing on it. Same as a tshirt. Don't go making fuss where there is none. Bandeaus are pretty blatantly sexual anyway, regardless of what's on them.

@Damntheman - the first link still works for me...

Ugly, yes, sexist no.

OP I suspect it's because I'm not in the UK. It just directs me to the EU home page where I can see a lot of clothing but not one specific one. Are you able to post the link to the image itself?