Sexualisation of girls' clothes in the High Street

[cupcaske123]

I don't know if you're aware of the controversy about the strawberry top aimed at girls that has been withdrawn from sale. Anyway, here's an interesting article on the sexualisation of girls' clothes, it even mentions the MN campaign.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/zara-childrens-clothing-high-street-b2599583.html

It’s utterly grim - but I cannot comprehend the people who buy them for their children.

I can't believe people are actually signing off this stuff. Thongs and heels for little girls?

It's like they have hired paedophiles to market and produce their products.

Honestly, I cannot fathom who passes these campaigns. There can't be a mum on the staff surely, saying, "yes get 8yo models to look like adults, selling items that imply they are sexual, GREAT idea." I can't help but think there are actual predators working for these brands.

Thank goodness DD is firmly grunge right now.

There must be predators because the clothes weren't the only problem, it was the sexualised poses of the girls which also sparked controversy.

It's fucking ridiculous and every shop copies each other so shopping for girls, particularly tweens is a nightmare.

No just no. Appalling.

I'm all for age appropriate clothes. Absolutely can still be fashionable.

God there are so many problems in the world that need fixing!

At a primary school karaoke night a few years ago some mothers yelled 'Work the room girl' to their own 11 year old daughters.

These are grim, especially the Primark padded bikini top for seven year olds.

There needs to be a much bigger expose on who exactly is signing off on these items so they are stocked, don't you think?

There needs to be a much bigger expose on who exactly is signing off on these items so they are stocked, don't you think?

Absolutely. There was a MN campaign some years ago and this kind of thing was brought to the attention of the PM but it seems to have crept back in again. Sexualising little girls is insidious.

Agree, another example of how bad high street retailing has become over the years in the UK.

Transparency on who makes such decisions for larger retailers at least could be a step towards stopping this.

If parents (and it's usually mothers who buy children's clothes) stopped buying them it would stop faster.

It's really difficult to do so though. Because you can only buy what's available, and children need clothes (especially with growth spurts at least twice a year). Like I said before, not everyone has the time or money to do careful research and trawl dozens of websites and suggestions to find things that are age appropriate. Also, once you're with a kid in the shops it's hard to say no to absolutely everything they like. Not impossible, but it doesn't make for a nice shopping experience for either. Then you have that tricky age of tweens/early teens where they might actually have the freedom to shop by themselves and who knows what they end up with(like body con red strappy dress two sizes too small -10-11- because it was the only size left.)

Parents don't have to buy it

Trawl dozens of websites?

You can just walk into Asda or Tesco and buy non sexulaised clothing for girls.

Some kids could do with hearing the word No more often.

@Hateam and @Edingril I've lived in a few countries. Some where this almost never happens, and the UK, where it does. You almost never see girls in some countries with hot pants, fake nails, fake tan and crop tops. And if you do they are tourists. Which means there is no peer pressure, which means there is no pressure on mums. In the UK you often have to choose between 'mini-sexualised adult' and 'Billy no mates'.

Some parents buy drugs for their children. We protect children against the poor choices their parents make. Why not do the same with clothes? It's repulsive that they are for sale to children.

Retailers are the issue. So is the media. All the repulsive sexual reality programs promote this vacuous nonsense as desirable. Bring back Mary Whitehouse, I say. Woman knew more than me. Sorry Mary.

Partly though, there’s no such thing as a non sexualised pose for girls.

However women stand, it’s sexualised. It’s almost impossible to pose for a photo without it being a sexualised pose because fucking men sexualise everything.

When I shower at the gym I’m vaguely aware that the clouded glass between the cubicles feels like a shampoo advert- women I. The shower washing their hair is sexualised. There’s no way to do it without feeling objectified!

Everyone's seemingly forgotten about the Balenciaga campaigns.

Those guidelines for non sexy underwear apply to under 12s. So over 12s are fair game apparently.

I accept many of the points you make.
Love Island is vile and a curse on the nation. Young girls are aspiring to be like the women on it from an earlier and ealier age. And those god awful Kardashigans.

Putting drugs in the same category as clothes is silly.

Can the men see your outline through the clouded glass? That's fucking disgraceful! I'd be demanding a change!

Seriously

No, it’s within the women’s area, but it still feels like a peep show because we’re trained in male gaze.

I'm not. My point is that parents make far worse choices for their children, and we protect the children. If a proportion of parents give drugs to their children, there will be a far higher proportion willing to let them dress like sex objects.

The list of jobs men probably shouldn't do is growing:

Charity worker
BBC anything
Celebrity
Children's clothes designer

There are predators and apologists everywhere.

Yes really. DD dresses her age (bar that stupid dress, which she's not actually allowed to wear outside once I saw it on her), but it's not easy. She hates anything cutesy , flowery, pink, logos, prints(what's with all the fucking writing on everything?), brands but doesn't just want sporty/completely plain/block(especially dark colours) either. Most of her stuff is in the last category tbh.

Swimwear is even more of a nightmare. Why the fuck do they even do them in triangle tops, small bikini bottoms, cut outs and all the other shit (some starting from age 2) I'll never know.

I also remember the hassle of buying her summer shorts when she was younger.

We often got them in the boys' section because:

1.they were cheaper

1. They were longer

1. They were sturdier and more practical (including pockets).