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Original poster

What did you think of the recent statement made by David Cameron regarding young girls clothing??

113 replies

Helenemjay · 13/05/2006 16:15

It was David Cameron wasnt it? i have been talking to some friends about his 'creepy and wrong' opinions on some girls clothing, we agreed that to dress a 8/9 year old girl in a really short skirt with padded bra's etc IS really bad, my friend and i saw a very young girl recently with a very very short skirt on with 'im a very bad girl' written accross her chest!! Shock i personally would NEVER dress my daughter in anything like that but then some people might say im being a prude??! what do you think?

OP posts:
Blandmum · 13/05/2006 17:36

But it is just bloody daft to give in to a child if you know that what they want is inappropriate. Hells teeth, my kids would eat nothing but crap and stay up half the night if they had their way. But because I am a big bad grown up and I know better, I don't let them!

Sheesh, it isn't rocket science, is it? What the hell is wrong with these people?

HAPPYFACE · 13/05/2006 17:38

I don't even like the trousers with writing across the bottom, I have picked up items thinking they are nice until I've turned them around!
Maybe I'm a bit over the top but I've never dressed dd in them, and still won't!

Normsnockers · 13/05/2006 17:41

I agree with him whether he's out vote trawling or not.

If it's not available, stupid adults can't buy it for their children and children with more pocket money than sense can't buy it either.

I'm sorry but as with so many things, the stupid need protecting from themselves. Me thinks that the purchasers are not the strata of society who would get out the home sewing machine and run up a tarty little number for their daughter themsleves so if it ain't available off the shop rail we all benefit.

We need a Mary Whitehouse of children's clothes. All clothes for the under 13's to have to be approved for sale and shops fined for selling unapproved clothing.

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Blandmum · 13/05/2006 17:44

you assume that many of the designers must be women. What the hell are they playing at?

And the buyers in the shops.

While we don't have to put our girls back in floral smocks at 11, there must be a sensible middle ground?

Nbg · 13/05/2006 17:46

It's like the dumb adult version of playing with dolls IMO.
Dressing your kids up in clothes that they would wear themselves because they think it looks "cute".

Another thing I hate to see is little girls with nail varnish on.

MamaMaiasaura · 13/05/2006 17:51

Do you remember the lace gloves of our era and the stupid oversized lace ribbons in the hair.. Despite Madonna's influences I wasnt allowed to wear bras with cones on. (although i would try on my older sisters in secret.. until my sister cuaght me and dragged me downstaris infront of parents and their friends Blush ) still need therapy for that now

AccountantAnonymous · 13/05/2006 17:51

From client experience, in design and marketing, money rules decision making judgements every time.
Conscience and sensible thought goes out of the window. It's so competitive

MamaMaiasaura · 13/05/2006 17:52

accountantanoynous? why anonmynous?

Freckle · 13/05/2006 18:13

In the case of my SIL, she is a single parent and I assume must feel she needs to make up for the lack of a father by giving in to her child's every wish. I can't think of any other reason why she would let her daughter (let = do it for her as I doubt a 7 year old could put on make up properly) tart herself up.

And before anyone jumps on me, I am not suggesting that all single parents act in this way. Just giving a possible reason for my SIL's clearly bizarre behaviour.

Caligula · 13/05/2006 18:18

Ah but freckle it's not automatically considered a vote trawl. Ken Livingstone for example, says things which most definitely won't win him any votes. But what quite irritated me about DC, is that it's so easy to "speak out" against something everyone except the very thick agree with, without actually wanting to do anything about it once you're in power. I can't see any conservative party bringing in rules to stop porn logos being sold on children's pencil cases, for example. That would interfere with the free market, so perish the thought.

Caligula · 13/05/2006 18:20

Gawd, what a bad technique for managing as a lone parent if that is her motivation, freckle. I think I'm probably stricter than I would be if I had a partner, because I'm so aware of the need to set proper boundaries for children when there's no other adult back-up. But I think guilt does make people give in to children when they otherwise wouldn't.

Freckle · 13/05/2006 18:23

I agree. It will be interesting to see how high this is on his agenda if he ever gets into power.

Re SIL, I can't really say anything to her about her parenting techniques (can you ever to anyone without risking an adverse reaction) as she is very volatile and sees me as speaking from a privileged and non-understanding position (i.e. I can't possibly understand her situation as I'm not in it, iyswim).

puddingz · 13/05/2006 22:19

I'm so glad I found this thread. I thought it was just me being old fashioned!!! At the school where I worked I have seen many indecent items of clothing but the worse has got to be a girl of 8/9 wearing pink lacy thongs!! Shock

nooka · 13/05/2006 22:56

I find it really difficult to buy things I like and think age appropriate for my dd, who is 5 1/2, but seems to have just moved into size 8/9 clothes (latest school dress is this size - a little long, but not very!). She loves girly things, but is moving into the "tweeny" age group for clothes, and trying to find nice little girl summer dresses is going to be really hard - last summer I had to ask my mother to make dresses for her. I am shocked at what perfectly mainstream clothes shops such as NEXT or H&M have to offer for little girls. I don't want my little one to look like a slapper, but often see things that look nice only to have something smutty on the back. I wouldn't wear stuff like that - why should she! I find it amazing that in a world where everyone seems to think they can't leave their children on their own for a minute in case someone jumps out on them apparently want to go out and buy such sexualised clothing.

Caligula · 13/05/2006 23:26

Is there anything we can do about this? Like a mass letter-writing campaign, or a way of making this stuff seen as so naff and beyond the pale that it will be automatically avoided by all right thinking people and therefore become unprofitable to sell it?

EmmyLou · 13/05/2006 23:34

The sad thing is, it seems that the shops/websites that do stock decent CHILDRENS clothes tend to be the more expensive dare I say 'middle class' type of places anyway (yes Johnnie Boden I mean you). I find it shocking that adapting the worst elements of adult clothing design for children is considered OK. Its the same with food - cheap and crap or expensive and fairtraded/organic. These tarty clothes are the fashion equivalent of a happy meal. Its all driven by short sighted profit.

Original poster
Helenemjay · 14/05/2006 11:16

Im so pleased its not just me! reading these posts it shocks me what some people have seen young girls (and yeah i guess boys too!) wearing!! Shock i couldnt agree more with your post Emmylou re: short-sighted profit, all things that are good for kids or smart and decent clothing is way too expensive, id rather dress my lo's in bin bags than dress them in some tarty clothing at 6 years old!

OP posts:
fattiemumma · 14/05/2006 12:03

my DD is 19 months and in a size 6 shoes. i have seen shoes in a size 7 (so guess by the time she is 2 she would fit them) with a high heel!!! WTF.

young girls are just that girls not small women.
i certainly wouldnt want my DD walkign round in a mini sirt and heels at age 5 thats for certain. i dont think it loks cute at all

Highlander · 14/05/2006 15:03

what kind of sicko parent allows their daughter to dress like a tart?

SecondhandRose · 14/05/2006 17:41

Next also did a t-shirt last year with 'Whatever' on the front and someone bought my DD it for her birthday and unfortunately she loves it. Yuk.

fairyjay · 14/05/2006 17:56

I've just come back from shopping with dd for an outfit for her 13th birthday disco. It's so hard. Yes, I'm happy for her to be trendy, and she's a pretty girl (yeh - I'm biased!!), but I don't want tarty. It's such a fine line!

Just hope we've got it right!

NotAnOtter · 14/05/2006 18:02

I have been called a prude ( shocking really cos i am far from one) by peers cos of my attitude towards boys/hair/makeup/peirced ears all of it really...
Took dd (11) shopping yesterday and from 10 years up all the gap tops had inset bra- top things (!) DD is flat as a pancake so we laughed but whats all that about????
She got fab stuff in zara but i also bought some white leggings to wear under skirts - we did not try them on and when we got home and did fashion show dp said they looked 'too old' for her and 'chavvy'
That was me told! I LOVE her looking funky and fashionable byt she IS only 11 !

fairyjay · 14/05/2006 18:21

It's just getting the balance right though, isn't it NotanOtter.

Dd is not allowed pierced ears until 16, which she now totally accepts. Rarely wears makeup, although that is as much her choice, as my insistence.

But she has just bought a mini skirt, and looks really cute in it - but I have said she has to wear flat shoes and not heels, to avoid looking tarty.

SecondhandRose · 14/05/2006 20:32

Staff at Claire's almost had a go at me the other day when I was asking for magnetic earrings and she demanded to know why my 7 yr old DD is not allowed her ears pierced until she is older. She told me her 5yr old DS had just had his done!

SecondhandRose · 14/05/2006 20:32

Ooow, I know we've said this before but the other thing that makes me puke is FCUK.

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