bluephinKids Clothing Too Sexy?
October 10th 2006 12:53
A new report by the Australian Institute has raised the hackles of some major department stores.
The report claims that children (particularly young girls) used in catalogues to promote clothing are being portrayed in a sexually suggestive manner.
The report also states that major department stores are encouraging sexuality in young children by selling skimpy underwear for the pre-pubescent child.
Is this pedophilia panic gone mad?
According to the author, Emma Rush, the use of photographs of young girls in sexually suggestive poses encourages pedophiles to view the children as sexual objects. You can read more here.
Is this picture sexually suggestive?
Junk mail day is favourite in my house. I like to sit with a cup of coffee and browse through the latest specials on offer from Target, Big W, Best and Less, David Jones and the like. I have to admit; I’ve never looked at a catalogue and felt disgusted at how the children were posed – but maybe it comes down to the fact that I’m not a pedophile and therefore, not looking at the catalogues for the kids but for the clothes.
I’m not sure what to make of little bra’s and panties for pre-pubescent girls, though I have noticed an increase in the number of stores stocking these items.
There are times when I see young girls that are dressed up in miniature versions of a teenager’s wardrobe that I wonder what their parents are thinking. Are they dressing their child for other people to ooh and ah over or are they dressing their child for comfort?
I think I’m probably lucky in that I have a son and boys’ clothes are pretty limited. Jack’s wardrobe is pretty standard – shorts, jeans and shirts. The only way I get to vary it is by colour.
Do you think that kids clothing is too sexy? Are corporations abusing children by the way they dress and photograph them for their catalogues?
The report claims that children (particularly young girls) used in catalogues to promote clothing are being portrayed in a sexually suggestive manner.
The report also states that major department stores are encouraging sexuality in young children by selling skimpy underwear for the pre-pubescent child.
Is this pedophilia panic gone mad?
According to the author, Emma Rush, the use of photographs of young girls in sexually suggestive poses encourages pedophiles to view the children as sexual objects. You can read more here.
Is this picture sexually suggestive?
Junk mail day is favourite in my house. I like to sit with a cup of coffee and browse through the latest specials on offer from Target, Big W, Best and Less, David Jones and the like. I have to admit; I’ve never looked at a catalogue and felt disgusted at how the children were posed – but maybe it comes down to the fact that I’m not a pedophile and therefore, not looking at the catalogues for the kids but for the clothes.
I’m not sure what to make of little bra’s and panties for pre-pubescent girls, though I have noticed an increase in the number of stores stocking these items.
There are times when I see young girls that are dressed up in miniature versions of a teenager’s wardrobe that I wonder what their parents are thinking. Are they dressing their child for other people to ooh and ah over or are they dressing their child for comfort?
I think I’m probably lucky in that I have a son and boys’ clothes are pretty limited. Jack’s wardrobe is pretty standard – shorts, jeans and shirts. The only way I get to vary it is by colour.
Do you think that kids clothing is too sexy? Are corporations abusing children by the way they dress and photograph them for their catalogues?
| 182 |
| Vote |
Shared on
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by Ahmed
techy.Bytes
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Qwerk
Cinema Three
Anyway, clothing being 'too sexy', even with kids is probably more associated wtih females than with males. It works best to condition girls early in their life to get used to wearing barely there clothing. It is part of a far more widespread problem of forcing women to dress in a 'sexy' manner otherwise imply they have low self esteem.
Whatever happened to respecting yourself?
Comment by Joy
Comment by Cinico
Small Business Scope
There are a growing number of underaged teens walking the catwalks these days!
I have to say though, that in the major department store catalogues I've viewed they've stuck to using age appropriate models for promotion.
As children get older I think (lack of) respect for themselves and peer pressure does cause a lot of anxiety in the dress stakes.
Went the bikini was bought in their was an outrage - and things have got a lot skimpier since then!
Comment by Cinico
Small Business Scope
Thanks for stopping by.
When I visit shopping centres I often see young girls out and think 'If that were my daughter, there's no way I'd let her leave home dressed like that!'
Of course, she's not my daughter and it's not up to me what she wears. Still.......
I'm not sure why parents put their little girls in bikini's - I'd assume it would be the same to wash them as it would a one-piece. Maybe because it's cooler?
Comment by Ahmed
techy.Bytes
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Qwerk
Cinema Three
Comment by Little Angry Doll
Falling Haiku Leaf
While channel surfing the other day, I came across an early episode of "The Brady Bunch". Carole and Mike would be under heavy scrutiny these days for the way Cindy was dressed. It may have been cute then to dress little girls in mini dresses, but I actually found myself shocked.
Comment by spain01
Juan Carlos
spain again
While your'e about it
Viva l'difference
Fire News Blog
Cities dying of thirst.
Comment by Home Natural Remedies
Comment by Brenton
Dr Spin
Tales From The Other Side
Downwrite
Blip Blog
Gadget Museum
Comment by Cinico
Small Business Scope
I would think that as adult clothing has become less conservative so too has children's clothing.
Selling bra and undies sets for young girls has been around for a while but the number of stores stocking these products has increased.
I think with the increasing panic over pedophiles/child pornography there's been higher awareness and attention drawn to the clothing of young children.
Thanks for your comment.
Comment by Ahmed
techy.Bytes
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Qwerk
Cinema Three
Comment by MelissaA
Fun Facts
I've seen that many little girls and I mean little - like 4 and 5 years old, wearing skimpy clothing that if it was on an adult you would think they were prostitutes.
Seriously, for some clothing it's just gone too far, and with myself having girls I really notice it.
But it's not just the skimpy clothing that's a problem.
I've often had problems in the past finding things like plain ordinary shorts of a decent, not-right-up their-butt look. Instead they will sell short skirts. Well what do you think little girls and babies I might add (even more impractical) do in short skirts - they show everyone their undies, get them caught on and in things.
It's harder to organise them to look after the skirt during toilet training and as for being in colours like white and pale pink , you just can't get more impractical.
But trying to get a pair of normal shorts that they can play in and don't cause any problems - well not always easy, although I have been able to find some of late.
Then you go through the skimpy clothing for 7 year olds with 'cute' and 'sexy' written on them.
Then we work our way up to the teens with the midriff tops and hipsters - now I'm not a complete prude - on some girls I guess it's OK, they're old enough to know what they're doing anyway, and if they aren't they should work it out first, but then you get the ones who have their plumber's crack showing etc - definitely not sexy, and a definite turn off, along with rolls of tummy fat hanging over the tops of the pants like handles.
Sorry for the rant but I've recently been out in public with many of the above examples and quite frankly I've had my fill for the week. Doesn't anybody know how to dress anymore?
And for the young girls who really are trying to look sexy, hasn't anyone ever explained to them before about the benefits of a bit of mystery?
In fact in my younger dating days, there were the days where I got all dressed up and the days where I made almost no effort, and you know which was the more successful? The plain ordinary outfit days.
In fact one night that I had a first date with a guy, I was wearing a plain white T-shirt, sneakers and a pair of old blue jeans with paint stains on them having accidentally picked up my Uni jeans in a hurry instead of the clean ones as planned.
The same night, 3 other guys tried to pick me up
.
And as for my date? - We're now happily married.
To this day he still reminisces about me and my paint covered jeans.
Comment by Wendi
My own daughter is twelve, to be thirteen in January and it's a constant point of mine to instill in her the difference between attractive and trashy. It is entirely possible to feel beautiful, or even sensual, without showing your flesh or your panties! I've worked hard to teach her that the kids of boys she'd attract with that kind of garb is not the kind of attention she really wants.
I'm amazed that some of the schools aren't enforcing stricter dress codes here in the US. When I was in school, we'd get sent home if our skirt or shorts were above the knee - and I'm only 34! Now, you can drive by a local junior high school and feel like you're watching a Victoria's Secrets catwalk!
This is one reason, among many, that my children are homeschooled and we live in a rural area.
However, we can't blame the manufacturers or the advertisers; we can only blame the parents because fashion is business and, as was mentioned in a reply here from someone else, it all comes down to the bottom dollar. If people weren't buying this stuff, the big businesses wouldn't advertise it!
Comment by Anonymous
I think they should teach modesty at school... yeah, it should be a compulsory unit...
Comment by Anonymous
What are we teaching our daughters? That it's more important to snag someone's attention by the way that we look on the outside? Why is this okay? I also have seen young girls out in public and thought "if I ever have a daughter and she tries to go out of the house like that, we're really going to have it out!"
I'm glad we're expecting a son so we don't have to worry about the "sexy" dress-code that's acceptable and even expected of girls today - but now I have to worry about him being tempted as fashion only gets worse...
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Anonymous