What is the fashion world coming to? Now stores are selling padded bras for six year olds. That is kindergarten age. So bras aren’t just for those who are actually developing but a necessity to start kindergarten. It’s crazy. What is even crazier is that parents actually buy them for their daughters.
Bratz padded bras are currently being sold in Australia and it’s only a matter of time before they make their way to the United States. In a Herald Sun article Target, a separate entity from the US Target, claimed that they sell the padded bras because they support “fashionable items that give girls modesty and style as they go through development changes.” Give me a break what six-year-old is developing breasts. It doesn’t happen. If it actually did the girl’s mother could buy a regular training bra.
Let’s be honest here. The reason they are selling padded bras is because they are marketing sex to children. (See my blog on this topic.) The only reason a girl needs a padded bra is so that she looks older, more like the dolls that she plays with, and her favorite teen pop stars. The clothes that they sell for girls today are fashioned after teen styles. So why shouldn’t your six-year-old look like a teenager while wearing the clothing? Because she is six-years-old. She is still a child and should dress like a child.
The spokeswoman for Bratz claims that, “the idea of the padding is for girls to be discreet as they develop. It is more about hiding what you have got than showing it off. It is certainly not there to make children look like they have breasts.” Then what is the point of padding. It most certainly will call attention to that area and make it look like the girl does have breasts. That’s why teenagers and adult women wear padded bras to enhance what they have and make it look better. If you are trying to be discreet then sell undershirts not padded bras. I could maybe understand a bra with no padding if that is their purpose. But padding is not discreet. Neither is the bra line that will show under the clothing. That just makes the girl look like she is a teenager.
There are those speaking out against the new clothing line including the Australian Family Association. Spokeswoman Angela Conway said, “We have a growing problem with pedophilia and people viewing children as sex objects. Children do not need these products and I am appalled. It is more than bad taste. The sexual portrayal of children in this country is illegal and these products are pandering to just that.”
Recenlty Bratz released a new clothing line targeted for girls ages 8-12 in the US. So now the girls cannot only play with Bratz dolls but dress like them too. The press release states that “this super-hip sassy new line of apparal” features clothing with “a look which redefines wardrobe essentials with the requisite Bratz flair.” The clothing line contains clothing out of sleek satin, faux fur, velveteen denim, stretch corduroy, velour, and french terry decorated with sequins and rhinestones. I’m confused here – are they talking about a young girl or a hooker’s wardrobe?
Parents can make a difference and affect clothing styles. When Abercrombie and Fitch released a new line of thongs for ten year olds featuring phrases like “Eye Candy” and “Wink Wink” parents protested and the thongs were recalled. Parents need to stand up and say what they will or will not accept. I hope that enough parents will protest the new bras that they will be removed in Australia and if they reach the US that they won’t last as well.
Check out this topic in the forum and give your opinion on whether or not 6-year-old girls should be wearing padded bras.
See these related articles:
Where Can I Buy Modest Clothing?
Resources for Islamic Clothing for Women
The Prevalence And Effects of Sex In The Media
Teaching Your Teen To Have Their Own Fashion Style