Padded Bras for Eight-Year-Olds

Kelly Mills — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:31:00 GMT

You remember Tesco: The people who brought you the pole dancing kit for kids (later pulled following protestations from many groups,) and the onesies for babies who need to be anxious about their weight. Now Tesco is getting flack for a new item: Padded bras for kids. The plunge cup bra is being sold next to undershirts for seven- and eight-year olds, and when they say "pre-teen" they apparently mean "pre-pre-teen". After all, bras for kids that young would have to be padded because the majority of those children don't even have boobs yet. Teachers and kids' rights groups are criticizing the bra, saying it's inappropriate and adds to the pressure girls have to be sexually alluring, even in childhood. Ya think?

And how does Tesco defend the controversial bra? A spokesperson says it's actually designed for "girls at that self-conscious age when they are just developing. It is designed to cover up, not flatter... It is described as a padded bra for trade description reasons." I'm guessing they mean the bra is supposed to keep budding girl breasts from showing--this is the best design they could come up with for that? Gawd, how depressing is it that we even have to discuss this. My favorite quote though is from the fashion guy who oposes the bra, and says, "The bra is modelled on a plunge style--it has a very low bridge connecting the cups. It means the shape and position is lower to expose the breast tissue." Expose the breast tissue? Uh huh. Remind me to throw all my demi-cup bras away immediately.

It's Never Too Early To Make Your Kid Feel Fat

Kelly Mills — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:31:00 GMT

You know, sometimes I think kids don't get enough messages about the fundamental importance of being thin. Sure, they are bombarded with waifish models and diet ads, and girls as young as six are talking about dieting, and even boys are getting caught up in the body image drama. And yes, eating disorders can have dire health consequences, and many of us have personally struggled with unrealistic expectations of beauty for much of our lives. But I feel like we haven't done enough to target babies. Babies, I hear, are often content with how they look, even to the point of eating fatty milk whenever they want. Gross!

Well, thank goodness someone is finally addressing this and working to send messages about physical insecurity to our sweet little infants. The 5 Resolutions blog alerted us to the fact that Tesco has this shirt for 3-6 month olds, and it reads, "Does my bum look big in this?" Ha. Ha. Ha. Hey, those diapers are not the most ass-flattering of garments. I guess it might be slightly more amusing if our kids didn't already get so much crap about the importance of size.

Maybe we could also get onesies that say "I hate my legs" and "I know I ought to get to the gym if I'm ever going to lose this gut"? Please?

Strollerderby : tesco

Padded Bras for Eight-Year-Olds

It's Never Too Early To Make Your Kid Feel Fat